Swimming World September 2021 Issue Presents – Guttertalk: How Did No Spectators Impact Olympics? – Sponsored By Colorado Time

Swimming World September 2021 Presents - Gutter Talk - How Did the lack of spectators impact the olympics
Bronte Campbell (L) with sister Cate

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Guttertalk: How Did The Lack Of Spectators Impact The Olympics?

By David Rieder
With contributions by Dan D’Addona and Ian Hanson

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Swimming World September 2021 Presents - Gutter Talk - Ryan MurphyRYAN MURPHY, USA
[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK]
1 Gold (400 medley relay/WR)
1 Silver (200 back)
1 Bronze (100 back)

I don’t think the lack of spectators impacted any performances, per se. I think the racing was going to be a constant no matter who was or who wasn’t in the stands.

I do think it probably had an impact on the nerves that people were feeling beforehand. When you have a crowd in the stands, it definitely adds a little bit of adrenaline. Some people love that. Some people don’t necessarily love it, so the nerves that people felt before a race were probably a little bit less as a result of having no fans in the crowd.

To be fair, most people haven’t really experienced a crowd in two years. In the U.S., we got to experience a partial crowd (at Olympic Trials), but I don’t think most people could really remember what it was like to have a crowd of over 15,000 people.

 

Swimming World September 2021 Presents - Gutter Talk - Bronte Campbell

BRONTE CAMPBELL, AUS
(Left, pictured with sister, Cate)
[PHOTO BY DELLY CARR, SWIMMING AUSTRALIA]
1 Gold (400 free relay/WR)

It was definitely different at first. But with the music going and other swimmers in the stands, it very quickly felt normal. I don’t think it had an impact on performance, as there were some incredibly fast swims.

The only time it was really strange was during medal ceremonies and doing the victory lap around the pool. Then I normally look into the crowd and see the Australian flags. But after we’d waved to our teammates, there was no one left. So that was strange, but it made less difference than I thought it would.

 

Swimming World September 2021 Presents - Gutter Talk - Zach AppleZACH APPLE, USA
[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK]

2 Gold (400 medley relay/WR, 400 free relay)

Obviously, it would have been nice to have spectators in the stands. This was one of the most impressive facilities for seating I’ve ever attended.

The energy was definitely not as high during walkouts and races. That factored in with the morning finals, I think, and contributed to some of the finals being slightly slower than expected.
At the end of the day, though, you have to get up and race when it counts—and if you can’t do that at the Olympics, then this might not be for you.

 

 

Swimming World September 2021 Presents - Gutter Talk - Torri HuskeTORRI HUSKE, USA
1 Silver (400 medley relay)
[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK]

I’m someone who really likes the crowd, and I really like the loud energy, the loud noises, just because I feel like I feed off the energy. I do get nervous whenever I hear noise from the crowd, but I feel like at the same time, I’m able to channel that nervous energy into adrenaline. So I think that it really helps me.
Certainly, it wasn’t detrimental to my swims, but I do in general prefer having a crowd.

Obviously, it’s more important to stay safe. It was a little bit weird, but at the same time, I was so used to not having any spectators at meets because we went to so many COVID meets.

Trials was the first meet I had in over a year where we had spectators, so if anything, that was the anomaly. It was a little bit weird, but it wasn’t really that weird because I’ve gotten used to it.

 

Swimming World September 2021 Presents - Gutter Talk - Hali FlickingerHALI FLICKINGER, USA
2 Bronze (200 fly, 400 IM)
[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK]

Without spectators, it did feel a little empty, but one thing that wasn’t any different was Team USA’s ability to come together as a team and get behind each other
more than ever.

 

 

 

 

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Swimming World September 2021 - Golden Boy Caeleb Dressel Puts On A Show In Tokyo With 5 Gold Medals and 2 World Records - COVER
[PHOTO BY ROB SCHUMACHER / USA Today Sports]

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FEATURES

2020 TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES
by John Lohn, Dan D’Addona, 
Matthew De George and David Rieder

010  |  LIKE NO OTHER
There has never been an Olympics like the one held in Tokyo from July 23 through Aug. 8. Even the Games themselves were known as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games despite the fact that the actual event was held a year later! Yet, once the competition got started—at venues without any spectators—the XXXII Olympiad provided all of the anticipated emotions, surprises, goal fulfillments and more.

014 | MALE PERFORMANCE OF THE MEET: Caeleb Dressel (100 Fly)

014 | FEMALE PERFORMANCE OF THE MEET: Tatjana Schoenmaker (200 Breast)

015 | BEST WOMEN’S RELAY PERFORMANCE: Australia (400 Freestyle Relay)

016 | BEST MEN’S RELAY PERFORMANCE: USA (400 Medley Relay)

017 | BEST INDIVIDUAL RELAY PERFORMANCE: Adam Peaty (100 Breast/400 Medley Relay)

018 | BIGGEST UPSET/SURPRISE: Ahmed Hafnaoui (400 Free) & Lydia Jacoby (100 Breast)

019 | BREAKOUT PERFORMER: Bobby Finke (800 and 1500 Free)

020 | COUNTRY ON THE RISE: Italy

021 | RESILIENCE AWARD: Sarah Sjostrom (50 Free)

022 | OLYMPIC PHOTO GALLERY

027  |  RETURN TO NO. 1
by David Rieder
After a two-season absence as Swimming World’s girls’ high school national champions, Carmel High School (Ind.) has returned to claim its seventh overall team title since 2011.

029  |  SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE’S GIRLS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET
by Bob Klapthor

031  | MAKING HISTORY
by Dan D’Addona
Carmel High School (Ind.) is the first school in 21 years to have both its girls’ and boys’ swimming teams win Swimming World’s national high school championships in the same year—a feat last accomplished by Bolles (Fla.) in 2000.

033  |  SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE’S BOYS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET
by Bob Klapthor

COACHING

038  |  WHAT COACHES WISH PROSPECTS KNEW ABOUT RECRUITING
by Michael J. Stott
When it comes to college recruiting, swim coaches agree: they’re looking at much more than swimming times. They’re evaluating the whole package: academic, athletic, personal… and more!

041  |  SPECIAL SETS: ERIN GEMMELL—OLYMPIC BLOODLINES
by Michael J. Stott
Bruce Gemmell of Nation’s Capital Swim Club provides an interesting capsule of coaching for his 16-year-old daughter, Erin, as she prepared for her first U.S. Olympic Trials experience and earned a spot on the U.S. Junior team headed for the Berlin and Budapest World Cup stops in October.

043  |  Q&A WITH COACH JEFF JULIAN
by Michael J. Stott

044  |  HOW THEY TRAIN  TRENTON JULIAN
by Michael J. Stott

TRAINING

037   |  DRYSIDE TRAINING:  GOLD MEDAL WORKOUT (PART 2)
by J.R. Rosania

JUNIOR SWIMMER

047  |  UP & COMERS:  HENRY WEBB
by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COLUMNS

008  |  A VOICE FOR THE SPORT

040  |  THE OFFICIAL WORD

046  |  HASTY HIGH POINTERS

048  |  GUTTERTALK

049  |  PARTING SHOT

Swimming World is now partnered with the International Swimming Hall of Fame. To find out more, visit us at ishof.org

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