Getting To Know 2x National Champ, First-time National Teamer Claire Adams

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Photo Courtesy: Sue Borst

By Andy Ross, Swimming World College Intern

This past summer was such a pivotal summer for a lot of swimmers. 2015 is sort of the “dress rehearsal” year for the Olympics with a lot of swimmers using the year as a gauge for where they want to be next summer. It can be a very nerve-racking experience for most people but not for 17-year-old high school senior Claire Adams.

“I had no expectations and my only goal was to not need to use the protected 18 and under final to swim again.” Adams remarked on the National Championships in San Antonio this past summer. Adams won the 100 backstroke going 59.58 for her first national title and the third fastest time of the year by an American. It was her first time breaking a minute in the race.

“All summer that was a goal my coaches and I kept in mind.  I was shocked when it actually happened.” Two days later, she brought home another win in the 200 backstroke with a 2:09.44 and the fourth fastest time by an American this year.

With those times, Adams was able to represent Team USA at the Junior World Championships in Singapore for her first ever international meet. But it wasn’t the opportunity to represent her country that stuck with her the most, it was that her teammates voted her as a captain for the trip. There, Adams finished second in the 100 back, fifth in the 200 back and was the backstroker on the fourth place 400 medley relay team.

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Photo Courtesy: Peter Bick

But what was the secret behind her rise to the top of American backstroke?

In 2014, Adams was 18th in the 100 back at the U.S. Nationals and did not compete in the 200 back. Adams cited there was no change in training. “My coaches put a big emphasis on raising my standards in practice and what I thought was possible.” And raise her standards she did. Adams is now among the talks for a berth onto the 2016 Olympic team.

If Adams does make the team next summer, she will become the first swimmer from her club team, Carmel Swim Club, to ever make the U.S. Olympic Team. Her high school, Carmel High School, has won 29 straight Indiana high school state championships and six of the last seven Swimming World national championships and is showing no signs of slowing down in Adams’ senior year. But even with all of the success that the program has had, there still remains one unfulfilled goal: to produce an Olympian.

“I don’t have words for how much Carmel Swim Club means to me.  To be their first Olympian would mean the world.” And with Olympic hopefuls like current Cal freshman Amy Bilquist and Georgia commit Veronica Burchill and the rest of the Carmel contingent training by her side the last year, Adams says her teammates are everything to her. She says that they make the hard days easier and she would only make the Olympic team because of the support given to her day in and day out.

Of course, there is a lot of time left between now and the Olympic Trials. She is not 100 percent certain on what she will swim in Omaha, saying that as of now it will be both backstroke events and the 100 free and fly. But one decision that she made this year was to attend the University of Texas and swim for head coach Carol Capitani. “I really trust Carol and the girls to help me continue to learn and grow in the sport.” She will be an integral part for a rapidly improving Texas program in the coming years.

In the meantime, Adams will be swimming a few of the Arena Pro Series meets and will look to extend the state championship winning streak to 30 years in February.

Claire Adams

Photo Courtesy: Claire Adams/Twitter

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