The Agony of Almost: Why Finishing in Third Place Can Fuel a Champion
Records were shattered, young stars rose to the occasion, and Team USA’s World Championship Trials delivered exactly what you would expect from a high-stakes meet. Celebrations and triumph could be seen everywhere you looked. For the top two in each event, the payoff was clear: a spot on the team, the American flag on the cap, and the chance to compete on the international stage against the best in the world.
But for the swimmer who finished in third place, just outside the roster, the results evoke a different emotion.
Just missing a team, a record, or a time standard is one of the harshest realities in sport. Someone always gets left out. Someone trains just as hard, races just as well, and still walks away without the reward. In a sport like swimming, where hundredths of a second matter, it doesn’t take much.
Missing a goal by the smallest margin does not mean you are not good enough. It means you are right there. Close enough to see it and close enough to know it is possible. That is not failure. That is proximity.
Some of the best swimmers in history have had seasons where they didn’t make the team. World champions. Olympians. People whose names are now etched into record books. Nearly all of them have faced a near-miss moment. What separates them from the rest, is how they used their setbacks as motivation and what they did next.
They didn’t let it be the end and they didn’t let it define their career. They let it serve as motivation for the comeback and trusted that their time would come with proper training and purpose.
It’s normal to feel the sting and it’s okay to take time to process. Missing something by a slim margin can feel like the bottom falling out. But it’s also a signal that you’re in the mix. You’re in the zone where real breakthroughs happen. If you’re third, fourth, or just shy of the cut, you’re on the edge. That’s where growth happens.
Here’s what that edge can teach you:
- You’re capable. You’re not chasing an impossible dream. You’re in it.
- You’re learning. Every close call forces a level of reflection that easy wins never will. Learn what works, what doesn’t, and trust the process.
- You’re not alone. Plenty of elite athletes have been in your shoes, and most of them credit those moments as the turning points in their career. Think of this as your very own turning point.
If you’re wondering what to do next, start here:
- Write it down. Not for others. Just for you. Get the frustration out and come back to it when you need to.
- Talk it through. A coach, a teammate, someone who gets it. Don’t sit in silence. Swimming is a family, you have people who will support you through the highs and the lows. Lean on them.
- Shift your focus. Not on proving people wrong, but on showing up better for yourself. Think of your younger swimmer self and don’t be too hard on yourself. They would be so proud to see where you are now.
- Race again. Keep going. There’s value in staying the course, even when it’s hard. Remember, each practice is an opportunity and a chance to progress.
The truth is, most of the best stories in swimming don’t start on top of the podium. They start in the almosts. They start with a dream and a swimmer who refuses to give up on it.
So if this meet didn’t go your way, if you finished third, missed the cut, or feel like you have nothing to show for it, you are not done. You are just not there yet.
And sometimes, yet is all you need.
Who is in the picture?