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U.S. OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALSJune 24, 2016Katie LedeckyOmaha, Nebraska THE MODERATOR: Our first press conference, the lady to my left is no stranger: 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 800 free, last year in Kazan won 200, 400, 800 and 1500 Freestyles. The first time ever an athlete has won four freestyle golds in a World Championships. Her head coach, Bruce Gemmell, and representing Nation's Capital Swim Club is Katie Ledecky. Why don't you go ahead. KATIE LEDECKY: Thank you, Scott. I'm excited to be here in Omaha. I'm excited to get started racing. I love this pool; it brings back some great memories from four years ago. I swam here last night and didn't have the same goosebumps that I had when I walked into the pool last night as I did four years ago, but once I hit the water I got those chills and remembered that the last time I was in that water was when I was qualifying for the Olympic Team four years ago, so a pretty special thing to be back here and, again, just really looking forward to racing and having a lot of fun this week. THE MODERATOR: Katie, what was your reaction the first time you swam over there in 2012 when you kind of entered the arena for the first time? KATIE LEDECKY: Yeah, I had those goosebumps. It's a pretty special venue, a pretty special place when you get to swim in front of 14,000 people and have that opportunity, and it's really cool that 1800 of us get that opportunity here in the US. I know everybody is really looking forward to racing, and it's just an atmosphere unlike any other, and it certainly prepares you well for the Olympics. I think this environment is just as special as the Olympics and just as exciting, if not more, so it's something you just kinda have to take a step back and really appreciate and enjoy it a lot. Q. Katie, what did you think when you walked up to the front of the building and saw your face splashed in -- KATIE LEDECKY: That's a little different than four years ago, too. I took a selfie with it! Yeah, it's cool! It's different! Again, it's just amazing how USA Swimming does a great job of making things bigger and better than the last time, and I'm happy to be a part of it. Q. Katie, about that 400 IM entry, do you intend to swim it? KATIE LEDECKY: That's still to be decided. I have two days, so not too worried about it right now. Q. Katie, when you have 1800 plus swimmers, what is the biggest challenge just in warming up in the morning? Do you have to alter when you would like to warm up, and is there any challenge that all of that sea of humanity presents? KATIE LEDECKY: No, honestly it's not that bad. Everybody is on different schedules, not everybody is swimming the same session. We have two big Olympic-size pools, 10 lanes, 50 meters, even a couple of short course lanes in the warm-down pool, so there is plenty of pool space, and there are pools across Omaha, too, that are open for swimmers to go to. It should be fine. The warm-up pools at international meets are really crowded, and people from all different countries, and I think those are the craziest, so it's nice when everybody is circle swimming the right way! It shouldn't be too bad! Q. Katie, can you take us through your last month or so since the Atlanta meet? I know you got to go to your brother's graduation. How cool was that for you to be able to do that in the middle of a pretty serious time of your year? Also, what your taper has been like now versus Rio? KATIE LEDECKY: Yeah, so I went to the Atlanta meet in mid-May, I guess it was. I went from there to Colorado Springs to train at the OTC for just ten days, get some altitude training in and just kind of have a tune-up camp there. Then I went from there to my brother's graduation, and I only spent 24 hours there, flew home the next day, but it was really great to be at my brother's graduation, and it was a special time for our family, and it was really fun to celebrate that with him and be there for that, and he will be here in Omaha cheering me on, as well as 50, 55 family members. So it's great to have family support like that, and I like to give that support back to my brother as well. Then after that I went home, and I've been home since then just finishing up training, getting some rest and feeling good in the water. THE MODERATOR: Talk about your taper. KATIE LEDECKY: Yeah, there was a little bit of taper, and it's all just about the preparation the month before that, too. I think that's more important than any of the rest. Everybody is rested here, everybody is going to swim fast, and you gotta be ready to go. Q. Was there any thought of holding back on the taper because Rio is coming up? KATIE LEDECKY: All the taper questions could go to my coach, Bruce. I just do whatever he writes on the board for practice. We don't really have any discussions about, oh, you know, we're not going to taper for this, we're going to taper for that. It's all up to him, I do whatever he tells me, and I feel rested and ready to go. I should be able to swim fast this week. Q. You're so calm, cool and collected every time you're in an interview or presser, but those moments when you touch wall, the video and the pictures are these fantastic faces and this passion, and these expressions. Talk to me about the emotion you have in the pool, which is so different than these moments now. KATIE LEDECKY: Yeah, that kind of just flows with the adrenaline and the excitement. I never, you know, plan to get