{"id":456079,"date":"2020-12-03T04:00:28","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T11:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=456079"},"modified":"2020-12-03T00:15:26","modified_gmt":"2020-12-03T07:15:26","slug":"swimming-world-presents-before-the-beep-with-triangle-aquatic-center-titan-claire-curzan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimming-world-presents-before-the-beep-with-triangle-aquatic-center-titan-claire-curzan\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming World Presents – Before The Beep: With Triangle Aquatic Center Titan Claire Curzan"},"content":{"rendered":"

The latest issue of Swimming World Magazine<\/em><\/span>
\nis now available for download in the<\/span> Swimming World Vault<\/span><\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

Non-Subscribers Can Download This Issue Here<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Before The Beep: With Claire Curzan
\n<\/span><\/h1>\n

By Shoshanna Rutemiller<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While the biggest goal of most 16-year-olds is earning their driver\u2019s license, Triangle Aquatic Center Titans\u2019 (Cary, N.C.) Claire Curzan instead has her sights set on the 2021 Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Curzan began turning heads at age 12 when she broke current 100 and 200 meter backstroke world record holder Regan Smith\u2019s 11-12 national age group record in the 100 yard butterfly. And she did it twice in the span of a few months. She initially swam a 54.00 in March 2017 before becoming the only 12-year-old to break the 54-second barrier when she clocked 53.95 in May.<\/p>\n

From that point on, the NAG records began falling.
\n\u201cWe didn\u2019t even know what an \u2018NAG\u2019 was until she broke her first one,\u201d admits her dad, Mark. \u201cThen once she saw what she could pursue, she started knocking them down.\u201d Claire currently owns 12 NAGs\u201410 individual and two relays\u2014across the 11-12, 13-14 and 15-16 age groups.<\/p>\n

But when asked about her best swimming accomplishment, Curzan doesn\u2019t reflect back on her age-group records. Instead, the team-minded athlete reflects on her 2019-20 high school season.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the Cardinal Gibbons High School (Raleigh, N.C.) sophomore showcased her incredible talent by breaking two national records in a single night of finals. At the North Carolina 4A Championships, Feb. 7, Curzan first knocked down Torri Huske\u2019s 51.29 100 yard butterfly public record by nearly a second with a 50.35 (also a 15-16 NAG record), becoming the event\u2019s 11th-fastest performer in history. She followed up that swim with a 51.38 in the 100 back that took down Olivia Smoliga\u2019s 51.43 record from 2012.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe set the goal (to break the national high school records) at the beginning of the season,\u201d says Curzan. \u201cHigh school season is very supportive and encouraging. It was great to see my progress and to know I was doing it for my team.\u201d<\/p>\n

To kick off their 2019-20 high school season, Curzan and her teammates went on a one-day retreat. The time was spent on team-building and goal-setting activities, including developing self-awareness of the personal physical and mental barriers they face as athletes, and then brainstorming ways they would address those barriers throughout the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the greatest things you can do as a teammate is provide motivation for your teammates,\u201d says Cardinal Gibbons Coach Jonah Turner. \u201cSharing your own motivational needs helps others motivate you. (Curzan\u2019s) motivation and driving force was looking over while she\u2019s on the blocks and seeing her teammates cheering for her, knowing that she\u2019s doing it as much for them as for herself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Curzan was one of the lucky few to be able to complete her high school season this year despite many other state championships being canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Curzan felt the impact later, though, as she was unable to train for six weeks because of pool closures spanning from March through May.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, it was hard to adjust,\u201d says Curzan. \u201cBut it ended up being beneficial to my mental health since swimming is a year-round sport. It was nice to take a step back and breathe. I also got the chance to challenge myself with new activities, like running with my mom and different types of tethered workouts. But coming back to the sport really shows me how much I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Curzan took the time to show her love for the sport by sharing with Swimming World Magazine her own personal mental preparation journey before a big race.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To read more about how Claire Curzan mentally prepares for a race, <\/a><\/strong><\/span>
\ncheck out the full Swimming World December 2020 issue…<\/a>Click here to download now<\/a>!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"SW<\/a>[PHOTO CREDIT: PETER H. BICK]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Get Swimming World Magazine<\/em> and Swimming World Biweekly<\/em> FREE When You<\/span>
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Want more? Get a 1 Year ISHOF Family Membership With Swimming World Print AND<\/em> Digital Subscription<\/span> Order Now!<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/h3>\n

