Trials Review

Well our meet is done. Kind of sad really. With all the exposure our sport has had these last 8 days, it makes you wish we had trials every year. For us we had some good swims & some swims we wish we could do again. But we as a team looked great and our athletes were true champions in my mind. I really enjoyed the experience with them.

Our best finish was obviously Bryan's 50m Fr. 22.13 tied for 7th; I believe that's a team record ;). Watching him prepare for his races was a learning experience. I remember him as an 8 year old summer league swimmer, skinny little thing. But even then he had a drive about him that you new he could do some great things. Its a pity Gary Hall Jnr. was also in the final. I think they showed to much of him and "his cape" (LOL). I will also remember the way Erin & Bean looked when they were paraded out in front of 8-9,000 people. I was very proud of them and I know you all would have been too.

Enough of us. Here are some other things I also observed.

Watching Peter Marshall (Dynamo/Stanford) swim his last race in the 100 Bk. He was 3rd in 2004; but unfortunately he didn't make it out of the Semi-Finals this time. He stood at the pools exit and shook everyone of his competitors hand as they went to warm down. Don't see that in to many other sports.

Hayley McGregor (Texas) - the morning after she got 3rd in the 100 Bk (after she set the World Record the day before) - was at the pool 7am getting ready for her 200 Bk. You couldn't tell that she was disappointed, she was there preparing for the next event. Unfortunately she got 3rd in that one too.

Behind the scenes: When you walked into the building and into the surrounding's behind the main pool. It was like being back stage at a rock concert. There were so many people behind the scenes running this meet. There were at least 80 journalists from around the world doing TV interviews. As soon as the swimmer finished a race they would walk down the exit and right in front of the camera's. You had physiologists taking blood samples from swimmers to determine their lactate values. You had swimmers wearing heart rate monitors while warming down. You had massage and physical therapists working on athletes & coaches. You had an area for the swimmers to relax, although not much relaxing went on there as they had Guitar Hero & a PlayStation also. Computers - everywhere. The warm down pool was an "exact" replica of the competition pool, plus a 6 lane 25m pool attached to it. There was food all day long, water everywhere and volunteers that were so pleasant and helpful. I could go on and mention the aqua zone and seeing all the past Olympians, but I won't.

I can't wait for 2012. I know we will have more swimmers their than this time. Maybe we can put someone on that team. We were only 0.48 of a second away from doing it this time.

Kristine & Erin Reporting From Omaha

Kristine's & Erin's Blog:
WOW! The pool is AMAZING and huge and definitely unforgettable!

When you walk in you have to go through like 10 army guys that check and make sure you have your credentials (which are really big and have your picture on them). In the main pool there is a huge block in the middle that has 6 screens all around it. It is so cool! Like Phillips Arena or something.

In prelims there were so many people; you wouldn't think, because its prelims, that there would be alot of spectators but there were! And finals were crazy!! The atmosphere was so pumped up and intense that you got chills watching people swim, haha. When they gave out awards for the first place finisher, they turned out all the lights and only had neon spotlights going . Behind the winner's stand there was a waterfall that flashed the name of the person who won on it too! Also, when World Records were set, fire shot from the side of the pool! SO COO L :)

Our first race was really exciting! We had to go to the ready room and wait to march out. They had a tv in the ready room so you could see the heats before you race. Afterwards we had to walk down a flight of stairs which was really hard after just racing!! Ha!

This has been such a great experience and definitely way different than any of the meets we've ever been too! And we took lots of pics to show everyone!!! :)

Day 4 At Trials

Day 4 saw Bryan hit the water for his first event. Swimming in the last heat in lane 1 Bryan did not get off to his best start and over swam the first 20 meters with his arms, his tempo was to fast. Bryan did not make it into the semi finals, although his time was only .3 off his best. He told me tonight that he is going to Time Trial the 100 tomorrow and see what he can do.

The swims tonight at finals were good races, although no world records were set. I think we are being spoiled:). Two American records and a US Open were set though. In the Men's 100 Fr Jason Lezak 31 years old, beat his American Record and missed the world record by .08. He is the first American to go under 48 sec for the event.

In the women's 200 Fr final the top 6 make the team. It took a 1:57 to do that. In 2004 it took a 2:00.0. Great race.

In the 200 Fly, Michael Phelps looked strong and won pretty easily, but the fight for second was won by Gil Stoval a UGA swimmer. His time of 1:53 was very impressive. Also his "victory yell" was even more impressive.

