On July 30, Nepali Swimmer Alex Shah, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’25, competed in the Men’s 100-meter freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics. On that day, Shah set his personal-best time in the race at 51.91 seconds. More importantly, he set the new Nepal national record in the event.
This was a triumphant end to his international swimming career. And, after Shah completes his senior year swimming for Fordham, he will retire. “I want to swim only for myself now,” he said. “And I think this will be thrilling.”
Shah, 21, was born in Bangkok, Thailand. However, Nepal is his home. Shah said, “I’d really say I was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal.”
Shah began swimming at age 10 and started seriously competing at age 14. “When I first started swimming, I did not enjoy it at all and was only really motivated when I competed or won an event,” Shah said. “Now, I have learned to love the sport and myself within it.”
In Kathmandu, Shah swam as an MVP at both the Lincoln School for five years and on a club team for Nepal swimming, according to Fordham Sports. In 2021, Shah began his college swimming career at Fordham.
Prior to becoming a D1 college athlete, Shah made his international swimming debut for Nepal at the 2019 World Aquatics Championship. As reported by olympics.com, he then went on to compete in the World Aquatics Championship in 2023 and 2024. His performance at the 2024 championship in Doha, Qatar, qualified him to compete in Paris, as stated by Fordham Sports.
Shah is no stranger to the goings-on of the Olympic games. He competed in the same event in 2021 at the COVID-19 delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “To be completely honest, I enjoyed Tokyo more than Paris for a couple reasons: organization, quality of food, hospitality, and of course, it was my first time competing in the Olympics,” Shah said.
Despite his preference, Shah approached Paris with more experience and preparation. “Through racing at Fordham and in college, I have become very comfortable and precise with how I prepare mentally and physically. Why I thoroughly enjoyed Paris was because I could trust myself and my swimming, and that I never felt nervous, but more motivated to compete and get the job done. I truly felt ready,” Shah said.
For Shah, he met both Olympic games with the same goal in mind: to fully embrace the experience as much as he could. “It is extremely enjoyable and often I felt ecstatic and energetic to just be provided such a great opportunity,” he said.
“The only thing I would say that was a bit of a struggle was not having AC! And maybe the cardboard beds being a little tough.” Alex Shah, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’25
Living in the Olympic Village added to the swimmer’s enjoyment. Shah said he felt like a kid in a candy shop. Everything was within arms reach like incomparable athletic facilities, nutritional support, healthcare and physical therapy. He said that everywhere you go, there is a chance you rub shoulders with an athlete you look up to.
“Being in the Olympic Village is surreal,” he said. “It is quite a packed, small city and everyone is also as excited to be there as I was.”
Free healthcare and state-of-the-art athletic facilities aside, Shah had a favorite perk while living in the village: the vending machines. The machines were only accessible to athletes, he said. “We were given a specific key that let us use any vending machine in the village to get electrolytes, water, or maybe even a diet coke.”
Although the benefits of the Olympic Village are exciting, Shah recounted a few minor grievances. “The only thing I would say that was a bit of a struggle was not having AC! And maybe the cardboard beds being a little tough,” he said.
Shah’s mentality has shifted since competing in the Tokyo games. Controlling the small things is what he said sets him apart from others, and the prior experience provided him with this skill.
“Holding myself to the standard of never being late, always warming up, cooling down, stretching, not getting sick, eating well,” he said. “Makes me who I am and keeps me in line.”
Despite being a second-time Olympian, there’s still pressure. “As fun as it sounds, there’s a ridiculous amount of stress. At the end of the day, I am representing an entire country, while also representing myself and my goals to drop time and perform to the best of my ability.”
Shah did just that.
This year in the Paris La Defense Arena, when Shah stepped up on to the starting block and took his mark, he said he felt calmer and more comfortable.
Shah dropped in time from his previous Olympic appearance in Tokyo where he swam the 100-meter freestyle in 53.41 seconds, as per olympics.com. Additionally, he lowered the national record held by the previous record holder by about six seconds when he swam the 100-meter freestyle this year.
Shah said, “Before me, the previous record holder went a 58 for the 100-meter freestyle. Since then, I have worked endlessly to bring this down to where it is today, a 51.91. I am extremely proud of this as I want to also prove that Nepal has the possibility of improving swimming and getting close to an elite level of athletes.”
“It is hard to explain what it feels like to have a whole country behind you. I really can’t say much more than that!” Shah
“Swimming is a direct representation of discipline, work and results. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing the results, dropping time, after an immensely difficult training cycle,” Shah said.
When Shah set the new record for Nepal in Paris, he finished third in his heat and 59th overall among 79 swimmers. Since only the top 16 best times progressed, Shah did not move to the semi-finals, the Kathmandu Post reported.
However, Shah’s Olympic performance is not commonplace and an achievement all on its own.
“Making it past the initial stages is extremely difficult, which is where some people may not understand. Just because I am going to the Olympics does not mean I am going to get a gold medal,” he said.
To represent Nepal on an international level in swimming is a great honor for Shah. “It is hard to explain what it feels like to have a whole country behind you. I really can’t say much more than that! I have loved it every second and it means so much to me,” he said. “I am not only proving myself, but proving my entire home, as well.”
Shah has ultimately made a significant decision for himself: The 2024 Paris Olympic Games was Shah’s last international swimming competition. “I will swim one more year with Fordham as it is my senior year, and truly enjoy college swimming to the fullest,” he said.
Shah said it’s a relief returning to Fordham after the Olympics, and also exciting: “I get to see the people that have helped me get to where I am today and celebrate with them. It has felt as though the weight on my shoulders is gone, and that I can truly experience college more now,” he said.
Following his senior year, Shah said he wants to shift his focus toward academics by pursuing a masters degree in data science. Regarding his future: “I am looking forward to a different chapter of my life.”
