By Sean Griffin on SwimSwam
German Olympian Rafael Miroslaw has officially begun his professional career under coach Herbie Behm at Arizona State University. He transitioned to ASU this past month after wrapping up his NCAA career at Indiana.
The Hamburg native shared the news on Instagram, writing, “Officially stepping into the professional world: I’m honored to continue my swimming career at Arizona State University. A new chapter begins, and I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got. Forks up!”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Rafael Miroslaw (@rafaelmiroslaw)
He joins a pro group that includes two-time Olympic sprinter Ryan Held, who hasn’t competed much this year but is entered in the 50 free at U.S. Nationals next week, along with fellow sprinters Michael Andrew, Mikel Schreuders, Grant House, and others.
Miroslaw made his first appearance for ASU at the Sun Devil Open from May 16–19, where he posted times of 22.92 in the 50 free and 49.38 in the 100 free, placing 8th and 12th.
Prior to that, at last month’s Berlin Open, he won gold in both the 100 free (48.36) and 200 free (1:47.48). His 100 free time narrowly missed the 48.34 qualifying standard for this summer’s World Championships, while his 200 free was also off the 1:46.70 required.
Miroslaw’s big breakthrough came at the 2022 Berlin Open, where he became the first German to swim under 48 seconds in the 100 free, setting a national record of 47.92 in prelims. While Josha Salchow has since lowered the mark to 47.80, Miroslaw’s time still ranks as the second-fastest in German history.
At the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, Miroslaw hit the wall 19th in the 100 free (48.65) and 26th in the 200 free (1:48.28). A year later, in Fukuoka, he finished 12th in the 200 free (1:46.30) and 25th in the 100 free (48.68). At the Berlin Open a few months prior, he set his current 200 best time of 1:45.83.
The 2024 season saw him compete at a trio of international competitions. At the Worlds in Doha, held in February, he narrowly missed his 200 free personal best with three consecutive sub-1:46 swims (1:45.89 in prelims, 1:45.95 in semifinals, and 1:45.84 in the final), en route to finishing 5th. At the Paris Olympics, he touched 15th in the 200 free (1:47.34) and helped Germany secure 7th and 8th place finishes in the 4×100 and 4×200 free relays.
Later, at the Short Course World Championships this past December, Miroslaw secured 6th in the 200 free (1:41.71) and 12th in the 100 free (46.33). He also led off Germany’s 4th-place 4×200 free relay with a 1:41.25 split — the fastest time of his career.
On the NCAA front, Miroslaw competed four seasons for Indiana University, qualifying for the NCAA Championships each year. As a freshman in 2022, he touched 10th in the 200-yard free (1:32.27), 13th in the 100 free (42.02), and 13th in the 50 free (19.44). He clocked a career-best 41.63 in the prelims of the 100 free.
In 2023, he swam to 13th in the 200 free (1:32.65), 32nd in the 100 free (42.51), and 38th in the 50 free (19.44).
The 2024 season saw him place 5th in the 200 free (1:30.84), 14th in the 100 free (41.75), and 14th in the 500 free (4:13.86), after swimming 4:11.84 in prelims. Additionally, he led off Indiana’s 6th-place 800 free relay with a lifetime best of 1:30.76.
As a senior in 2025, he did not advance to any A-finals, finishing 16th in the 200 free (1:32.69) after a 1:31.85 prelim swim, 27th in the 100 free (42.06), and 29th in the 500 free (4:15.63).
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