Zach Apple was born April 23, 1997, inTrenton, Ohio, as the son of Doug and Allison Apple.[9] Apple attendedEdgewood High School and swam for GMVY Wahoos club team. In 2015, he was the YMCA Long Course National Champion in the 50mfreestyle and runner-up for 200mfreestyle.[10] Apple swam collegiately atAuburn University from 2015 to 2018 and then transferred toIndiana University to finish his college career from 2018 to 2019.[citation needed]
In his final college season as aHoosier, Apple finished fifth in the 50-yardfreestyle, second in the 200 and third in the 100-yardfreestyle. He also contributed to the team's second NCAA title in the 400-yard medley relay, 200 and 400-yardfreestyle relays, which placed fourth.[16]
At the World Championships Trials inIndianapolis, Apple finished first in the prelims of the 100-yardfreestyle and ended up fourth in the finals, which qualified him for the 400-meterfreestyle relay.[17] He swam in the prelims at the meet and won a gold medal after team USA finished first in the finals.[18]
Apple finished fourth in the 100 and fifth in the 50-meterfreestyle at the 2018National Swimming Championships, he qualified for the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships.[19] At the meet, he finished second in the B-final in the 200-meterfreestyle and fifth in the A-final in the 100-meterfreestyle.[20] He was also part of the 4x200-meterfreestyle relay that won gold.
Zach Apple took home five gold medals: in the 100 and 200-meterfreestyle as well as in the 4x100 and 4x200-meterfreestyle, and 4x100 medley relay. He also finished sixth in the 50-meterfreestyle.[21]
In December 2019, at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Open Championships held inAtlanta,Georgia, Apple placed second in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.81 behindBruno Fratus, second in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:46.76 behindTownley Haas, and first in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 47.69 that also set a new Championship record in the event for the meet.[27]
On June 17, 2021, Apple placed second in the 100-meter freestyle at theUS Olympic Swimming Trials with a time of 47.72 and qualified for the2020 US Olympic swimming team in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay and the individual 100-meter freestyle.[28] Earlier in the meet, in the semifinals of the 200-meter freestyle on June 14, Apple swam a time of 1:46.22 in the 200-meter freestyle and ranked second overall, qualifying for the final.[29] He finished fifth overall in the 200-meter freestyle final with a time of 1:46.45 and qualified for the 4x200-meter freestyle relay team at the 2020 Olympic Games on June 15.[30][31]
On June 19, Apple ranked 12th in the 50-meter freestyle prelims with his time of 22.27 and advanced to the semifinals later the same day.[32] In the semifinals, he swam a 22.50 and did not advance to the final, ranking 16th overall in the two semifinal heats.[33]
At his firstOlympic Games, the2020 Summer Olympics inTokyo,Japan, Apple competed in the prelims and the final of the4x100-meter freestyle relay.[34][35] In the final of the event, Apple swam the fastest of any of his relay teammates, splitting a 46.69, which was over half a second faster than the next fastest relay swimmerCaeleb Dressel.[36] Apple had the second fastest split time of any swimmer in the event's final, swimming a quarter of a second slower than the 46.44 split byKyle Chalmers ofAustralia.[4] The finals relay of Apple, Caeleb Dressel,Bowe Becker, andBlake Pieroni finished first in a time of 3:08.97, with Apple anchoring the relay.[34][35][36][37] All relay teammates, including prelims-only swimmerBrooks Curry, won the gold medal for their efforts.[38] Apple was the first athlete from theAuburn University swim program, past or present, to win a gold medal in swimming at anOlympic Games since the2012 Summer Olympics.[39]
On the fourth day of competition, Apple swam a 48.16 in the prelims of the100-meter freestyle, ranked 11th overall, and qualified for the semifinals.[31][40] The following day of competition, Apple was selected to swim in the finals of the4x200-meter freestyle relay along withKieran Smith,Drew Kibler, andTownley Haas.[41] The relay finished fourth in the final, then later in the same competition session Apple placed sixth in his semifinal heat, 11th overall, and did not advance to the final of the 100-meter freestyle.[31]
