Tag Archives: swimming

My Favorite Stories from US Swimming Olympic Trials

Posted on by
1


With the conclusion of the US Swimming Olympic Team Trials in June, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics seems closer than ever. Since over 700 swimmers competed at trials, I decided to recap just a few of my favorite stories.

Caeleb Dressel

One of the best comeback stories at trials this year was Caeleb Dressel’s return. After completing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with 5 golds, it seemed as though Dressel was unstoppable. However, due to overwhelming stress, he took a 9-month mental health break in the middle of 2022, withdrawing from all competitions.

While many were unsure of his return, Dressel would resume training in early 2023. Since then, he has slowly returned to the top, taking first in the 50 Free and 100 Fly at the Olympic Trials.

Katie Ledecky

In swimming history, few athletes have come close to the longevity and dominance of Katie Ledecky. With 21 world championship gold medals (surpassing Michael Phelps in 2023), she was, once again, one of the most anticipated swimmers going into trials this year.

As many viewers expected, Ledecky won all 4 of her events. She also extended her reign on the 1500 Free; she now holds the top 19 times in the event globally. 

Lily King

Lily King, the world record holder in the 50 and 100 Breaststroke, is now the first American swimmer to qualify for the 100B and 200B in 3 straight Olympic Games. In addition to King’s impressive performance at trials, she is now engaged; her boyfriend James Wells proposed to her moments after she clinched her spot in the 200B.

Alex and Gretchen Walsh

Finally, Alex and Gretchen Walsh have become the first sibling duo to qualify for the US Olympic Team since 2004. Alex Walsh clinched her spot in the 200 IM, which qualifies her for her second Olympic Games. Gretchen Walsh, the younger of the two, qualified for the 100 Fly, while setting a new world record in the process.

Photo Credit: Grace Hollars

Dolphin Day!

Posted on by
Reply

Today, I had the opportunity to go to Laguna Hills Beach and swim with dolphins! It was an incredible experience I could never forget!

I swim competitively for a team called Evolution, and every Saturday, our team picks a specific beach to swim at and have fun. Usually, I hate morning practice because I have to wake up early, but today, my sister convinced me to go saying, “it will be a fun experience!”.

At first, I thought “yeah, sure it will”, but as soon as we started warming up I couldn’t help but keep staring at the sea and seeing fins pop up and out of the water and quickly go back under the waves. I was startled, because at first I thought it was a shark, but I soon realized sharks don’t surface to breathe very often, and soon came to a conclusion that they were dolphins!

Everyone on my swim team was talking and were excited to see the dolphins, but not me. They were swimming awfully close to the beach, and I heard from someone once that dolphins liked to swim near people, and could bite you. Because of this, I was thinking about not swimming at all. But my coach kept telling me that dolphins won’t bother you unless you bother them. I started calming down, so I ran into the waves and started swimming.

We had to swim past 3 buoys in the water, which was around 1000 yards, since we also had to swim back to the sand. Just my luck that I went in late that day, and I was the last person swimming, trying to catch up with the group. I was swimming for a good 5 minutes when suddenly, a huge figure popped out of the water and I was on the verge of screaming. It was a dolphin, and as soon as it appeared, it disappeared under the waves. That dolphin was HUGE! It was so close I could almost touch it! I was fearful, and started sprinting to catch up with the group. My heart beat was extremely high, and every thought in my head was “catch up with the group, get back to shore”. After about 5 minutes, I was so close to catching up with the group, almost 20 meters, until I took a breath and looked down. Something was moving below me and I was so terrified! I finally managed to catch up with the group, dead last and shaking.

Today was a day I definitely wouldn’t forget!

-Alia Charles, 8th grade

JAG Swimming, June 24th

Posted on by
Reply

This week, I went to a state competition, known as JAG, which stands for June Age Group Championships. It was so exciting!

Going to JAG is no small feat. Only so many swimmers can make the cut and get in. This was my first time going, and boy was it fun! I swam multiple events at JAG, but my favorite were the 200 breaststroke, 400 freestyle, and 200 freestyle.

My first event was the 200 breaststroke. Standing on the starting block, I felt a mix of nerves and excitement. When the whistle blew, I dived in the water ready to try my best to win my heat. I managed to get 2nd overall, but I was kind of disappointed since I was only a couple of milliseconds off first place!(the agony).

