The Up Close And Personal Side of Olympic Trials

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Editorial Coverage provided by

Commentary by Michael J. Stott

I’ve written for Swimming World or its sister publications for 23 years. In that time, I’ve interviewed hundreds of athletes and coaches by phone or in-person. The list includes at least one swimmer from every Olympic Games since 1936 and coach from 1948 on.

As a working journalist there is nothing quite like meeting athletes in person. The ability and interest of organizing bodies to deliver athletes to the media is often uneven depending on the savviness and interest of the staff involved. Here in Omaha it is governed but well managed so that writers and electronic folk get to meet those they seek.

For media, the mixing zone—the area between the competition and warmdown pools—is the place of access. And the operative word is access for here reporters can actually ask questions and get answers from athletes who have been instructed to provide them. There was a time when newspapers ruled the world and were the sole sources of news. No longer.

Television people with contractual rights (think NBC and its affiliates) get first crack at athletes. Second in line is a clump of print from various outlets—the size ranges depending on who is walking by—and then there are the non-contract folks. To their credit, most athletes, whether joyous or disappointed from a result or just plain whipped post-race are exceedingly gracious with their time and comments—and willing to answer the most perceptive or asinine questions.

The experienced big names perform their media obligations with a smile and tolerance. At Trials they are well aware that our sport generates only quadrennial national excitement. And while Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin and now Katie Ledecky are working to change that, everyone in swimming is painfully aware that the sport does not dent the national consciousness as do the NFL or NBA.

But back to the grace of the athletes. It must be hard as a swimmer to answer the same darn questions race after race especially if you’ve swum it in the same dominant fashion. In Saturday’s 800-meter prelim Ledecky had a half body length lead at the 25, full body length at the 50 and then just pulled away from the field – as she has done in so many events this week. “What about your time,” she gets asked.

“I don’t think about time, I just swim my race,” is her honest response. She’d be forgiven if she just played a tape back after each swim because our questions tend to be frustratingly familiar. As must be her answers.

Kudos to the athletes who recognize a chance for a forum and have sentiments to share. There have been a number of athletes for whom these Trials races represent their last competitive swims. Count former Olympic champion Tyler Clary and American record-holders Jessica Hardy and Elizabeth Pelton among them.

Perhaps the week’s most heart-warming interview occurred with former Texas All-American and NBAC lifer Austin Surhoff. A 2010 NCAA Champion in the 200 IM and three-time Olympics Trials participant he was exhausted after his eighth place result in Friday’s 200 IM final. Graciously he stopped to answer questions. After the obvious information had been exchanged he paused and said “I don’t know how you can phrase this, but I’d like you to ask some questions about my career so I might thank some people instrumental in my life.”

From there Surhoff proceeded to put a coda on a competitive career that touched all the important bases contributing to his success. Surhoff’s father B.J. played Major League baseball for 19 years. His mother Polly swam at North Carolina and won a silver medal at the 1983 Pan American Games. Surhoff knows the meaning of team and took the opportunity to access the media to say thanks to it as he prepares for the next stage of his life.

For all the hoopla that surrounded Saturday night’s finals—Phelps first in the 100 fly, Maya DiRado in the 200 back, Ledecky and then the 50 frees—perhaps the most surprising post-race performance was staged by 35-year old former Olympic champion and Rio-bound Anthony Ervin. Those familiar with the tattooed sprinter’s history know something of his lost years and disappearance from the sport. In an earlier life Ervin was often reluctant to speak to the media – about much of anything.

In recent times he has been more forthcoming. If this is because of the work by his energetic manager Emily White more power to Team Ervin. Last night he did several interviews including one lengthy presentation that departed from swimming entirely, one that invoked anthropology, philosophy and a comment on the world’s global human world’s condition – among other subjects. His smile and positive outlook seemed to reveal a new man, one brimming with confidence that suggests that Nathan Adrian and the world best sprinters will have to be in top form come August. The point here is that the mixing zone allows athletes and reporters a window on the soul that we rarely see in other environments.

For fans the place of athlete access is the Aqua Zone. Here Harold Cliff, president of the Omaha Sports Commission, has provided a setting for the general public to meet their heroes. This week attendance for competition has been at sellout proportions and the spillover to the Aqua Zone equally impressive.

I was in the sports memorabilia business back in the 1990’s. My company and I brought in professional athletes, mostly NFL, MLB and NASCAR people, to sign autographs. The athletes were universally polite (Willie Mays and Pete Rose being notable exceptions), but few could match the genuine sincerity shown by Elizabeth Beisel or that evinced by a Missy Franklin who posed for pictures and gave an autograph for Caroline Dennis. The nine-year-old and her dad had ventured 550 miles from Missy’s home town of Denver to see her idol and snare a signature.

In this day and time, the human side of sport seems to have vanished a bit. Women’s golf retains some humanity, but no sport invokes the era of good feeling like swimming There is something whole and refreshing about the athlete-fan relationship. Man mountain Nathan Adrian says hello on the street – even jaded media respect that. Tom Shields blows off reporters after a subpar prelim swim, but he’s back in the evening as his engaging self. We get that too.

When swimmers allow us to share in their world there is a human connection, one that is treasured – often for life.

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

5 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Dunc1952

7 years ago

Excellent, Michael.

michael J. Stott

7 years ago

Thanks, Duncan. You’ve been around the sport for a long time, so you get it. Sometimes we forget that athlettes are human too.

Chuck Kroll

7 years ago

Michael, nice piece. I too have had some wonderful opportunities to interview quite a number of amazing swimmers over the years and very much appreciate your comments here.

Michael Stott

7 years ago

Reply to Chuck Kroll

Then you understand how blessed we are to be associated with such committed such swimmers and coaches.

Chuck Kroll

7 years ago

Reply to Michael Stott

Absolutely. As well as many other committed individuals, such as yourself, to all of our aquatic sports in addition to the recreational, water safety and entertainment aspects of swimming…a life long activity to be enjoyed by all.