By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam
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Justin Cvetkov from Serbia has announced his commitment to continue his academic and athletic careers at Yale beginning in fall 22026. Cvetkov represented Serbia at the 2024 Paris Olympics as well as this summer at the 2025 World Championships.
“Since I’m from a completely different continent and have always been deeply attached to my home country, deciding to study abroad was incredibly difficult for me. For a long time, I was uncertain about the idea of coming to the U.S., and it took a lot of reflection to make this decision. My mindset was: “If I’m going to study abroad, I want to make the most out of it.” That perspective ultimately led me to choose Yale. I believe Yale offers outstanding opportunities — both academically and athletically, especially with its swimming program. But above all, it was the sense of family I felt during my visit that truly made the difference. Everyone made me feel so welcomed, so at home, and that feeling was what ultimately helped me decide that this is where I want to spend the next four years of my life.”
Cvetkov swam on the men’s 4×100 free relay for Serbia in Paris, swimming a 48.66 split to help the relay to an 11th place finish. This past summer he swam to a 48.07 split on the men’s 4×100 free relay in Singapore as the relay finished 15th.
Earlier this summer, Cvetkov competed at the European Junior Championships. There he posted a lifetime best 22.43 in the 50 free for 6th in semifinals before he finished 8th in finals (22.59). He made the podium in the 100 free notching a lifetime best 49.03.
Cvetkov’s Lifetime Best LCM Times (With SCY Conversions) Are:
- 50 free: 22.43 (19.48)
- 100 free: 49.03 (42.72)
- 200 free: 1:50.41 (1:36.58)
The Yale men finished 3rd at the 2025 Ivy League Championships with 1212.5 points, just 50 points behind 2nd place Harvard (1262.5). Princeton captured the conference title with 1330 points. Senior Noah Millard led the way for Yale as he won conference titles in the 500 free (4:07.68) and 1650 free (14:34.72). He also swam to 2nd in the 200 free in a 1:31.86.
Based on his best converted times, Cvetkov is a huge pick up for Yale. His best converted time in the 50 free would have been 4th, his 100 free would have also been 4th, and his 200 free would have been 14th at the Ivy League Championships. In addition to his individual impact, Cvetkov also brings relay potential. Yale won the men’s 200 free relay in a 1:16.48 and the 400 free relay in a 2:48.74 with all swimmers going sub-43 seconds. Millard, who has now graduated, split the fastest time in the 400 free relay with a 41.76 split so Cvetkov’s arrival next fall will be huge for the team.
Yale went on to score 30 points at NCAAs, all coming in individual events. The team finished 21st in the 200 free relay and 23rd in the 400 free relay. It took a 19.02 in the 50 free and a 41.95 in the 100 free to earn an invite to 2025 NCAAs, times that Cvetkov is not far off based on his converted times.
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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Serbian Olympian Justin Cvetkov Commits To Yale For 2026
