Swimming World August 2021 Presents – Mental Prep: Before the Beep with Kate Douglass

Swimming World August 2021 - Mental Prep - Before the Beep with Kate Douglass

Kate Douglass at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials [PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK]

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The Swimming World August 2021 Issue Presents

Mental Prep: Before the Beep with Kate Douglass

By Shoshanna Rutemiller

In 2016 as a sophomore at Pelham Memorial High School (N.Y.), Kate Douglass broke one of the longest-standing national age group records when she took down Dara Torres’ legendary 13-14 50 yard freestyle record set in 1982. Several years later in her first year at the University of Virginia, she became the fastest freshman ever in the 200 IM at the ACC Championships with a 1:51.36. This past year, she won the 50 freestyle at NCAAs.

Now, the incredibly versatile athlete is heading to her first Olympic Games. Douglass will represent Team USA in Tokyo in the 200 meter IM after placing second in the event at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb.

“In that moment when I saw that I made the team, it was just complete shock and excitement that came over me,” says Douglass. “I honestly couldn’t believe it was real at first. Making the Olympics is just always talked about as this ultimate goal in swimming, and it took me a long time to process that I had actually accomplished that.”

From national age group record holder to Olympian, Douglass has had her fair share of accomplishments and accolades along the way. Even though this is Douglass’ first OIympic Games, she knows that keeping her mental preparation in line is vital.

“I’m planning on preparing for this meet as I would any other meet,” she said. “It honestly helps me out to just think of the Olympics as any other meet I’ve been to. Doing so helps relax me and keeps me from getting too nervous.”

At the time of her interview with Swimming World, Douglass was on her way to Tokyo from the Team USA training camp in Hawaii. She knew that as soon as she got to Japan, the reality of being an Olympian would finally sink in. Read on to get a taste of Douglass’ mental preparation in and out of the pool.

HOTEL/ATHLETE VILLAGE
As a first-time member on the U.S. Olympic team, a large part of Douglass’ time before her actual event consisted of getting to know her teammates.

“Our training camp in Hawaii was an amazing experience, and I’ve already made so many new friends from it. But I think getting to Japan will finally make everything feel a bit more real and will help all of us get excited to race.”

The prelims of the 200 IM are scheduled for Monday evening (Japan Standard Time), July 26, on the third day of the Olympics. Before her race, Douglass is planning on taking her mind out of the pool and into another direction.

“I try not to think too much before my race,” says Douglass. “I find when I overthink a race, I start to get more nervous about it. So just relaxing and having fun with my friends—while also getting a good night’s sleep—is important to me.”

WARM-UP
On the day of her race, Douglass keeps her warm-up routine simple. No wake-up swim, no multiple warm-ups…just one nice warm-up about an hour before her race to get herself ready to go.

“Recently, I’ve been moving my warm-ups closer to when I swim. I don’t usually get back in to warm up after I get my suit on. I like to just be ready to go after warm-up instead of sitting around for a while waiting to swim.”

After her warm-up swim, Douglass will go through her stretching routine while listening to music. The routine helps relax her before the race, and stay warm!

“I also usually get cold when I have to get back in a second time,” says Douglass. “My coach and I decided that it would be better to just stay warm and relax after warming up.”

[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK]

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SWIMMING WORLD AUGUST 2021 FEATURES

012 | READY FOR A NEW CHALLENGE
by David Rieder
Torri Huske finished her high school career by setting national high school records in the 100 yard fly and 200 IM and by being named Swimming World’s Female High School Swimmer of the Year for the second time (2019, 2021). The 18-year-old senior from Yorktown High School (Arlington, Va.) will be moving on to Stanford in the fall, but first, she set an American record in the 100 meter fly at U.S. Trials that earned her a trip to Tokyo to compete in her first Olympics.

014 | TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
by Dan D’Addona
Everything appears to be OK for Norman North (Okla.) High School senior Aiden Hayes. He set two national high school records (100 fly and 50 free) this past season. He competed and gained experience at the U.S. Olympic Trials as the fastest 18-year-old in the country in butterfly. And he was named Swimming World’s Male High School Swimmer of the Year.

