An encounter of tears. An encounter of redemption. An encounter of magic.
The U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials has so many nicknames because this meet means so many things to so many people.
For some this is the beginning of their Olympic careers, for others the end, and for others it's the halfway point and a chance to learn what they need to learn before the next Olympics in four years' time.
For some it's just the experience. For some it's a goal accomplished just by being there. For some it means an opportunity to achieve a goal, a semi-final, a final, team building, THE team building.
In the run-up to the Games, many concerns have been voiced about the sport: Are the venues too big? Are the tickets too expensive? How will NIL affect the future of swimming? Is the doping system broken? These are all big, important topics.
But these nine days in Indianapolis, those questions don't matter. At least, not to the athletes. These questions remain important this week to the media, coaches, team owners, administrators and USA Swimming leadership. For the athletes, it's time to take a breather and put those thoughts aside for a few days.
For the athletes, this week is all about spectacle and pageantry — and what a moment it is at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, which draws 20,000 people per session at Lucas Oil Stadium.
At the Olympic Trials, the press sits behind the blocks. They see the swimmers walking to the pool and coming out of the pool. They go in fully focused and come out exhausted. Some swimmers run their best times, but most don't.
But in between, I encourage all athletes, before they go down the stairs to cool down, to stop, turn around, take a breath, and look up at those big bleachers. Look at all the people who came to watch you swim. Sure, they came to watch Katie Ledecky and Lilly King and Caleb Dressel swim, too. But they came to watch you swim, too. They paid an exorbitant amount of money to watch you swim. Wave to your family. Wave to all the little girls who don't know who you are but who aspire to be just like you. Look them in the eye and smile.
Breathe it in, absorb it, and let it sink in. This is an opportunity that very few people in any field in the world get to experience. You get to pay to have your work, your hobbies, your passion projects showcased. Attention. Lots of attention.
Because the whole picture becomes visible Nobody winsIf you don't remember that moment, you'll regret it.
The U.S. Olympic Trials are a series of moments, each one worth living for and turning the page on to the next.
Good luck to you all for the rest of the week. I wish you all the best.
