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U.S. OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALS

June 27, 2016

Kevin Cordes

Omaha, Nebraska

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Kevin Cordes, the champion in the 100 Meter Breaststroke event, punched his ticket to Rio, his first-ever Olympics. Kevin is from Naperville, Ill., and swam for the Fox Valley Swim Team in addition to the University of Arizona. Kevin, just to start us off here, you touch the wall first, you turn around look at the scoreboard see a "1" next to your name. Kind of describe what's going through your head at that very moment.

KEVIN CORDES: There was a lot of things going through my head. It was an amazing feeling just knowing that I was an Olympian at that moment. Worked the past four years to get to that point, and there were just all those emotions hitting me at once. It was just amazing.

THE MODERATOR: Kevin, some of your previous international competitions haven't gone as they did tonight. Having those set-backs in your career, what did it mean tonight after having gone through that?

KEVIN CORDES: Yeah, there has been a handful of missteps along the way, but I think that's just helped me get to the point where I am now, and I've used it as motivation, you know, I've seen what it can be like on the other side, so I just wanted to, you know, be able to say I'm an Olympian and get first or second in the race, and fortunately I was able to do that.

Q. Kevin, we followed your stellar career at the University of Arizona. You talked about the missteps and then you went to Singapore and worked with Sergio, a former Olympian himself. How did he help bring you to this point?
KEVIN CORDES: He gave me a lot of confidence from the first time I spoke to him on the phone, when I was deciding on where to go, you know, he just made me feel comfortable, and that was the biggest thing.

Then from a swimming standpoint, really just taking my short course, you know, and converting it into more of a long course. So I've been working straight-up long course and I think he's helped me build my confidence in that and, yeah, it's been great.

Q. Were there specific elements to the long course work that you did to prepare you for this?
KEVIN CORDES: Yeah, a lot of changing speeds, learning how to control a race, learning how to have a plan in a race, a lot of that. I think I had my strategy down in short course pretty well, but in long course, kind of just going out there and swimming. So now I feel a lot more confident and a lot more comfortable approaching a race, and, you know, building it throughout a meet from prelims to semis to finals.

Q. So you feel more control?
KEVIN CORDES: Yeah, definitely.

Q. Are there more mind games within yourself in a long course or short run?
KEVIN CORDES: Can you repeat that?

Q. Are there more -- is it harder mentally in a harder run or shorter run --
KEVIN CORDES: You know, in short course there is a lot of just going out there and not thinking too much, just going out there and racing, and I had a plan and a stroke count that I needed to hit, and so once I had that figured out, it was nice.

So long course has definitely taken me a little bit more time, only swimming in the summers, you know, but this past year it's been straight long course, only training long course, and I've gained a lot more confidence.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit more about your life in Singapore, just maybe some stories or kinda what it was like over there?
KEVIN CORDES: Yeah, it was quite a crazy experience. A lot of -- definitely a culture shock. The good thing about it is they speak English, so I could kind of get around and talk to the locals, but I think my favorite thing about Singapore was trying the local food, the new food. I had everything from BBQ stingray to, you know, classic dishes, and I go to hawker centers, which is like local food stalls and food marts and get a huge plate of rice and eggs for 2 sing dollars, which is, I don't know, $1.50 US, so I loved trying all that stuff, so that was probably my favorite part.

Q. What are some of the Singapore classic dishes?
KEVIN CORDES: Chicken rice was probably the main one, and there's Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Tiao, hopefully I'm saying these right, hopefully I learned but, yeah, there is a lot of dishes.

Q. Kevin, now that it's been about an hour and a half since your swim, has it started to bother you at all that you weren't as fast as you were last night? Is it frustrating not going as fast in the big finals even though you did get the job done?
KEVIN CORDES: Not at all.

Q. Why?
KEVIN CORDES: Why? Because I'm an Olympian!

Q. I asked you in the Mixed Zone just about the University of Arizona connection here with what's going on. Can you talk a little bit more about that and just the U of A connection with what's going on here and for all what's happening -- can you elaborate on that a little more, kind of what your time at Arizona sort of meant to you?
KEVIN CORDES: Yeah, time at Arizona meant everything to me. Back in 2012, the U of A baseball team was also in Omaha, and they won, so it's kind of funny that they're here again four years later. It's been great being away for a year seeing all these Arizona fans and, you know, I saw our AD, Greg Byrne, and got to talk to him and, you know, the camaraderie of Arizona has been -- they made me feel welcome coming back, that's for sure. It's been great. It's been a great atmosphere for Arizona and the Wildcats.

Q. Your dad was an Arizona football player, was he not?
KEVIN CORDES: Yes.

Q. So there is a long tradition?
KEVIN CORDES: Yes, both my parents went there, and my sister is going there next year for sand volleyball, so it will be another four years my parents will get to visit, so they're happy.

Q. Do you consider a challenge from Peaty? What do you think about this guy, Britain guy? What he has more power, what he has more respect to you?
KEVIN CORDES: He's a great swimmer. He's really fast at the 100 and the 50, and it's going to take a lot to, you know, go out there and compete, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity.

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, the 100 Meter Breaststroke Champion, Kevin Cordes.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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