all excited, but sometimes when you see the time or the place on the board, you can have that reaction, and I'm sure you'll see a lot of those reactions at this meet with people qualifying for the Olympics, and people qualifying for the Olympics the first time, people that missed the team last time that will make it this time. It's a meet like no other, and I can't wait to just watch a lot of the races and see that excitement and see that joy, and see the other side of it, too. There can be a whole lot of emotions at this meet, and I think that's something that's a little different than four years ago, just knowing a lot more people on the national team and all these other swimmers. I wasn't really aware of that four years ago. I just kinda did my own thing, but I know I have a lot of friends on the national team and people out here that some will make it, some won't, and I just want everybody to do their best and be happy with their outcomes. Q. Katie, what's changed this year as far as focus on the 100 Free? Has your training changed at all? And how are you sort of breaking down that race coming up later this week? KATIE LEDECKY: Again, that all goes to Bruce. I do whatever he tells me to do at practice. We have been able to focus a little more on the shorter races this year just, not having to swim the mile this year, but, really, I mean, I don't -- it's not something where we sit down and say, okay, we're really, really, really focusing on this race and not on this race. It's kind of all the same amount of focus on all the races. Obviously the 400 and the 800 are kind of my "go to" races and the races I really, really love, but I do also really like the 100 and the 200, and I want to do just as well in those. Q. Katie, outside of wanting to swim really well the last time you were here, what was your feel of your chances to make the team? I mean, like, it's gotta be a completely kind of a night and day experience from now, but can you walk us through mentally when you were hoping and expecting and what your chances were you thought and how that all played out? KATIE LEDECKY: Sure. I think I was seeded second or third going into either the 400 or the 800, maybe both. I had had some really good months leading up to Omaha in 2012 and knew I was going to be in contention, and I placed third in the 400 free, the first event. I got 9th in the 200 free, so just missed the final, and then I made the team in the 800 with the win here. So I thought I had a chance, kind of an outside chance but I wanted to give it my all and see if I could do it. If I didn't do it, I would train for another four years and it's good to have the experience here and would be prepared for this meet. So I feel like I had the great experience four years ago, and I've gained a lot of international experience since then, and I feel a lot more comfortable on deck and being in this kind of environment than I did four years ago. Q. When you hear, see the news reports about growing security concerns in Rio, the Zika virus, people calling for the Games to be cancelled or postponed, what goes through your mind? KATIE LEDECKY: It's not something that we swimmers really like to think about that much. Right now our focus is just on Trials and making the team so that we can get to Rio. I think USA Swimming and the USOC will too a great job of preparing us to the best of their ability to get us ready for all the different circumstances that could come up, just like any other meet, and each place -- each Olympics seems to have different things that could be thrown our way, and you just have to do the best we can to prepare for those. Q. (No microphone.) KATIE LEDECKY: No, not really. When you're watching the news and it comes up, sometimes listen, but I know I have to listen to USA Swimming and USOC, and they'll tell us what's best. Q. Couple questions. First, seriously, is there any concern -- you or any talk among the swimmers about how clean the Olympics are going to be with all the other stuff with the Russian track athletes being band, some swimming cases have come up and in other sports, any concern about that that things will be on a level playing field in Rio? KATIE LEDECKY: Yeah, there is definitely talk occasionally about it, and it's really disappointing, the amount of doping there is in sports today. I think we're all happy that people are getting caught and they're being a little tougher on things. Hopefully that will continue, and we can all feel confident going in that we're competing against clean athletes, and I think hopefully the testing will continue to get better over the years, and I think it's good that there has been more attention brought to it the last couple weeks, last couple months and, again, hopefully things will be good, everybody will be clean in Rio. We'll see. Q. I guess a little follow-up to that one. Like you said there has been talk among the swimmers, because you can't help when you hear like even when they were testing in Sochi -- KATIE LEDECKY: Yeah, I mean, it's not like people discuss it a lot, but there is a level of frustration and anger that comes with it, I would say, when there are swimmers caught or other athletes and you see that it's maybe at a larger scale than people would have thought. Again, I think if we can raise more awareness about it and have improved testing, have these people banned or suspended, whatever needs to be done, things just need to get tougher. Q. And the dreaded self-assessment question. How are you different than -- the scared -- not