News
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Gulf Swimmer chosen for Beijing Open Water Swim
Kirsten Groome of the First Colony
Swim Team (Houston, Texas) as been selected to represent the United
States in Beijing, China in the final Olympic qualifier for the 10K open
water swim, May 31-June 1. Chloe Sutton of Roseville, California will
join Groome in Beijing.
While the U.S. will send both Sutton and Groome to the Beijing Test
Event, only one U.S. swimmer can only qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games
at the competition. Top finishers at the Beijing Test Event will fill
the remaining places for the Olympic 10K marathon swim as only 25 women
and 25 men can compete in the event’s Olympic debut.
Groome recently competed in the 5th FINA Open Water World Championships in Seville, Spain, where she placed 21st in the 10K open water swim. The top 10 swimmers in the 10K event at World Championships earned an automatic Olympic berth.
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Swimming Tip - Mental Preparation
from USA Swimming
Seven-time gold medalist Mark Spitz once said that “swimming fast in practice is 90% physical and 10% mental.” To become a champion you must first work like one in practice because there is no substitute for hard work. However, once you get to a meet, going fast according to Spitz is now “90% mental and 10% physical.” The difference between your best swims and worst swims lies between your ears and is directly related to what you concentrate on and how nervous you are both before and during your races. Many swimmers go faster in practice than they do in meets because they are far more relaxed in practice than they are when they race. If you concentrate on the right things when you swim, i.e. what you are doing in your lane, then you’ll tend to stay loose and go fast. However, if you concentrate on the wrong things, i.e. those around you or the time that you need to go, then you’ll get nervous and tight and swim slower.
