TOKYO, Japan – Rutgers junior swimmer Brooke Thompson had a standout performance competing at the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo. Thompson grabbed six medals (two Gold, four Bronze) and was part of three record setting swims.

Thompson won three individual medals at the Tokyo Deaflympics, winning bronze in the 50 free and the 50 and 100 butterfly. She was also part of three medal winning teams – the 4x100 Medley Relay, the 4x100 Free Relay, and the 4x200 Free Relay.

Thompson set a new USA Deaf Swimming record with her time of 26.58 in the 50 freestyle. After previously setting the USA Deaf Swimming record short course yards in the 50 freestyle with her time at the 2025 Big Ten Championships, Thompson now owns the Olympic-style long course meters record American record as well, topping the time of 26.95 set in 2023 by her Deaflympics teammate Carli Cronk. In addition, as an individual, Thompson won bronze in both the 50 Butterfly (28.95) and the 100 Butterfly (1:05.22).

Thompson was also part of two world record setting times as a member of two mixed relay teams. She saw the anchor leg of the 4x100 mixed medley relay in 59.07 to give the squad a time of 3:58.57 for a Deaf World Record and gold medal. That time shattered the previous world record, which had been held by Russia since 2017, by 3.4 seconds. Thompson also was on the relay team that set a deaf world record in the mixed 4x100 free relay, where she swam the second leg of a relay team finishing 3:39.66.

"The competition was fierce, and I had an amazing time creating new memories and friendships, as well as seeing old friends, racing hard, and earning medals," Thompson said. "It was truly a one of a kind experience that I am proud and thankful to be part of."

The native of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. competed against deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes from around the world, where all participants compete without hearing assistance to ensure equal competition conditions. The team captain was born completely deaf. Thompson is an advocate for adaptive technology and workplace inclusion for individuals with disabilities. She received her first cochlear implant at one-year-old and her second at four.

Thompson competed in her second career Deaflympics after previously winning eight medals in Brazil in 2022. She also previously has 11 medals at two World Deaf Swimming Championships, with her performance this week in Japan pushing Thompson to 14 career Deaflympic Medals and 25 career Deaf Swimming medals overall.

"It's awesome to be part of Team USA," Thompson said in a Big Ten Network feature spreading the awareness of Deaf Swimming. "I'm very thankful. I love the interactions with other deaf swimmers and deaf athletes from other countries. Some of my best friends are from that team. I think that's an amazing experience to have as a deaf athlete. I wish more people knew about Deaflympics and Deaf Swimming because I think it's such an amazing opportunity to have as a deaf athlete and really connects you to the community."
 




About the Deaflympics

Organized by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), the Deaflympics is an international Olympic Games for and run by Deaf and hard of hearing people. The Games are held every four years with separate summer and winter Games. This year is the 25th Summer Deaflympics, the first held in Japan, and marks the 100th anniversary of the first Deaflympics held in Paris.

Eugene Rubens-Alcais, himself Deaf and president of the French Deaf Sports Federation, launched the first Games in Paris, France, in 1924, initially called the International Silent Games. At the time, Deaf people were considered intellectually and physically inferior to hearing people. Alcais aimed to create the Games to change how society viewed Deaf people by hosting and organizing their own international sports competition. In 2001, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted permission to use the name Deaflympics.

The Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics was held Nov. 15-26, with 70-80 countries/regions represented in a total of 21 sports. The United States was represented by 163 athletes, 13 of whom compete in the pool alongside Thompson.