David Nolan announced he is going to make a comeback and aim for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
He finished third in the 200 IM at the 2016 trials.
He announced his decision on Instagram:
“I want more than the status quo. I’ve got big goals and I’m relentlessly attacking them. What’s worse? “Fail” trying to do something badass? Or not trying at all? Worst case is missing the Olympics by a spot — which isn’t that bad. Let’s try for Tokyo.”
Nolan finished the final credits of his degree at Stanford after wrapping up his NCAA career in 2015 and training intensely at Arizona State under Bob Bowman for Rio in 2016. At Olympic Trials, Nolan ultimately finished in a bittersweet third in his trademark event, the 200 IM. Although he narrowly missed a bid for Rio, the race marked a solid long-course IM under two minutes. What’s more, the numbers on the scoring board failed to tell the whole story. The names did. Ahead of the name David Nolan were that of two Olympians– Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.
After a semi-final race in 100 butterfly, mere minutes after the IM, Nolan’s swimming career came to a close. That career has been richly decorated with accolades. During his campaign at Hershey High School, he swept title after title at Pennsylvania State Championships and led his team to three state trophies. His high school achievements, including his national record swims, made him arguably the most coveted high school recruit in the country in 2011.
As a member of the Cardinal, Nolan was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Swimmer of the Meet in 2012. He garnered a total of three NCAA titles and a whopping sixteen All-American honors during his time at Stanford. The most noteworthy of those titles came in 2015, when he scorched his competition with a 1:39.38 in the 200 IM. His NCAA and national mark remained untouched for more than two years.
Where is he training?