TodaySwimming: Courage has sights on Olympics
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Article RatingCaleb Courage has taken another step in his career as a swimmer.
Courage, a standout athlete at Shippensburg Area Senior High School, went on to win two consecutive NCAA championships in the 100-meter freestyle for Grove City College. Now, he's stepped onto the big stage, meeting Olympic qualifying standards at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships at the Indiana State University Natatorium in Indianapolis last week.
“I'm relieved,” said Courage of his 2008 Olympic Trials qualifying times in the 100 and 50 freestyle. “I wanted to do it before summer was over so I wouldn't have to wait to train. (Qualifying for the Olympic Trials) was a goal, and I'm very happy that I got it, so when I come back to train for the rest of the year, I won't have to worry about tapering for another meet.”
As a Grove City swimmer this season, Courage took first place at the NCAA championships in the 100 freestyle and placed second in the 50 freestyle. While it has always seemed that his best event of the two was the 100 freestyle, the unique conditions presented to him at the National Championships flipped things around a little.
“It was actually long-course meters,” said Courage of the format at the Indiana State University Natatorium last week. “It is a 50-meter pool instead of a 25-yard pool. It's pretty much completely different, I don't have that extra flip turn (in the 100 freestyle). It's a big change for me, and I think I'm still getting used to it in a sense.
“The swimming strategy is different, with the pool being longer. In the 50 freestyle, I can power my way through. When I swim a short-course 100 freestyle, those extra turns help out a lot. Not having those turns, it being different... I only swam short-course my whole life and I don't have that advantage off the wall. But I could still power through the 50 - (the different length pool) did flip-flop (how I performed in the two events) as far as where I was at comparatively.”
The final results from last week's nationals would agree - Courage did not advance to the meet's finals in the 100-meter, but was able to qualify for the Olympic Trials with his mark of 51.53, good enough for 53rd place in the field of 112 competitors. However, his time of 23.35 in the 50 freestyle helped him to a meet finals berth, where he finished 22nd overall in the field of 110 swimmers.
Also, with less turns to propel the competitors in Indianapolis last week, the difference between the long-course pool and a short-course pool was apparent - the winner of the men's 100 freestyle in last week's nationals, David Walters of Longhorn Aquatics, clocked in a mark of 48.96, while Courage's NCAA Championship mark in the short-course pool this winter was a 44.36.
Aside from pool sizes and stiffer competition, the Grove City swimmer will be faced with a more glaring change to his everyday lifestyle - Courage will be taking the year off from school to focus on the Olympic Trials, training with the Mecklenburg Aquatic Club (MAC), based in Charlotte, N.C.
“I got down there (in Charlotte) right after school was over in the very beginning of June,” said Courage. “I'm going to find a family to get an apartment with, and I will probably room with another swimmer. I should be down there all year, but will probably travel for different meets and some breaks, like Christmas. I will be down there and working for a whole year.”
At first, it would seem like an easier schedule for Courage, being able to take the year off from class and to really focus on his swimming. However, as the swimmer explained, this next year may prove to be one of the hardest-working years of his life.
“I still have to work and will be keeping up with my studies,” said Courage. “I probably will be more busy (than I was last year), it's a change in discipline. I will have to make my own schedule, one that is similar to school.
“I function better when I have a concrete schedule. I like to make sure that I get things done, but it allows me to concentrate more on swimming. The last thing I want to do is get rusty (in my school work). It's going to be more of a challenge than just school.”
In addition to keeping up with his studies, Courage will also be teaching a little. As the swimmer explained, the MAC isn't just a club for Olympic hopefuls, it's almost a program that works to build swimmers from an early age, where those swimmers currently trying out for the Olympics help educate the younger swimmers and help hone their skills.
“It's an already-existing club that has been around for a long time,” said Courage. “(Former Auburn head swimming coach David Marsh) just became the club's CEO. There is an elite group of Olympics hopefuls, but the club is really over 200 kids.
“It's big to begin with, but he's added on this new program, and he hopes to affect the club by bringing in some top swimmers. Hopefully, those goals and swimmers can trickle down to the younger kids. There are about 13 of us (training for the Olympics), and we talk to the kids and run their practices.”
Another member of the MAC, Michael Smit, placed 20th in the 50-meter freestyle at nationals with a time of 23.25, and 22nd in the 100 freestyle with a mark of 50.67.
Already an established swimmer in the college circuit, Courage admitted he learned some important lessons of Olympic competition this last week, and will do his best to prepare for the Olympic Trials at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. June 30 - July 7, 2008.
“I would say that, the thing I learned from (the national champions) is that dropping time will take focus on all the small things,” said Courage. “I'm fast, I mean, I was at nationals, so I know I'm good at certain things. But there's a lot of little things that I will have to concentrate on. I will have to focus on staying consistent, and consistently doing the small things so that, when a big race comes, I can do it perfectly. To do everything just right, it will take lots of concentration and practice to do that.”
