INDIANAPOLIS — Matt Grevers is right here for a great time, even when it isn’t a very long time. Actually, he’s at Lucas Oil Stadium for as much as three 22-second races within the U.S. Olympic swimming trials pool.
The 39-year-old two-time Olympian simply couldn’t resist an opportunity to swim in an NFL stadium. So he got here out of a three-year retirement, skilled for about six months, certified for trials and can swim the lads’s 50-meter freestyle.
“I simply occurred to be in a scenario that I may put slightly extra time on myself and really feel egocentric,” Grevers mentioned Tuesday. “However as soon as I went the [trials qualifying] time, it felt actually good! And it’s cool to know that at 39, my physique undoubtedly nonetheless has it. It’s simply, what are you keen to place into it?
“So it was … actually enjoyable simply to know that I get to swim right here [and] hang around with quite a lot of associates. Strolling on the pool deck saying hello to all of the coaches and older athletes simply felt form of like a homecoming.”
Grevers has six Olympic medals on his resume, however individually, he was extra of a backstroke specialist. He received silver within the 100-meter backstroke on the 2008 Beijing Video games, together with two golds on relays. In London 4 years later, he was the 100 again Olympic champion and received one other gold and silver on relays.
Matt Grevers (center) of Tucson, AZ, dives off the block within the Males’s 50 Meter Freestyle Semi-finals, Saturday, June 30, 2012, throughout the USA Swimming Trials at CenturyLink Heart in Omaha, NE. (Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Employees )
Again for his seventh Olympic trials, Grevers certified for the 50 free in Could by simply .29 seconds, as SwimSwam famous.
Prelims are Thursday morning, and Grevers is seeded thirty fifth with an entry time of twenty-two.50. He could also be solely a second behind prime seed Ryan Held, however for the quickest occasion within the pool, that’s an eternity.
To swim greater than as soon as, Grevers might want to make the highest 16 to advance to Thursday night time’s semifinal, when the top-8 swimmers transfer on to Friday night time’s closing for a shot at making the 2024 Paris Olympic crew.
“I like the anticipation of the race, and I’m going to like the race, and this time, it simply occurs the place the result isn’t as vital as earlier than,” Grevers mentioned.
“It’s not an excessive amount of race technique. You don’t breathe. You don’t have to fret about partitions messing up turns. You simply soar off that block and go as quick as you may. It’s so pure, uncooked velocity and energy.”
Grevers is the most recent older American sprinter to return to the pool and attempt to make the Olympics.
5-time Olympian and 12-time medalist Dara Torres made her first Olympic crew in 1984 and her final in 2008, when she received three silver medals at 41 years previous. Three-time Olympian Anthony Ervin has a 16-year hole between Olympic golds within the 50 free after profitable in 2000 after which once more in 2016 at 35 years previous.
Matt Grevers at U.S. Olympic swimming trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on Tuesday.
Even at trials, Grevers mentioned he’s been impressed by Gabby Rose, a 46-year-old swimmer who completed tenth within the ladies’s 100-meter breaststroke semifinals Sunday. She additionally superior to Wednesday night time’s 200-meter breaststroke semi.
“Gabby’s cheer when she went out for semifinals, it was one of many loudest ones of the meet,” Grevers mentioned. “I used to be like, so individuals are rooting for the previous guys simply to see what you are able to do.”
At earlier trials, making the Olympics was his livelihood, and he mentioned he felt like he owed it to his assist system to make the crew and win medals. Whereas nonetheless grateful for his supporters, significantly his spouse, Annie, he mentioned he’s simply having fun with himself.
“To be on this setting with out that a lot strain is tremendous refreshing and only a actually nice time,” he mentioned. “Watching the finals of the 100 again [Monday] night time, I used to be like, form of wish to be there. After which once they’re stepping up behind the blocks, and I noticed faces and slightly little bit of pre-race anxiousness, I used to be like, ‘I’m joyful up right here.’”