For me, the hardest event was the 200 freestyle. My swim coach told me to sprint the whole 8 laps! Needless to say, I finished 4th in my heat, which was kind of surprising, since it was my first time swimming the 200 freestyle long course. The 400 freestyle was pretty decent, I ended up getting 3rd overall out of all the 12 year-olds in my age group. I even won a medal for it!

To be honest, JAG was incredibly fun, but it wasn’t just about the races, though. It was an incredible gathering of young swimmers like me. I met new friends who shared the same passion for the water. We cheered each other on, celebrating our achievements and supporting one another. It was such a positive and encouraging environment. Looking back, my JAG experience was truly memorable. The thrill of the races, the friendships formed, and the sense of accomplishment—it all made it worthwhile. It’s these moments that make me love swimming even more. So, to all those swimmers out there, I just want to tell you to keep pushing and to never give up. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll have your own JAG tale to share!

My Time in Pasadena

Posted on by
Reply

Last weekend, I went to a major swimming event called the Spring Junior Olympics. The event was located in Pasadena, so it was a long drive from our home. It was very exciting! It was my first time attending, and it was a lot of fun! My mom, sister and I stayed  at a Marriott hotel called Springhill.

Although I didn’t make it back to the finals, I enjoyed swimming there because it gave me a chance to compete against the best swimmers from around the state. Sure, there were some bumps along the way, such as when my coach (Coach Cho) took us to the hottest lanes for warm up. I thought I was going to have a heat-stroke! It was worse than a sauna turned up at full heat! But overall, it was pretty enjoyable.

One of my favorite parts of this experience was going to the mall and the food we ate there. Our hotel was close to many food places, so every day after we finished swimming our events, we would go to different restaurants to try out different types of cuisine. My all-time favorite place was Ramen Nagi. It was a Japanese noodle restaurant. It was SO good! I ordered the “Luscious Signature Tonkusu Pork Broth”. It had a rich taste of sesame and seaweed, and needless to say, I finished that entire bowl of soup and ramen. So good that I actually asked my mom for another bowl(she said no). After we ate out, we would then walk around the mall. I was awed by the sights around me. My mom did get pretty upset at the fact that I stopped to go into every single toy store I could find, but that wasn’t the point. My mom stopped by a couple of stores to see what type of items they sold. She is really into Chinese and Japanese Ramen, so we bought a couple of instant ramen for her. To wrap it all together in one day, my mom decided to buy my sister and I each a boba. Without a doubt, it was delicious. The point is, I really enjoyed my time at Pasadena and swimming at the Rose Bowl Aquatics.

Mission Viejo Hosted Open Water Swimming Event

Image

1

For the last two years, the City of Mission Viejo and Mission Viejo Nadadores has been hosting open water events for master swimmers and amateur/age group swimmers alike. It was a friendly community event that allowed swimmers to connect and appreciate a new experience of lake swimming.

The event started on a beautiful Sunday morning at around eight o’ clock on the sand next to the lake. Swimmers signed in a check register where they received a masters swimming cap, a ankle chip in which they will track you, and a goody bag that includes gatorade, bodywash/conditioner/lotion/anti-fog remover for using after the event.

Swimmers had a nice little block-out area in which they can warm-up. There were numerous lifeguards and safety crew on deck in case any swimmers got into trouble. Before the races (1 mile, 800, and 400), there were safety meetings in which they talked about the disqualifications and what to do in distress.

There were about 10-12 swim teams in total, and they sent swimmers off in heats. The older swimmers went first (which was the majority of the masters and 13-14 age groups swimmers) for all three races.

I started my event around 10 o’ clock, when all the milers finished their race. Everyone was cheering for one another, and it was a very supportive enviornment for first time open water swimmers.

Although the water was slightly murky, the visibility was still good. The temperature of the lake was at a perfect temperature (above 80 degrees Fahrenheit) and the water was clean from litter and trash. I was fortunate to finish 3rd in my age group, right after one of my team mates (swimmers were given ribbons if you placed top six in your age group).

Perhaps the funniest thing that happened was during the 800 freestyle event for the 11-12 age group towards the end of the race. There was “traffic” out on the waters! A couple of ducks were swimming in the way of one of the swimmers (my sister) while she was trying to sprint towards the finish line.

A lot of people filmed that particular mishap and people clapped for her after she touched the touchpad.

Overall the event was a really great experience for anyone who wanted to try out something different. It was more of a family-friendly event rather than a competitive one. Anyone who wants to try it out next year are all welcome to come!