On the final day, Apple swam the freestyle leg of the4x100-meter medley relay and won a gold medal and set theworld record andOlympic record in the event at 3:26.78 along with his final relay teammatesRyan Murphy,Michael Andrew, and Caeleb Dressel.[42][43][44][45][46] Apple swam a time of 46.95 for his 100-meter freestyle portion of the relay, which was the fastest split time in any stroke from any swimmer in the final by only one hundredth of a second as Kyle Chalmers split a 46.96 for the freestyle leg of the Australia relay.[4]
Apple's performances on the 4x100-meter freestyle relay and the 4x100-meter medley relay, where the only other swimmer from any country in the final of either event to split faster than him was Kyle Chalmers of Australia in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, garnered the affection of theUSA Swimming Foundation who included him in their nomination of both relays for oneGolden Goggle Award, the "Relay Performance of the Year" award, thus making two out of three relay nominations for the award include the only person to swim freestyle on both relays: Zach Apple.[47][48]
Apple entered to compete in one individual event at the2021 World Short Course Championships inAbu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates in December, the 100-meter freestyle.[49] For the week of November 1, 2021, the only item ranking higher than the United States team announcement for the Championships, including Apple, for "The Week That Was" honor fromSwimming World was Kyle Chalmers setting a new world record in the short course 100 meter freestyle.[50]
On day one of the championships, Apple substituted in forTom Shields for the finals relay in the4×100 meter freestyle relay, and helped achieve a third-place finish with finals relay teammatesShaine Casas, Hunter Tapp, andRyan Held, winning the bronze medal in the event.[51][52] Apple led-off the4×50 meter mixed freestyle relay in 21.76 seconds in the prelims heats the following day, contributing to the 1:31.31 that qualified the relay for the final ranked fourth.[53] In the final, Apple split a 21.31 for the second leg of the relay, helping achieve a fourth-place finish.[54] Day four of competition, Apple helped advance the4×50 meter freestyle relay to the final ranked third, splitting a 21.62 for the lead-off leg of the relay.[55] On the finals relay, Apple split a 21.06 to help achieve a fourth-place finish in 1:23.81 with finals relay teammates Ryan Held, Shaine Casas, and Kieran Smith.[56] Day five of competition, Apple anchored the4×50 meter medley relay in the prelims heats, helping qualify the relay for the final ranking fifth with a split of 21.27.[57] He also qualified for the semifinals of the100 meter freestyle in the morning, swimming a 47.05 and ranking tenth overall.[58] In the final of the 4×50 meter medley relay Ryan Held substituted in for Apple, the finals relay tied for first, and Apple won a gold medal along with the rest of the prelims and finals relay team members.[59] Apple placed twelfth in the semifinals of the 100 metre freestyle with a 47.33.[60] The sixth and final day of the championships, Apple anchored the4×100 meter medley relay with a 46.80 in the prelims heats and helped qualify the relay to the final ranking third.[61] In the final, Ryan Held substituted in for Apple and the relay team won the silver medal with a time of 3:20.50.[62]
On the second day of thePro Swim Series atNorthside Swim Center inSan Antonio, Texas in March and April 2022, Apple qualified for the final of the 200 meter freestyle ranking seventh with a time of 1:51.56 in the prelims heats.[63] He placed eighth in the final with a 1:51.43.[64] For the prelims of the 50 meter freestyle on day three, he ranked 14th with a 22.96 and qualified for the b-final in the evening where he went on to place eighth, sixteenth overall, with a time of 22.97 seconds.[65] In the prelims heats of the 100 meter freestyle on day four, he tied for eighth with a time of 49.85 seconds, then in the evening b-final he won with a time of 49.86 seconds.[66][65]
At the2022 US International Team Trials inGreensboro, North Carolina, Apple ranked seventh in the prelims heats of the 100 meter freestyle on the first day of competition, qualifying for the evening final in 48.57 seconds.[67] He placed eighth in the final with a time of 48.52 seconds.[68] He followed up his swims with a 1:49.44 in the prelims heats of the 200 meter freestyle the following morning, placing 18th overall.[69]
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