Local Life

Olympian Connor Jaeger: Present Day & Retro

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You could say that former Fair Havenite Connor Jaeger is swimming in Olympic success.

Word traveled fast when the 2010 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduate and University of Michigan champ during Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska two Sundays ago qualified to go for the gold in swimming once again in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by coming in first in the men’s 400 freestyle.

Then, this past Sunday, the 25-year-old Jaeger won the 1,500 with a time of 14:47.61. The 1,500 men’s freestyle is the event in which he came in second in trials just four years ago and swam to sixth place in the London Summer Olympics 2012.

Now there are two events that could get the second-round Olympian the gold in Rio. And, in a first, he came in first in both at trials.

“When you realize that’s a 1 next to your name… #rio2016?? I owe it all to my teammates,…” Jaeger said on Twitter after the 400 win.

“The time went by very quickly. It’s that time again — four years later. Connor is training for the (Olympic) trials,” Jaeger’s dad, Fair Haven Councilman Eric, said to Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect recently when we ran into him at a political fundraiser a few months ago and asked about the family. Oh, and mom, Bernadette and sister, Dana, are well, too.

Some things you may not know about Connor:

• He’s a pretty modest guy. Humble and friendly are what his family called him in 2012. Four years ago, in August, when he got home from the Olympics, Fair Haven had a small parade to honor him.

He was there, riding in his dad’s Jeep, feeling very grateful for the overwhelming support, but still very modest and a bit shy about all the attention, as his parents had said. He came back to the Fair Haven firehouse later to sign autographs and pose for some photos with a group of kids who were thrilled beyond belief to meet him. (See the photos above.)

• Connor’s mom, Bernadette, had said that one of his favorite things to do before a meet was to have a chicken parm sandwich and a “side” of (a) nap.

• Connor never intended to swim professionally. The family’s aim, at first, was to just get him some basic lessons so he wouldn’t drown in the pool at the beach club.

• He took lesson’s at Dosil’s Sports Center in Middletown.

• In the earlier years, Connor got his start at Surfrider Beach Club and Central Jersey Acquatic Club (CJAC), where he ended up meeting his coach, Corrina Weinkofsky, whose shot at the Olympics gold was foiled when in 1980 President Jimmy Carter canceled the Olympics.

• The CJAC raised funds to send Weinkofsky to London four years ago to see Connor swim in the Olympics.

• The Jaegers had lived in Middletown until they moved to Fair Haven when Connor was in sixth grade.

• From swimming three times a week at Surfrider, Connor ended up swimming six days a week, two hours a day year-round at CJAC.

Congrats, Connor!

— Elaine Van Develde/photos & story