Las Vegas teen swim phenom making waves on path to LA Olympics

Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

Before dawn breaks over the Las Vegas Valley, Gabriel Manteufel slices through the still waters of Pavilion Center Pool in Summerlin.

At 5 a.m., while most teenagers are asleep, the rhythmic splashing of Manteufel and his fellow Sandpipers of Nevada swimmers echoes across the facility — soon to be joined by dedicated senior citizens maintaining their vitality through morning laps.

At just 17, Manteufel’s grueling triple-session training days all serve a singular vision: standing on the podium at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. His ambition isn’t far-fetched — the Sandpipers have produced nine Olympians in the past decade.

Manteufel possesses the rare combination of natural talent and unwavering dedication that could make him the program’s next Olympic success story, provided he maintains his relentless pursuit, coach Ron Aitken said.

“He has a lot of skill, but at the end of the day, a lot of swimmers have a chance to have their hand hit the wall,” Aitken said of making the Olympic team. “I wouldn’t count him out. He’ll be one of those athletes going for it.”

The Sandpipers training regimen mirrors what’s done at the Olympic Training Center, including 75-minute strength training sessions in the weight room, sports therapy and nutrition assistance and specialized stroke coaching.

Manteufel, who attends high school classes online to accommodate the Sandpipers’ training and meet schedule, is rated as the No. 2 recruit for the graduating class of 2026. He’s verbally committed to Indiana, a college swimming program that has produced 111 Olympians and won six national championships.

Manteufel, a two-time USA Junior National team member, got a taste of the process to reach the Olympics in 2024 by qualifying in three events at the Olympic Trials.

He admittedly says he didn’t have his best meet in racing the 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle and 1,500 freestyle. But he is making the most of the learning experience. The biggest takeaway: Don’t be consumed by pursuing an Olympic team spot.

The inner pressure doesn’t bring out the best of his ability, after all.

“I’m not going to overthink things,” he says. “The more fun I have, the less overthinking, the better I swim.”

Manteufel excels in endurance swimming, with the marathon swim becoming his favorite. This punishing open-water event covers a 10-kilometer course and demands extraordinary physical and mental stamina.

The event is so physically taxing that swimmers must consume applesauce pouches during the race to replenish their depleted calories. The winning time at the 2024 Paris Games was 1 hour, 50 minutes, 52.70 seconds.

Manteufel is trending to be able to compete against those times. In the 1,650 freestyle, or mile race, his time of 14 minutes, 41.11 seconds is the second fastest all-time for someone aged 15-16.

“My endurance comes naturally,” he proudly says.

In the 1,000 freestyle, he has the sixth-fastest time in the 15-16-year-old division at 8:51.54. For the 17-18-year-old division, his 8:46.56 in the 1,000 freestyle is the seventh-fastest all-time.

Times in the marathon swim vary depending on the open-water conditions.

“He is one of our highest-potential male athletes here at Sandpipers,” said Aitken, who has coached swimming in Las Vegas for three decades.

That potential has taken Manteufel around the globe. Few teenage athletes can say they’ve competed in Spain, Greece, Germany, Italy and Singapore.

That, he says, is part of what makes swimming fun.

“I’m fortunate. Swimming has allowed me to see all these different places,” he said.

Manteufel’s start in the pool was like many other children, by enrolling in swimming lessons during preschool. And like many of the other children, he hated the water. But the woman giving the lesson saw his potential. Fast forward a decade later and that potential could include reaching swimming’s biggest stage.

“He has big hands and feet,” Aitken said. “It’s like he has paddles and fins on in comparison to most athletes. That’s a competitive advantage.”

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