5 Reasons You Should Care About Swimming in Non-Olympic Years

by Caitlin Daday

16 August 2016, 11:27am

By Caitlin Daday, Swimming World College Intern

As anyone who has ever swum knows, the general public seems to care about swimming only once every four years when the Olympics rolls around. For those of us who have dedicated our lives to the sport, it can be a bit annoying. And by a bit annoying, I mean really annoying. Our friends and neighbors who have never once bothered to care about swimming suddenly become swimming aficionados. After a week of being the sport’s biggest fans, they go right back to acting as if swimming does not exist.

What they do not understand is that swimming is so much more than the Olympics. Our sport gets treated like the latest episode of a reality TV show– highlight the “cool” stuff and gloss over anything actually meaningful. There is nothing quite like the Olympics– that much is true. But most Olympic viewers are not valuing the sport for what it is. So, for those who only see swimming as the Olympics, here are five reasons you should care about swimming all the time, not just once every four years.

1. The competition is always thrilling.

Photo Courtesy: USA TODAY Sports-USA TODAY Sports

People race hard all the time. There are always upsets and comebacks, out touches and blowouts. The Olympics are not by any means the only chance to see great racing. It may be hard to believe, but the Phelps-Lochte rivalry has existed outside of the Olympics (I know, shocking). This stuff isn’t made for TV drama– it’s real work and it happens all the time. These athletes are born to race, and if that is what you value in the sport, you can always find that excitement at some level of swimming.

2. There are always records, medals, and glory.

Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

World records and championships don’t just happen at the Olympics. For example, Katie Ledecky has steadily broken her own world records each year since the 2013 World Championships (AFTER her Olympic debut). In fact the majority of current world records are not even from the Olympics. Swimmers are always swimming fast and will always be performing, no matter what time of year or what meet they are at. Everyone has their own highs and lows, but in the end someone somewhere is always going fast. Though the Olympics often elicits great breakouts, there is no shortage of greatness encapsulated in the non-Olympic years.

3. Anyone can be great at swimming (not just Phelps and Ledecky).

Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

As great as athletes like Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky are for bringing attention to swimming, they are far from being the totality of the sport. In USA swimming alone there is so much depth and so much more potential than just the big names. This Olympics certainly proved that anyone can come up and shock the world. It’s not about a select few, it’s about the many– Phelps and Ledecky are quick to speak of the value of their teammates. With the right amount of work and determination, anyone can succeed, which is what makes swimming so great.

4. It’s spectator friendly.

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The best thing about watching swimming is you always know what’s happening. It’s not hard– the athletes are giving their all for however many laps they have to swim. If you can figure it out (and apparently become an expert) during the Olympics, you should be able to appreciate it all the time. There are no breaks once you dive into the pool. Even in distance swimming, it may be long but the athletes are still actively racing the entire time. In swimming there is never a dull moment. If you’re a sports fan, what more could you ask for?

5. The athletes deserve more recognition.

Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Every four years swimmers get recognized for what they do– the work they put in and what they achieve. But they deserve more. They are doing this work every day of every year and swimming fast all the time. Meanwhile, athletes in sports such as football and basketball are being glorified every week. Swimmers deserve just as much respect for what they do. They do not just show up at the Olympics and pop off great swims, they practice doing it all the time in meets throughout the year. They train just as hard as any other professional or collegiate athletes, if not harder.  Swimmers are far better than what they get credit for, and a greater appreciation for swimming is long overdue.

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Stavros

7 years ago

“Swimmers are far better than what they get credit for, and a greater appreciation for swimming is long overdue.” Great end quote about the lack of coverage and credit given swimmers! Which makes it even more frustrating that a large meet like NCSA’s was ignored for the better part the whole week by it’s own swimming reporting culture. Hundreds of some of the best swimmers (not at the Olympics) were putting on a great show in Indy and not even box scores show up on swimming sites. Preach not about how important the non Olympic swimmer is unless you’re backing it up.

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