016 | CREAM OF THE CROP
by David Rieder and Andy Ross
There were some mighty fast swimmers who finished the 2020-21 high school season right behind Swimming World’s Female and Male High School Swimmers of the Year, Torri Huske and Aiden Hayes. Of the four runners-up, two of them are underclassmen and will be returning for more fast swimming in 2021-22.

018 | TOP HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITS
by Chandler Brandes
Swimming World takes a look at the swimmers it considers to be the 10 best high school recruits—both male and female—from the Class of 2021 and where they’ll be attending college in the fall.

021 | NUTRITION: WHAT TO EAT BEFORE THE “BIG RACE”
by Dawn Weatherwax
To reach your swimming goals, it is important to know what to eat—at what times and in what amounts. It is different for everyone, but very important to master.

022 | ISHOF: THE U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS—DONNA DeVARONA AND THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SWIMMING
by Bruce Wigo
At the recent U.S. Olympic Trials, there was one moment that linked the past with the present and future of swimming like no other. It came when Donna de Varona presented Olympic qualification medals to Katie Grimes, the youngest member of the 2021 Olympic swimming team, and three-time Olympian Katie Ledecky.

025 | ONE OF THE GREATEST SPRINTERS OF ALL TIME
by John Lohn
The 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney are widely remembered for the home-nation success of Australia, which was spearheaded by teenage sensation Ian Thorpe. But the Games Down Under also served as a redemptive locale for the Netherlands’ Inge de Bruijn, who used the stage to define herself as one of the sport’s legends.

028 | MENTAL PREP: BEFORE THE BEEP WITH KATE DOUGLASS
by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COACHING

030 | SPECIAL SETS: TRAINING KAYLA WILSON
by Michael J. Stott
Coach Richard Hunter of TIDE Swimming in Virginia Beach, Va. discusses goals and workouts for one of his top swimmers, Kayla Wilson, a rising senior at Norfolk Academy who recently committed to Stanford for fall 2022.

034 | SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: MAXIMIZING SWIMMING VELOCITY (Part 4)—MINIMIZING THE ARM ENTRY PHASE TIME IN BACKSTROKE AND BREASTSTROKE
by Rod Havriluk
To minimize the arm entry phase time in backstroke, a swimmer must quickly move the hand downward directly behind and below the shoulder. Minimizing the arm entry phase (glide phase) in breaststroke requires precise control of the timing between the finish of the kick and the beginning of the pull. A decrease in the non-propulsive entry phase decreases the time for a stroke cycle, increases stroke rate and increases swimming velocity.

038 | SPECIAL SETS: ENERGY SYSTEM TRAINING
by Michael J. Stott
George Heidinger, former USA Swimming National Team High Performance Consultant and owner of Pikes Peak Athletics (Colo.), specializes in long-term athlete development. As such, he is well-schooled in the science of energy systems and shares some sample sets he has given to rising high school senior Quintin McCarty and his PPA senior teammates.

040 | A COACHES’ GUIDE TO ENERGY SYSTEMS (Part 3): WHILE THEY’RE YOUNG
by Michael J. Stott
In Part 3 of our series on energy systems, two age group coaches—one from Clovis, Calif. and one from Richmond, Va.—share how they inform and guide their younger athletes through energy system training.

043 | Q&A WITH COACH NICHOLAS ASKEW
by Michael J. Stott

044 | HOW THEY TRAIN: MILES SIMON
by Michael J. Stott

TRAINING

033 | DRYSIDE TRAINING: GOLD MEDAL WORKOUT
by J.R. Rosania

JUNIOR SWIMMER

036 | GOLDMINDS: 10 GREAT REASONS TO GET BACK IN THE POOL
by Wayne Goldsmith

47 | UP & COMERS: BRIAN HAMILTON
by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COLUMNS

008 | A VOICE FOR THE SPORT

011 | DID YOU KNOW: ABOUT ETHELDA BLEIBTREY?

046 | HASTY HIGH POINTERS

048 | GUTTERTALK

049 | PARTING SHOT

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