Keaton Jones’ fearless mentality growing up in the water has led him to feats including a 24-hour Alcatraz swim and breaking world records in ice swimming in France.
Now, a year after graduating from Gilbert Higley High, Jones is headed back to France. This time, it’s Paris, where he’ll compete on the biggest stage, in the men’s 200-meter backstroke, representing the United States at the Olympics this summer.
Jones, 19, qualified for the Olympics last Thursday, finishing second in the backstroke with a time of 1 minute, 54.61 seconds, only 0.28 behind two-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis.
“It’s been sinking in a little bit the past two days,” Jones said in a phone interview with The Arizona Republic on Monday. “I’m ready to get back to Berkeley, get in my training, seeing some of my buddies.”
California has earned the name “Backstroke U” for a reason.
Jones just finished his freshman year at Cal. Murphy starred at Cal a decade ago and still trains there with Jones. And former Cal swimmer Hugo Gonzalez will be representing Spain at the Olympics in Paris.
The top three men’s 200 backstroke times in the world this year are held by all Cal swimmers: Murphy at 1:54.33, Gonzales at 1:54.51 and Jones at 1:54.61.
“It’ll be very good,” Jones said. “There’s definitely some comfort in knowing that if I make that Olympic day final, it will be me, Hugo and Murph. It should just feel like practice. I’ve raced both of those guys very often, and I’m very comfortable next to them.”
Randy Jones has seen the desire and work ethic in his son since Keaton was 8 and training under head coach Joe Zemaitis at Club Neptune. So this fast track has been coming. Keaton qualified for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, but ended up being a spectator by the time the finals rolled around.
This time, he was ready.
“Was it realistic?” Randy Jones asked about his son reaching the Olympics a year out of high school. “I thought it was more in the cards four years from now. But the reality of it is … he’s been training extremely hard. It was his day.”
Jones is believed to be the first swimmer to come through Arizona age-group swimming to represent the United States at the Olympics since 2008, when former Phoenix Arcadia star Klete Keller and former Marana Mountain View swimmer Lacey Nymeyer competed in Beijing.
Former Scottsdale Chaparral swimmer Taylor Ruck won two medals as part of Canada’s team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and another medal at the Tokyo Games that were held in 2021, a one-year delay due to the pandemic. Ruck will be making her third Olympics this summer in Paris, representing Canada.
To win a medal in Paris would be an unbelievable feat for Jones. But nothing surprises anybody close to him anymore.
“I think he’s got a shot at a medal,” Zemaitis said. “His time is third in the world this year. He was only half a second behind Ryan Murphy, and he’s up for a gold. … He’s definitely a medal contender.”
Embracing challenges
Jones has always challenged himself in swimming in all sorts of conditions.
“The big thing with Keaton is he was never afraid to try a new challenge,” Zemaitis said. “He was always one to always jump at any opportunity to get better and challenge himself.”
He did Zemaitis’ Alcatraz swim in the Bay Area each summer, part of it swimming under the Golden Gate Bridge. He started doing that when he was 9. During the COVID shutdown in 2020, Jones and a couple of his friends did the swim. But they swam a mile every hour on the hour for 24 hours. Then, they did two miles in the last hour, so it ended up being 25 miles in 24 hours.
“He was the driving force behind wanting to do that,” Zemaitis said.
In January 2023, the 6-foot-5 Jones set four world records in the International Ice Swimming Association 5th World Championship in Samoens, France.
“He’s racing in a pool built in a lake in France, where it’s 30-degree water,” Zemaitis said.
Jones’ commitment level has led to giving up a lot of things, such as hanging out with friends or going out and getting ice cream. But the sacrifices are paying off now in the 200 backstroke.
“It’s not shocking,” Jones said. “I know I put in the work. I’m capable of going that time. It wasn’t like a crazy, out-of-the-world swim. It was, but it’s in my wheelhouse. I’ve worked hard enough to achieve something like that. I did think my time would be in four years in LA (Los Angeles), but just because I wasn’t expecting it so much doesn’t mean that I’m not prepared and ready to go.
“I know (Cal coach) Dave (Durden) is going to get me right.”
Randy Jones isn’t counting out his son.
“Do we have hope that he can get on the podium?” Randy asked. “Sure. We’re always hopeful. As long as you have a lane, you’ve got a chance. As long as he can get through the rounds and get a lane into the finals, you never know how he’s going to perform.
“But I’ve realized I wouldn’t bet against Keaton. You just never know what that kid is capable of.”
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Higley swimmer Keaton Jones qualifies for Paris Olympics
