By Sean Griffin on SwimSwam
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Ali Sayed, a Qatar Swimming-affiliated athlete based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has announced his commitment to swim and study at Arizona State University starting in the fall of 2025. He trains year-round with Club Aquatique Montréal (CAMO), where veteran coach Greg Arkhurst is at the helm.
I am honored to announce my verbal commitment to Arizona Sate University to continue my athletic and academic career. I am very excited to be part of an amazing team. I’m very thankful to everyone that supported me through this journey. Forks Up!
Sayed, a sprint free specialist, most recently competed at the Coupe du Québec Senior competition, held March 13–16, 2025, in Pointe-Claire, Ontario. The long course meters meet marked his only appearance of the 2025 season so far, in which he logged three victories and two runner-up finishes.
He opened his campaign with a time of 23.42 to win the 50 free, then followed it up with a dominant showing in the 50 butterfly—an event not contested individually at the SCY NCAA level—where he touched 1st in 24.75. Sayed also posted a strong 55.19 in the 100 fly to place 2nd, narrowly missing out on another title. He rounded out his meet with a 51.26 in the 100 free, grabbing silver once again.
At the Canadian Olympic Trials last June, Sayed recorded times of 22.42 in the 50 free and 49.28 in the 100 free, winning the B-final of both events. He later improved his 100 free to 49.11 at the Canadian Speedo Championships at the end of July—an effort that remains his lifetime best as the Canadian World Trials approach in less than a month.
Top LCM (converted to SCY) Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 22.42 (19.47)
- 100 Freestyle: 49.11 (42.80)
- 100 Butterfly: 53.72 (47.13)
The Big 12 Championships feature ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ finals, and Sayed’s converted time in the 50 free would have earned him a berth in the ‘A’ final. His time of 19.47 would have tied him for 7th out of prelims, where Arizona State freshman Quin Seider and senior Tiego Bahar both posted that same exact time. The Sun Devils dominated this event, representing 7 out of the 8 swimmers in the championship final.
In the 100 free, Sayed’s converted time would have ranked 9th in prelims, just missing the ‘A’ final cutoff of 42.61. Additionally, his converted 100 fly time of 47.13 would have secured a spot in the ‘B’ final, as 47.35 was the 16th-place mark after prelims.
It’s important to note that converted times are not 100% accurate and should be viewed as approximations. Still, they help provide some perspective on how Sayed’s performances could translate into the shorter pool.
Sayed joins a sprint-heavy depth chart for the Sun Devils, led by sophomore Ilya Kharun, who posted an 18.31 in the 50 free this past season. Junior Jonny Kulow was the fastest in the 100 free with a clocking of 40.83. Both Kharun and Kulow were key contributors to Arizona State’s silver medal-winning 200 and 400 free relays at the 2025 NCAA Championships.
Looking ahead to next season, the Sun Devils enter as preseason favorites in those relays, bolstered by the addition of Florida’s Adam Chaney through