University of Georgia Athletics
Smoliga Aiming To Continue Big Year
June 25, 2016 | Swimming & Diving
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
Olivia Smoliga did what was best for the swimmer's U.S. Olympic Trials preparation, which meant eating some ice cream. The Georgia rising senior, a three-time NCAA freestyle champion, prefers chocolate.
"My parents and my entire family back home have been like, 'Don't stress yourself out. If you want to go get ice cream, go get ice cream.' They know how stressful mentally it is," Smoliga said earlier this month, when the men's and women's swimming trials in Omaha, Neb., were still a few weeks away. The Trials start Sunday and Smoliga will be competing in three events.
Smoliga, from Glenview, Ill., might have had an occasional scoop or two, but don't think for a second every bite wasn't earned or that every bite doesn't offer a small reminder that there's life and levity and fun outside of the pool. The demands on an elite swimmer's time and energy are unlike any other sport, and the knob gets turned up to 11 in an Olympic year.
The NCAAs are one thing when it comes to stress and pressure, but the every-four-years Olympic Trials are "a different animal," Georgia coach Jack Bauerle said. At the NCAAs, individual performances are in pursuit of a team goal, one that the Georgia women reached in March, winning the program's seventh national championship. At the Trials, you're swimming for yourself, even if you've got fellow Bulldogs (past, present and future) all over the place.
To even qualify for the Olympic Trials is an achievement for any U.S. swimmer (or track athlete), as is advancing out of a heat and reaching the finals. Only the top two swimmers in each event are guaranteed a spot in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro later this summer. That means hundreds and hundreds of swimmers have descended upon Omaha, including more than 40 with Georgia ties, for only a few dozen coveted spots.
"It's an unusual meet," Bauerle said. "You've got to remember that there are very few happy people at the end of this thing. There are some that are elated, but most go home a little unhappy, or a lot."
That's a lot of pressure on the swimmers, especially those that come in with big reputations and high expectations. The whole thing can get in your head if you let it, which is why Smoliga's family wanted her to get some ice cream.
While everyone that puts on a swim cap in Omaha wants to earn a spot on the U.S. team, only a handful in each event have a realistic chance. The numbers put up over the post 18-24 months show who the favorites are — not that there aren't surprises.
Baurele is a veteran of the Trials, and a former U.S. women's team coach, and he's seen a lot of Georgia swimmers compete for a chance at the Games. One that stands out, he said, is Amanda Adkins, in the 200 backstroke at the 2000 Trials.
"Swimming World came out with their predictions and she wasn't supposed to be in the top eight — and she won the Olympic Trials and got fifth at the Olympic Games," he said. "She was eighth at the wall at the (50-meter turn), sixth at the wall after 100, fifth at the wall at 150 and she won it."
Bauerle laughed and smiled as he recalled that race. He'd like nothing more than for all of the Bulldogs racing in Omaha over the next eight days to have similar success stories.
"You've got to remember, the Olympic Trials represent different things for different people," he said. "For some it's a dream just to be there, and then for some it's to make a final and for some it's to make the team and win a medal. Whatever dream it is, I want to make sure they have it."
Smoliga will swim the 50 and 100 freestyle and the 100 backstroke at the Trials. She's had an exceptional year, bouncing back and then some following what she called a "sophomore slump" a year ago. The 50-yard freestyle NCAA champion as a freshman in 2014, Smoliga reclaimed her title as a junior this season, breaking the NCAA record with a time of 21.21 seconds — it was the second fastest 50-yard short course time ever — and added the 100 free championship to a most memorable meet.
"I think her performance at the NCAAs gave her a chance this summer," Bauerle said.
Asked to define what a successful meet will be, Smoliga paused for a moment and said at a minimum she wants to reach the finals of all three events. That means top eight in an elite swimming country, which isn't too shabby.
"I think that's all I can really hope for. I don't think that's all I deserve to do, but I think based on the path that I've been going on, I hope to make the finals in my events," she said.
Smoliga comes in with the third-fastest 100 backstroke time by an American this year, behind two U.S. Olympic legends in Natalie Coughlin and Missy Franklin. She's seeded No. 14 in the 100 freestyle and No. 13 in the 50 free.
The competition is fierce, but for Smoliga she's never had more fun in the pool than in 2016.
"You're on this high and you're just trying to ride it out as long as possible," she said. "I think changing my focus and completely giving my heart to swimming, as cheesy as that sounds, and making it the ultimate priority, has made a world of a difference."
And don't forget the ice cream.
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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