The Morning Swim Show, Dec. 21, 2011: Elizabeth Beisel Dealing With Pressures of Being Viewed as Olympic Favorite

PHOENIX, Arizona, December 21. BY virtue of her world title in the 400 IM, Elizabeth Beisel is viewed as the favorite for Olympic gold, and on today's edition of The Morning Swim Show, she talks about her feelings about being "the hunted" instead of "the hunter."

With the expectations placed on her for 2012, Beisel has been in hard training, and she talks about the grueling holiday training already begun at Florida, how she views the global competition in the 400 IM, her thoughts on her first Olympic Trials in 2008 and what her preparation level will be for the NCAA championships. Watch the full show in the video player below and visit SwimmingWorld.TV for more video interviews.

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Show Transcript: (Note: This is an automated service where some typos and grammatical errors may occur.)

Peter Busch: This is The Morning Swim Show for Wednesday, December 21st 2011. I'm your host Peter Busch. In the FINIS monitor today we'll talk to Elizabeth Beisel. She is the reigning world champion in the 400IM and perhaps more importantly, the most entertaining guest we have ever had here on The Morning Swim Show. Elizabeth joins us right now in the FINIS monitor from Gainesville, Florida. Hi Elizabeth, how are you doing?

Elizabeth Beisel: I'm great, thanks for having me, Peter.

Peter Busch: I've got a little bit of a cold but I knew talking to you would pep me up, so I'm glad you're on the show today.

Elizabeth Beisel: I'll do my best.

Peter Busch: Well you had one heck of a 2011, didn't you?

Elizabeth Beisel: Yes, it was full of ups and downs but definitely glad I was able to end it out on a good note with the nationals and world champs and stuff and getting back into training right now. It's pretty tough, but I'm definitely pleased with how the outcome was.

Peter Busch: The way I described you after what you did in Shanghai and then going to California swimming at Nationals as well as you did was tough as nails. Is that about right?

Elizabeth Beisel: I guess – Nationals, swimming that many events was definitely not my choice. I have to give Coach Troy all that credit but it's definitely something that we sort of take pride in down here in Florida as being tough and doing things that not normally anybody else would try to do so he's sort of ingrained that into us and I enjoyed doing it, it was really hard, but I sort of like take pride in that I guess. It was fun.

Peter Busch: I'm curious – did it do anything for you mentally? You're probably exhausted, flying back so far and then swimming all those events and swimming as well as you did. Did you come out there with an extra mental toughness?

Elizabeth Beisel: I think I did just because coming off of that – I mean the first day was the 200 IM and we had all just flown back from China and I remember I think it was me and Katie Hoff who were saying before prelims, we're looking at each other and we're like "Oh my God, this is going to be awful" because I mean we felt terrible after that long flight and her and I swam like our best times or close to that at finals and I think that was something that was really cool just because even after flying across the world and having a really long tough meet like World Champs and coming back to Nationals you're still able to swim fast and I think that was something that was definitely good for me to have under my belt – it's just another stepping stone towards next summer.

Peter Busch: Are you the favorite now to win the gold medal in the 400IM?

Elizabeth Beisel: Oh, don't say that. I can't really count anybody out. Leverenz is on fire this year, so is Katinka Hosszu, Steph Rice – I think she just got out of surgery or something but she'll definitely be in there. I don't know what Kirsty Coventry is up to but – and there's the Chinese people – seriously, the list goes on. I'm just one of those people and it can be anybody's race anytime so I'm just trying to see how well I can prepare myself for Olympic Trials.

Peter Busch: It's different though, is it not, than 2008 when you were sort of the surprise kid on the scene, you're 15 years old, you make the team, everybody was like "Woah, who's that?" and now there are some expectations.

Elizabeth Beisel: Yes, it's a lot different just because back when I was 15 I was sort of – had a breakout in the 400IM, I wasn't even expecting to make it in that so it was a surprise but now it's more like I sort of have a dart on my back especially after winning in Shanghai last summer. I always like being the hunter but it's a little bit different for me being the hunted so we'll see how it goes, I'm just looking forward to Olympic Trials and stuff.

Peter Busch: You mentioned Katinka Hosszu and Caitlin Leverenz, two people still in college as you are. Are you going to shave and taper and go all out for NCAA's, because that would be one heck of a showdown with those two.

