The Morning Swim Show, Feb. 27, 2012: Marcin Cieslak Looking Ahead to NCAAs, Olympics

PHOENIX, Arizona, February 27. FLORIDA sophomore Marcin Cieslak joins today's edition of The Morning Swim Show after impressive performances at the Southeastern Conference championships.

Cieslak, who won three events at the SEC meet, talks about the reasons why he switched to the 200 freestyle instead of the 100 fly, whether he's qualified for the Olympics and how he came to discover the program at Florida as a teenager in Poland. Be sure to visit SwimmingWorld.TV for more video interviews.

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Morning Swim Show Transcripts
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Peter Busch: This is The Morning Swim Show for Monday, February 27th 2012. I'm you're host Peter Busch. In the FINIS monitor today we'll talk to Marcin Cieslak. The Florida sophomore was recently named SEC Swimmer of the Conference Championships and Marcin joins us right now in the FINIS monitor from Gainesville, Florida. Hey Marcin, welcome to The Morning Swim Show. How are you?

Marcin Cieslak: Hi everybody.

Peter Busch: Congratulations on the hat trick at SEC Championships.

Marcin Cieslak: Thanks very much.

Peter Busch: 200fly, 200free, 200IM, all your times now — certainly in that conversation for best in the country. Would you say you were fully tapered, shaved? Tell us about where you were at that point of the season.

Marcin Cieslak: I think we're pretty close to being fully tapered. We also shaved for the meet so we're going to swim fast. But I think we can still work on some things now and rest again and be fast again. I'm not really satisfied with the time in Tennessee. I was happy to win the races and score points for the Gators but I think I can swim faster in Seattle in a couple of weeks.

Peter Busch: It was a great team race. It came down really to the last few races with you and Auburn.

Marcin Cieslak: Yes, that was a close meet again. I mean we lost it this year but like nobody thinks about anymore, we're trying to get ready for NCAA meet and then get ready for next year. The team is pretty young so I think we'll just keep getting better every year.

Peter Busch: Yes, you're just a sophomore and obviously one of the best swimmers on the team so the future is bright for the Gators.

Marcin Cieslak: I'm really looking forward for next SECs because I'll be happy to win a title before I graduate.

Peter Busch: Okay so last year you swam 200IM, 100fly, and then 200fly, correct?

Marcin Cieslak: Yes.

Peter Busch: But it looks like you're swapping out the 100fly for the 200free this year. Is that the plan?

Marcin Cieslak: Originally I was supposed to swim 100fly in the meet but the night before Coach Troy came after me and just told me we needed somebody to score in the 200free so I said "Yes, sure, I'll try my best" and I guess it worked.

Peter Busch: Yes, winning – that worked. Do you think you'll swim that at NCAAs or does the 100fly give you a better chance?

Marcin Cieslak: Probably not. I'm going to do the 100 fly. The time in 200free is not fast in the country so I think I'm going to swim 100 butterfly I think.

Peter Busch: Which of your events gives you the best chance to win an individual NCAA Championship?

Marcin Cieslak: I don't know, probably best chance – actually I would say there are both chances at 200 IM and 200 fly but it's like none of them is bigger than the other one so I don't know. I'm just going to try to get ready and do my best and we'll see. I'm not thinking about winning the races, I'm just trying to think about the things that will make me swim fast at the NCAA meet.

Peter Busch: As far as I can remember it's been a long time since a guy from Poland won an NCAA championship. I remember Mariusz '

Marcin Cieslak: It's been a while.

Peter Busch: Do you know when it was? Because I was trying to think Mariusz Podkoscielny from Arizona, maybe back in the early '90s?

Marcin Cieslak: Yes, but I think there was another guy, Bart from California.

Peter Busch: Oh yes.

Marcin Cieslak: I'm pretty sure he won a couple of sprints at the NCAA.

Peter Busch: Bart Kizierowski – yes. I think you're right.

Marcin Cieslak: That's him.

Peter Busch: Okay. How did you end up at Florida?

