EXCLUSIVE: Ben Michaelson’s Pan Am Diary: Competition in Full Swing

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 14. TEAM USA has dominated every night of the competetion so far.

We're really on a roll and I think we'll have a few more great swims over the next 3 nights. Today I swam the 3rd leg of the 400 FR in prelims. I didn't swim fast enough to earn a spot on the relay tonight, but I did my job. I had a safe start and swam my best to get the team qualified in a good lane for finals.

The best part about the relay was they played "Sweet Child 'O Mine" by Guns 'N Roses when we walked out. All week long they've been playing Latin music, and to hear my VERY FAVORITE SONG made me really relax and get pumped up for a good swim.

I have one more swim to go, the fly leg of the 400 MR on the last night. I'll be ready to put lay it all out there for my last swim.

I'm really starting to enjoy myself, the nervousness is all gone now and I'm able to have some fun talking to the local kids. Tomorrow I'm planning on visiting a children's hospital to show the kids my gold medal
and maybe give out a few presents (I can't possibly wear all of the USOC gear we got last week!). So I have those two things to look forward to and then a long-awaited trip home.

A single word describes this trip–BATMAN.

Time for my nap–talk to you all later.

Ben

P.S.
Kara Lynn Joyce is pestering me to give her a shout-out…so there it is!

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