Non-Subscribers can click here to download this issue for only $5.94<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Swimming World Magazine December 2020 Issue<\/span><\/h2>\n

FEATURES<\/p>\n

012<\/span> SWIMMERS OF THE MILLENNIUM\u2019S FIRST 20 YEARS (2000-19)<\/strong><\/span>
\nby John Lohn, David Rieder, Andy Ross and Dan D\u2019Addona<\/strong><\/span>
\nWorld & American: Michael Phelps & Katie Ledecky
\nEuropean: Pieter van den Hoogenband & Inge de Bruijn
\nPacific Rim: Ian Thorpe & Leisel Jones
\nAfrican: Chad le Clos & Kirsty Coventry<\/p>\n

019<\/span> PROVING THEIR METTLE<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Andy Ross<\/strong>
\nAfter the South African media made several disparaging comments about the women\u2019s swimming team in 2016 when none of their swimmers had qualified for the Rio Olympics, Tatjana Schoenmaker and her South African teammates have been supporting one another and working together to show just how good they can be.<\/p>\n

021<\/span> FIT TO BE TIED<\/strong><\/span>
\nby John Lohn<\/strong>
\nAt the 1972 Munich Olympics, Sweden\u2019s Gunnar Larsson was awarded the gold medal in the men\u2019s 400 IM, edging USA\u2019s Tim McKee by 2-thousandths of a second. Subsequently, international swimming rules were changed to record results to 1-hundredth of a second, allowing for ties among swimmers with identical times.<\/p>\n

034<\/span> MENTAL PREP: BEFORE THE BEEP WITH CLAIRE CURZAN<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Shoshanna Rutemiller<\/strong><\/p>\n

COACHING<\/p>\n

010<\/span> TOUGHEST WORKOUTS (Part 2)<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Michael J. Stott<\/strong>
\nSwimming has had its share of taskmasters over the years. In the second of a two-part series on workouts designed to push swimmers to their limits are some sets from respected authoritative figures at Germantown, Arden Hills, Bluefish and Florida who have trained exceptional athletes that have excelled on the international stage.<\/p>\n

038<\/span> SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: BREASTSTROKE BREATHING HEAD TIMING DELAY<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Rod Havriluk<\/strong>
\nIn breaststroke, most swimmers learn to synchronize their head and arm motions to breathe and to recover to the non-012 breathing position. However, a delay in the head motion both to breathe and to recover affords benefits of less resistance, more propulsion and a faster stroke rate.<\/p>\n

040<\/span> SPECIAL SETS: DAVE SALO\u2014THE MAN AND THE METHOD<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Michael J. Stott<\/strong>
\nDave Salo has represented the United States as an Olympic, World Championships and Pan Pacific Championships coach and has guided the USC Trojans to 18 NCAA Top 10 finishes in 14 years. But his enduring legacy will most likely be his training mindset that emphasizes race-pace training and quality over quantity.<\/p>\n

043<\/span> Q&A WITH COACH MICHAEL BROOKS<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Michael J. Stott<\/strong><\/p>\n

044<\/span> HOW THEY TRAIN THOMAS HAGAR<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Michael J. Stott<\/strong><\/p>\n

TRAINING<\/p>\n

037<\/span> DRYSIDE TRAINING: POSSIBLY THE 5 BEST DRYLAND EXERCISES EVER!<\/strong><\/span>
\nby J.R. Rosania<\/strong>
\nIf done properly and regulary, these exercises can enhance your stroke, technique, power and speed.<\/p>\n

JUNIOR SWIMMER<\/p>\n

047<\/span> UP & COMERS: ERIKA PELAEZ<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Shoshanna Rutemiller<\/p>\n

COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS<\/p>\n

008<\/span> A VOICE FOR THE SPORT<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

009<\/span> DID YOU KNOW: ABOUT THE ART OF SWIMMING?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

026<\/span> HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

036<\/span> DADS ON DECK<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

046<\/span> HASTY HIGH POINTERS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

048<\/span> GUTTERTALK<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

049<\/span> PARTING SHOT<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n