Jacoby understands the unpredictable nature of the Olympics better than most. After making history as the first swimmer from Alaska to join the elite American team, she captured a sensational gold medal in the 100 metre breaststroke in Japan, defeating favorite Lilly King. 

Unfortunately, Jacoby won’t have the opportunity to defend her title for Team USA in France. She placed third in her signature event at the US Olympic trials, where only the top two qualify for Paris. "You know, I haven’t quite gotten there yet,” Jacoby said. “I haven’t really processed the fact that I won’t be swimming there. I’m honestly not really sure if I want to watch my event.”

“It hasn’t quite hit me yet. I definitely had a little cry last night. But I’ve been doing pretty well today, so I’m sure there’ll be a lot of time to process those emotions in the next couple of weeks. I’m trying to line up some fun things to look forward to this summer.”

Winning a gold medal at the age of 17, especially as a native of the small town of Seward, Alaska (population: 2,851), made it somewhat difficult for Jacoby to handle her newfound swimming fame. Her entire hometown rallied behind her, famously cheering from afar as she touched the wall at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games. The adulation came at a cost.

Jacoby experienced what she described as "post-Olympic depression," struggling with the feeling that her identity was solely tied to her athletic achievements. She had to remind herself that she was more than just a swimmer.

"Being a swimmer is something I do," she said. "It's not something I am. I have so many interests and passions. I have amazing friends, amazing family outside of the sport. So I feel like remembering those things is just a big thing for me."

Jacoby arrived in Indianapolis feeling optimistic about her chances of making another Olympic team, despite the presence of longtime American breaststroke star Lilly King. King won the 100 breaststroke on Monday night, which wasn't a major surprise. However, Jacoby was also surpassed by Emma Weber, who secured the second spot on the Olympic team by a margin of 0.27 seconds.

“I’m a little frustrated,” Jacoby admitted. “I’m so happy for Lilly. I’m so happy for Emma. I’ve been racing both of them for years. It’s going to be an amazing experience, so I wish them both the best. But it’s just frustrating.”

King expressed her sympathy for Jacoby, who had been her main American rival. “My heart absolutely breaks for her,” King said. “That’s just kind of how this meet rolls. It will make your career and break your career in a minute. It’s the hardest meet in the world. It’s a lot harder than the Olympics in my opinion. I hope she can move forward from this, and I’m rooting for her always.”

Jacoby acknowledged that her third-place time of 1 minute, 6.37 seconds was over a second slower than her performance at the 2021 trials. It was also far from her gold medal-winning time of 1:04.95 at the Olympics. “I don’t feel like I put up a swim that was a good representation of what I can do, which is the most frustrating part to me. But I’ll be back and be better.”

Indeed, Jacoby plans to continue swimming with her sights set on the 2028 Los Angeles Games. At just 20 years old, she has many potentially prime years ahead. Any thoughts of retirement, which definitely crossed her mind after Tokyo, have been set aside. “Obviously, I put a lot of emotion into this and it is pretty devastating, but it’s also not the end of the road," she concluded.