Elizabeth Beisel: Yes, I was actually thinking about that because at the Duel in the Pool we went one, two, three in the 400IM and it was Katinka, Caitlin, and I and I was like "This is exactly like NCAAs" but for NCAAs, Coach Troy and I have talked and we don't think that I'm going to shave and taper. I'm going to be rested but I don't think it's going to be a full taper and I don't think I'm going to be shaved but it's definitely going to be one of those stepping stones to see where I'm at in that point of the season, where I'm at with not a ton of rest but still being fresh and not shaved just to know where I am and if I have more in the tank for Olympic Trials or if we need to go back and switch up a taper. It's all just experimental trying to find like the best possible situation for June.

Peter Busch: Was that your choice or his choice? Did you guys come to it mutually?

Elizabeth Beisel: Yes, it was a mutual choice. I want to be as fast as possible at NCAA's but I think one of the things that's great about Florida is that we sort of put Olympic Trials or international swimming on a higher pedestal than NCAA's, so that's one of the main reasons I came here and Coach Troy and I have been working together to hopefully have a good Olympic Trials and stuff.

Peter Busch: Are you all right there, Elizabeth?

Elizabeth Beisel: I know – there are people all around me.

Peter Busch: Come on, focus, you're on the blocks here, all right? You're on the blocks, they're about ready to whistle you up there.

Elizabeth Beisel: Yes, I'm focused, don't worry.

Peter Busch: You're a few days away from Christmas, what the heck are you still doing in Florida? Shouldn't you be in the snow in Rhode Island right now with your parents?

Elizabeth Beisel: I should be actually, I really should be, but we're in Christmas training right now and we have a pretty tough two weeks or so. We've been in it for about two weeks now and we're three practices away from Christmas break, so I leave Thursday morning to go home.

Peter Busch: Most people do Christmas training after Christmas when they get back. Only Gregg Troy, right, before and after?

Elizabeth Beisel: Yes, before and after definitely. We'll continue it when we get back and then we'll sort of start bringing it down and focusing on more technical stuff coming into SEC's and NCAA's.

Peter Busch: All right, I've got to ask, what's a classic Gregg Troy Christmas training set?

Elizabeth Beisel: Well this morning we did 20 200s and they were stroke, so I did backstroke and they were on 2:30, descend 1-to-5, and you were supposed to be like 14 or 15 seconds away from your best time and so I had to be like a 2:05 and descend on there under two minutes for 20 of them which was pretty tough.

Peter Busch: What was the fastest one you threw down?

Elizabeth Beisel: 56, 57 I think.

Peter Busch: Geez, that will work.

Elizabeth Beisel: I'll take it.

Peter Busch: Maybe you don't need to rest for NCAA's.

Elizabeth Beisel: Oh I don't know about that I could use a little bit of rest.

Peter Busch: So how are you doing there in Florida? I mean obviously you're swimming fast but they're not changing your bubbly personality, are they?

Elizabeth Beisel: No way, I wouldn't let them do that. Everything down here is so great. The weather is absolutely gorgeous right now. I think it's 75 right now outside. I'm scooting in my t-shirt and shorts. Finals were over last week – I got those over with before doing the pool. I did well this semester and I just got my classes for next semester so plugging along I guess.

Peter Busch: Do you still have those Wagons and Wieners you love down there?

Elizabeth Beisel: They don't have them here. They are the best and nothing will ever compare to Wagons and Wieners up in Rhode Island.

Peter Busch: That was a little inside joke for people who don't remember – one of our original interviews with Elizabeth Beisel.

Elizabeth Beisel: That was a while ago, that was like two years now.

Peter Busch: Sorry, I had to bring it up.

Elizabeth Beisel: I know — I got you.

Peter Busch: Well thank you so much for joining us. It was fun watching you in 2011, especially late in the summer when you were just phenomenal. I can't wait to see you in 2012.

Elizabeth Beisel: Thanks so much Peter. Thanks for having me again.

Peter Busch: All right, Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Elizabeth Beisel: Yes, Happy Holidays.

Peter Busch: All right, that is Elizabeth Beisel joining us in the FINIS monitor. Big show tomorrow as well – Natalie Coughlin will join us here on The Morning Swim Show. That's it for today's show – I'm Peter Busch reminding you to keep your head down at the finish.

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