scared but nervous 15 year old who came here four years ago? How do you think you've changed not so much as a swimmer but as a person and, you know, away from the pool the last four years? KATIE LEDECKY: That's a good question. I mean, I think in some ways, again, I've just had more experience and I've gotten faster and little things like that, but I still feel like all this is still really exciting. I went and got my goodie bag at registration today and was just as excited probably as everybody else getting them! I think four years ago I had a lot of family come, about 30 family members come, and I have about 50, 55 coming this time, and it's kind of like a family reunion and four years ago that was really nice for me because I kind of thought okay if I don't make the team, my family is still getting a family reunion out of this, and it's kinda that same approach this time, too. I won't get to spend a lot of time with them, and they know that, but just to have 60 family members in the stands, that kind of calms me down, and if everybody around me, if that becomes intimidating at any point, I can always think 60 of those people are people I know and love, so it should be a really fun week! Q. Along those lines, the difference from four years ago to now, how does that change your daily motivation as far as going through the grind when not every single thing you're doing is new to you? KATIE LEDECKY: What, sorry? Q. Is new to you. KATIE LEDECKY: Oh, you know, it's the same preparation, level of focus that I bring to each practice, and as I've gotten faster over time, I've expected more of myself from practices and in practices, and Bruce is such a great coach, and I have really great teammates at NCAP, and I've had a fun time these last four years training and getting ready for this year. Every year sort of builds on the next one and you always want to do better the next year than you did the last year, so I'm always motivated, working toward my goals, and the goals I've had through this year have been the goals that I've been thinking about for the past two, three years, and time to start working and hitting those goals. Q. One more thing. You had to make a decision about pro or college and what goes into that decision? Do you think that's a decision someone should have to make as opposed to being able to do both? KATIE LEDECKY: It's not even something I really thought about for very long. I really wanted to swim in college and have that opportunity and to have the opportunity to go to Stanford and swim there and go to school there, I think, it's going to be great, and I'm really looking forward to being a part of an elite NCAA team and also having those friends and going to school with them and having those experiences. My education is really important to me, and just having a life outside of swimming is important, and something I really value. I think this path is going to be the best for me. Q. (No microphone.) KATIE LEDECKY: I don't know, I haven't thought about it, and it's not something I really think about much. I know what's best for me, and I just focus on what I need to do in the pool and in school, and those are the things that are important to me right now. Q. Katie, what was maybe the biggest lesson learned or mistake made here four years ago by you that in retrospect was maybe inevitable for a 15 year old that you don't do the second time around? KATIE LEDECKY: I don't know. Four years ago, as I said, I got third in the 400 and 9th in the 200, so I just missed the final where the top six make the team, and that was tough at first, but also my coach at the time, Yuri, was really positive with me and was really good about putting things in perspective. I still went best times in those events and was able to come away from those events and really prepare for the 800 and get ready to give it my all in that, and I made the team so I was happy. I don't think I have any regrets or things that I need to do better this time. I think four years ago it was all just new and I was doing whatever I was told, and this time I think I feel a little more comfortable, Bruce will still tell me what to do most of the time, and I really welcome that because it kind of keeps me focused and just know what I need to do when I get into the races. You kind of have to treat this like any other meet, but also there's going to be more excitement there and more energy that you have to really prepare for and acknowledge. Q. Katie, a follow on Bruce. What in your mind is his greatest strength as a coach? KATIE LEDECKY: I think it's that he always keeps me really relaxed, we're always laughing and having fun. He's pretty sarcastic and can bicker a few times, and it's funny to watch him and Andrew, his son, whose also going to be here argue about things, and it's just always fun on the pool deck with him, but at the same time he always keeps me very focused and I try to follow everything that he tells me to do before races, and sometimes he has to remind me a thousand times but it always pays off, and I'm just really happy I've had him as a coach these last four years and had a lot of fun along the way. Q. (No microphone.) KATIE LEDECKY: Just little things, with certain races, things that he tells me almost every meet and sometimes I forget to do them, but hopefully at the big stage here everything can come together. THE MODERATOR: Thanks Katie, appreciate your time this morning. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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