Peribonio Grateful for Olympic Opportunity and South Carolina Experience

Tomas Peribonio is making his second appearance in the Olympic Games, and the former South Carolina swimmer plans to make the most of it as he swims for Ecuador.

“It’s a feeling that does not get old,” said Peribonio, who was born in the U.S., grew up in Chile, and moved to Georgia when he turned 13. His father is Ecuadorian and worked for that country’s government most of his career. “I’m still a little bit speechless. The two Olympic cycles were really different. COVID during the first cycle for the (2021) Tokyo Olympics really threw a curve ball in there, and this cycle was different since it was only three years. The emotions and the excitement are the same.

“Obviously, I want to swim my best time. In swimming, it is a little different than a lot of other sports because you’re always racing the clock or yourself. I go into every meet with that goal in mind. I’m always trying to get better. There is another sense of competition to that in wanting to get a medal. I’ve always gone into international meets wanting to be the best from my continent. We always compare ourselves to the rest of the Americas or South America. Those are some of my goals.”

Peribonio will compete in the 200 individual medley on August 1 after racing in the 200 and 400 events previously. Having competed previously on the Olympic stage will help him remain focused.

“Not only going to the Olympic Games but going back to my time at South Carolina (2014-2018) with SECs and NCAAs, you are surrounded by the same swimmers who are going to be at the Olympics,” Peribonio said. “My heats at the Olympics are similar to those from the SEC or the NCAA championships. I recognize a lot of the swimmers. With all of those experiences, I’m a lot more calm and more collected.”

Peribonio also noted that his experience at South Carolina played an integral role in his success after college.

“I probably owe most of my career to South Carolina and my coaches there,” said Peribonio, who double majored in international business and finance and graduated in 2018. “When I got to South Carolina, I was not that great of a swimmer, to be honest. I was ranked eighth in the state of Georgia coming out of my class, and then I ended up moving up the ranks nationally, not just in my state. South Carolina was where I had my greatest developmental phase. I had a really good four years there, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

“Not only did I get better in the pool, but being a team captain and taking a team that went from being unranked to being ranked three years in a row also helped me outside of the pool in developing leadership skills and being a good teammate.”

Peribonio was also thankful for the opportunity to study abroad while he was a student at South Carolina.

“My coaches worked around my schedule and allowed me to do that,” Peribonio said. “That is another thing I really have to thank South Carolina for.”

In addition to working out in the pool, Peribonio has been working full time with a start-up technology company called Phlex Swim. He plans to stay with that for a few more years before exploring more interests in finance or developing a business internationally. For now, Peribonio can’t wait to get to Paris to compete and enjoy the experience.

“For my first Olympics, my family wasn’t able to go there because of the pandemic,” Peribonio said. “I also wasn’t able to explore a lot of the city because of all the lockdowns and restrictions. Now, my family is going to be able to watch me in the Olympics, which is something that they deserve as much as I do because they put in a lot of work to help me get here. I’m looking forward to the chance to explore the city a little bit as well and really take in the experience.

“Forever to thee. I’m really grateful to South Carolina and all the opportunities the University has brought to my life.”