Pitt swimmer Jayla Pina will represent the nation of Cape Verde in the Paris Olympics

Junior swimmer Jayla Pina will represent Pitt and the nation of Cape Verde in the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. She will compete in the 200 IM on Aug. 2 at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris.

It will be her second appearance at the Olympic Games after competing in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Pina was born in the U.S., but has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Cape Verde, an island country in the central Atlantic Ocean. Her mother, Leila Alfama, was born in Cape Verde before moving to the U.S.

“To represent Cape Verde is amazing,” Pina said in a statement released by the Pitt athletics department. “Getting to be one of the faces of swimming for the country is extremely motivating. This Olympics is also a huge step as it is only the second Olympics Cape Verde has participated in for swimming, so I am very honored to represent the flag.”

Pina, who has been training with her Pitt teammates and coaches, said she is “soaking in every moment she gets this time around.”

“Pitt has been amazing in prepping me for the Olympics. I am so glad I stayed over the summer in Pittsburgh to train. My coaches did the best they could to help me prepare and we’ve been grinding throughout the year towards this goal.”

Pina holds team records at Seekonk (Mass.) High School in the 100 breaststroke, 100 freestyle, 50 freestyle, 200 IM, 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay.

She placed 29th in the 100 breast, 30th in 200 Breast and 46th in 200 IM at 2024 ACC Championships.