College Recruit Rankings Profile: Five-Star David Karasek, Class of 2008

PHOENIX, Arizona, July 14. NEXT up in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings Profile series is David Karasek, who hails from Switzerland. Karasek, who signed with the University of Virginia, attended Kantonsschule Wohlen for high school and swam for the Limmatsharks Zurich club. Karasek is our first international profile subject.

Karasek, who updates his own times in his profile in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks, owns three times that would have qualified him for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.

He has produced top times in the 100 free (51.31), 200 free (1:51.02) and 200 IM (2:07.12).

Where and when did you start swimming?
I started in Aarau, Switzerland. I was eight years old when I entered my first swim club. We did not train more than two times a week.

Who would you name as the most influential person and coach in your swimming career?
I'd say Dirk Reinicke. He's my coach back in Switzerland.

What, to this point, is your best moment in the sport and why?
Competing at the World University Games in Bangkok 2007 was my best moment. If a meet ends with a lot of personal bests, it really makes me happy, and I can then see that all the training is worth it.

Walk us through a day of practice:
I get up at 5:30 a.m., and I usually eat some cornflakes. Practice starts at 6 a.m. until 7:45. I leave the pool and take the bus to the University of Zurich. Later on, practice restarts at 5:15 p.m. We usually do 45 minutes easy weightlifting, sit- ups and so on. From 6-8 p.m. is swimming. I try to sleep 7-8 hours a day, this means that another day has passed for me by 10 p.m.

What is your favorite set?
long course meters:
400free on 5:10
4x100IM on 1:30
2x200free on 2:45
2x200IM on 3
4x100free on 1:25
400IM

freestyle: go the 200 faster than 400 and 100 faster than 200
IM: begin fast and go the longer distance with the same pace.

What is your least favorite set?
The 3K test

What are your short-term goals?
To qualify for the World Championships in Rome next summer.

What are your long-term goals?
London 2012 🙂

Why did you choose Virginia?
I was looking for a university that is academically strong and which has a middle-distance orientated swimming team with coaches. It looks like I've found the perfect university for my personal interests so far.

To be eligible to be featured in this series, please make sure you create a new profile, or request to take over your admin-created account in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks. Click here for information on how to do so.

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