Marcin Cieslak: I don't know. I always wanted to study in the States so I guess I just started talking to a couple of schools in the States and I just liked Coach Nesty and Coach Troy. I didn't go for any recruiting trips, I just based my decision on stuff I knew from the coaches and from my friends. I just liked these guys.

Peter Busch: You like the idea of getting out of the snow too.

Marcin Cieslak: Yes, it's also warm, and all Florida swims middle distance which is my stuff. I do the middle distance events so that was probably it.

Peter Busch: But there had to have been some connection. Usually someone from your home country knows the coach or had been there before. What was the first time that somebody said "You might like Florida."

Marcin Cieslak: Could you repeat the question please?

Peter Busch: What was that moment – there's always one moment when they get on your radar – did somebody come up to you and say "You might want to talk to Florida" or did you see a pamphlet? What was it that hooked you on them?

Marcin Cieslak: Actually I did the first step. I knew the coaches. I started talking to them and then I guess it worked, we just started talking more about some details and that's what I'm saying – I just like Coach Nesty. We've been talking for a long time before I even made a decision. So I just liked that guy and so when the time to make the decision came I knew it was going to be Florida and I'm really happy with the decision I made. I think it works perfectly for me.

Peter Busch: What is something you've learned from Ryan Lochte?

Marcin Cieslak: I think it's going to be enjoying swimming. I haven't seen another athlete that enjoys swimming as much as Ryan. That guy smiles every day before practice, during practice, and after practice – just amazing. He just enjoys it. And I think that might be the key to success, like enjoy the stuff that you do.

Peter Busch: So even as long as he's done it in as much of a grind as it can sometimes seem to people he seems like he's just genuinely enjoying every moment?

Marcin Cieslak: Yes, he just enjoys every moment in swimming, practice, practice meets, and also he never gets older, like he just hangs out, he stays here and hangs out with younger and younger like new students. He's not aging, he's always young and like ready to go so his mind stays fresh I think.

Peter Busch: Somehow I'm not totally surprised by that. What are you studying?

Marcin Cieslak: I'm doing finance major right now but I've changed my decision a couple of times already so I can't be quite sure about my major.

Peter Busch: I hear you're a smart guy, so if Coach Troy or anybody on the team wants to break down Eurozone debt crisis right now you're the guy to go to?

Marcin Cieslak: Yes, for sure.

Peter Busch: Well Marcin you're going to be swimming for Poland in the Olympics this summer?

Marcin Cieslak: Yes probably. Actually I'm going to swim. I qualified for the Olympics last summer. My federation gave me a chance to qualify for the meet because my Olympic trials were at the same time as NCAA meet so people in the federation understood college swimming schedules so they let me qualify for the Olympics last year and this year I just need to be top two in the country so if I make top two in the country before June I'll go to the Olympics. So if somebody swims faster in Poland during the trials my federation still gives me an opportunity to qualify and if I need to I'll go to Indianapolis for the Grand Prix to swim a long course meet.

Peter Busch: Got it. Well, we want to give kudos to Poland for doing that. I didn't know that and I know that some of those guys who swim for France were put in an impossible situation where they had to choose one or the other because their Olympic trials were at the same time as NCAAs as well so that's great that you have a little bit of flexibility there and you can still have that at the Gators.

Marcin Cieslak: Yes, that's really helpful and then some guys on the team, on our team had to redshirt or sacrifice the trials because of this season.

Peter Busch: Marcin good luck next month, it's going to be fun at NCAA Championships.

Marcin Cieslak: Yes, it is.

Peter Busch: Well thanks a lot for joining us. I appreciate it.

Marcin Cieslak: Thank you very much.

Peter Busch: All right, congratulations on winning SCC Swimmer of the Year.

Marcin Cieslak: Thank you very much.

Peter Busch: All right, that's Marcin Cieslak joining us in the FINIS monitor from the University of Florida. And that's it for today's show. I'm Peter Busch reminding you to keep your head down at the finish.

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