In the women's 200 Fly a lot of girls went 2:08 or better, which means an unbelievable final tomorrow night. Our local GA girl Kathleen Hersey is going into finals with the 2nd place time. We are all pulling for her.

The men's 200 BR was a little bit of a let down as Brendon Hanson, clearly held back his last 50. I hope he goes for the world record tomorrow night, he can do it. Also a local guy Eric Shanteau is also 2nd going into the finals.

The best race was the last one. The women's 200IM. Natalie Coughlin went out in a 59 for the first 100. Katie Hoff and Ariana Kukors ran her down on the BR. But Coughlin the great competitor she is fought back to claim 2nd behind Hoff, but lost her American Record to Hoff.

The photo is of the water fall that is behind the winners podium, its pretty cool.

Day 2 - The RAYS Hit The Pool

Day 2 saw Erin & Kristine race at the fastest meet in the World. Erin raced the 100 Bk and looked superb winning her heat in a best time of 1:03.80. Erin's split of 30.8 was a blistering 1st 50 and she held on for a great finish. The commentators spoke of her great underwater kick on the start and turn. Although Erin's swim was really good, the World Record was set not once but twice in the later heats. Unbelievable to watch. Kristine swam the 100 BR and did a solid 1:13. Bean was a little late on the start, but after the turn, had a superb 2nd 50 to finish the race. Bean looks good for her 200 BR on Thursday.

The action tonight saw some really good swims, but no records. It really is a spectacle to watch all the pomp & circumstance at this meet. It's not a meet, it is an event.

Tomorrow the girls have no events, but we will workout a couple of times. Bean is getting ready for her 200 BR on Wednesday, along with Bryan in his 100 Fr. Erin will get a chance to swim a time trial, which we will do in the 200 Bk. Looks like there will be some FAST finals tomorrow night, hope your watching.

Day 1 - Can You Say World Record

There were fireworks in the pool and fireworks out of the pool. I've never been to a swim meet that had fireworks on the pool deck, not small ones either. But the best fireworks were in the pool. Day 1 saw 3 American Records & 2 World Records set.

Starting with the Men's 400IM with Phelps & Lochte battling it out to the last stroke, both finishing in World Record time. Then came Larsen Jensen a big surprise winning the 400 Fr. 3rd place was on .3 behind, not good enough to make the team. Finally Katie Hoff had the race of her life winning the 400 IM in World Record time. The atmosphere is unbelivable as 10,000 watched the prelims and then 12,100 (biggest crowd ever in the US) watched the finals.

As for the RAYS the girls practiced twice today as we are finishing our preparations for their first swims tomorrow. Erin swims the 100 Bk at about Noon and Bean swims the 100 BR at about 1pm (EST). If you click on the website and the web cast link you can see them swim tomorrow. I know they want you too. Bryan arrived tonight looking great and ready to go on Wednesday. Stay tuned I think the best is yet to come.

RAYS Arrive

Well we made it to Omaha. Erin was nearly blown away when the storm hit on Friday night. Part of the Qwest Center, including a window was blown away also.

Today was a lot nicer, blue sky and pretty warm. The girls hit the pool. The pool WOW! when you first see it, you have to stand there a while and try to fathom what your seeing.

Well tomorrow the meet starts. You can tell the meet is almost upon us because you see all the TV personalities around on the pool deck, getting the lighting correct etc. I actually spoke with Bob Costas today. Nice man. Should be some fast swimming tomorrow night, hope you watch. We could have 3 world records set. I know we will get at least one. Don't miss it.

Olympic Dreams

Every swimmer has them. A dream to swim in the Olympic Games. Even I did back in 1976 and 1980. I gave it a good shot; but failed. Or was it failure?

What we learn from our own experiences really determine who we become in life. I did.
Enough of me. We have 3 athletes that will be competing for a place on the 2008 team. To even get a chance to compete for a spot on the TEAM you have to be one of the 589 female or 600 male participants that have qualified. That is roughly half a percent of USA Swimming athletes.

Only 26 females & 26 males may be on the TEAM!

If you finish 1st or 2nd in an individual event - you made it; 3rd - Sorry. Seems harsh, but is amazing to see athletes who finish 3rd come back in 4 years and try again. Why you might say, I would be devastated. Some achieve getting on the team the second time because of the experience of being 3rd. They had learned from their own experience.

OK back to what this blog will be about. The three athletes that made the Trials are Kristine Polley, Erin Reisinger and Bryan Lundquist. I hope with their help to write about our experiences at the fastest meet in the World. We hope you will read it daily and help you learn from our athletes experience, so you may one day get a chance to be on the TEAM. RAYS News Man