Georgia’s Olivia Smoliga Motivated More Than Ever

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Georgia's Olivia Smoliga. Photo Courtesy: Georgia Athletics

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By Dan D’Addona.

Olivia Smoliga is heading into the stretch run of her collegiate career more motivated than ever.

The Georgia senior has the motivation of a defending national champion, the motivation after a disappointing finish and the motivation after her team’s wake-up call.

Smoliga is hoping that motivation gives the Bulldogs a boost at next week’s SEC Championships and continues on to the NCAA Championships.

“The conference meet is a big stepping stone,” Smoliga said. “The SEC is one of the most competitive conferences. Everybody shows up. It gears us up and shows us where we stand.”

Last year, the Bulldogs finished third but went on to win the national championship behind Smoliga’s surge.

She won the 50-yard freestyle and was the pivotal relay swimmer for the Bulldogs.

But Smoliga, from Glenview, Ill., is still fueled by one moment of disappointment from that meet. She finished with the second-fastest time in the 100 back, but it came from the consolation finals, leaving her with ninth-place points instead of runner-up points.

“It was definitely motivating. I have really been thinking about the 100 back a lot more this year. I am excited for it. I definitely don’t want to mess up — and it was definitely a mess up. I didn’t give it everything in prelims,” Smoliga said. “It is not individual vengeance. It is me wanting to get the most points for my team. It would have helped us a lot more.”

Georgia coach Jack Bauerle was impressed with Smoliga’s performance at NCAAs.

“She was an absolute megastar for us at NCAAs last year,” Bauerle said. “It is not always a bad thing when they don’t get everything they want. Her 14th swim in 3 days was a 46.9 split in the 100 free. Buy far and away she was our MVP. She carried us through that meet. She will be much more aware during her morning swim in the 100 back (this year).”

Smoliga has the top time in the nation in the 50 freestyle (21.58) and 100 freestyle (46.95), but will have Olympians Abbey Weitzeil, Simone Manuel and teammate Chantal Van Landeghem right on her heels. In the 100 backstroke, she has the sixth-fastest time of the season (51.24) and will be part of a new group with Cal’s Amy Bilquist and Kathleen Baker, Stanford’s Janet Hu and Ally Howe and Texas’ Tasija Karosas, among others, aiming for a title. Cal’s Rachel Bootsma won the title three of the past four years with Virginia’s Courtney Bartholomew finishing runner-up twice.

“Amy and Kathleen are younger, but they are powerhouse. The biggest thing with Rachel and Courtney leaving is that it really makes me realize that I am a senior,” Smoliga said. “This is like my victory lap.”

That victory lap begins this week as the Bulldogs look to overtake defending conference champion Texas A&M.

“A&M would probably be the favorite. They have quality and quality depth. It is a little bit of a scramble after that,” Bauerle said. “Missouri is a lot better and they took us down to the last relay, and Florida has improved. We really don’t talk about winning or losing and we let things take its course. It becomes the culture that SECs is important and let emotion take a little bit of its course. It is an unbelievable meet. It is hard to match the competitive nature. I really enjoy that it is combined (men and women). The spirit of the teams really shines through and becomes more of an electric atmosphere.”

Bauerle said it was Smoliga’s reaction to victory in the 50 freestyle that sparked the Bulldogs to the title by making the atmosphere electric. She pumped both of her fists and unleashed a yell that echoed throughout the pool deck.

“It rubs off a lot. It was huge for us and gave everyone hope,” he said. “You walk in after that and know there is a possibility of winning. That was the message she sent to the rest of the team. You never want to hold that in check. (Athletes) should be that excited about things.”

That performance gave Smoliga a confidence boost and propelled her to a spot on the Olympic team after winning the 100-meter backstroke at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Rio didn’t turn out the way she hoped, missing out on an individual medal, but Smoliga is using that as another form of motivation.

“It was definitely hard to come back from Rio and mentally get in check with everything that happened,” she said. “I was disappointed at Rio and that took away from my excitement for making the Olympic team. I wanted more than anything to come back and be there for the team.”

And the team got a reality check in the dual meet season with a home loss to Texas, Georgia’s first home loss in 103 meets, which spanned more than 21 years.

“We were so proud of that streak. We had dodged a few bullets in the past. Texas took it to us,” Bauerle said.

Looking back, it might have been the boost the Bulldogs needed mentally.

“It was bittersweet. At the time it stunk because we are part of this legacy,” Smoliga said. “But it definitely refocused us. It hurt our ego, especially as defending NCAA champions.

But we always show up at the end of season.”

Smoliga, a psychology major, experienced that the past three years, but especially last year.

“The last year and NCAAs was the most exciting meet I have ever been at. It was so emotionally drive. The feeling of racing for something bigger than yourself,” Smoliga said. “The legacy we want to leave is leaving everything in the pool. We are going in with our heads held high and a little swag as the defending champions. But it is going to be hard. That is what makes it so fun.”

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