U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS - SWIMMING

June 22, 2024

Ryan Held

Charlie Swanson

Josh Matheny

Luca Urlando

Keaton Jones

Lucas Oil Stadium

Media Conference

Q. Ryan, what does it mean to be back up here, after everything that's happened? It's been eight years. We know how close you came three years ago only for a technicality to keep you off the team. What are you feeling?

RYAN HELD: Right now it feels great. Just all the ups and downs looking back on my career and journey. It's actually -- my wife and I were just talking about how in 2021 we have never not taken six, we've never -- doing this and then being left off the team by like a technicality. It was heart breaking. I was kind of in a mix of emotions, because swimming, which had brought me so much joy and passion for so long, now all of the sudden caused me so much pain and anger and confusion.

It was -- it stung for a long time. But looking back on it now, after 2021, if I told myself I was going to make the team, I was going to retire, but because of that, I never would have went to ASU, never would have met Herbie, never would have met some of my best friends, training there at ASU, never would have -- we probably wouldn't have gotten the same dog, wouldn't have had the same house at ASU. My wife and I were just saying that was a terrible moment, but looking back, it was a blessing in disguise. Look at all the great things that came from it.

Q. Luca, you were a rising star as a young man. You had some injuries, some problems that you overcame. How do you feel about being back at this level?

LUCA URLANDO: Oh, I'm ecstatic. It's been a long journey. I've been swimming for 16 years now. In the past four and a half, five years, it has been turbulent to say the least. But just, you know, taking things one step at a time, one day at a time. Really just been cherishing this journey and having the best time doing it.

Q. Charlie, what has it meant to you to go to Texas, make a World's team and come back to Michigan, your Alma Mater, train for a year and I assume not knowing what's going to happen going into this Trials and ultimately making the team in the 100 Breast of all things.

CHARLIE SWANSON: I'm ectatic, too. Kind of at the end of every summer since 2020, COVID and stuff, I was always like, is it time to be done, is it time to keep going? Going down to Texas was kind of like, I'll try it out. If it goes well, I'll stick at it. Thankful for my time there. I think it helped a lot with helping me grow as a swimmer and a person.

But it does feel really good to finally achieve, like, the dream that I think every young swimmer has. I honestly don't know if I expected it coming in, but -- especially in the 100. But coming kind of a full circle moment, it's been fun, yeah.

Q. Josh, you have a different strategy for racing the 200 Breast than your fellow team Olympian, Matt and you swim down the center of the pool, he sort of does not. How do you go about racing against him when you know that -- or anyone when you know that their strategy is so different? Do you ever rib him for the way he swims that race?

JOSH MATHENY: Yeah, I think the most important thing in each race is to kind of know what works best for you. I know that I -- no matter how hard I would try I would never be able to come home like that. Not many people can. But I've found that getting out ahead and just seeing, if you can catch me, is kind of what works -- ends up working for me most of the time.

But it's always fun to race Matt, and it's always great to see him, and we always have fun behind the blocks. It's always just a great time in the 200 Breast.

Q. You can't tell if he's trying to draft off you?

JOSH MATHENY: Try not to think about it.

Q. Luca, obviously making the Olympic Team is going to be special, but the fact that it comes in Butterfly, for all the injuries that you have gone through, you have had success in different events, but I think it's fair to say that Fly is maybe where you made your name. I wonder if that adds to this accolade of where your Fly has come from and to get back to where you are now with it?

LUCA URLANDO: Yeah, no, it's super special. My injury being a shoulder injury was very specific to Butterfly, and when I was 17, I had a lot more flexibility and mobility, and I was able to kinda use that in my stroke and be able to swim a 200 Butterfly with I like to think a little bit more ease.

Now that I'm older, I know my body a little bit better, and I'm stronger in different ways. I've had to change my stroke quite a bit so that I would be able to swim Butterfly consistently and train at a high level without having to worry about more injuries.

Q. Keaton, in 2016 it was Ryan Murphy and Jacob Pebley. In 2021 it was Ryan Murphy and Bryce Mefford, and now in 2024 it's Ryan Murphy and you. What does it mean for you to add your name to the list of legendary group of Backstrokers?

KEATON JONES: It's an honor. That list of guys is historic, and Backstroke in the US has always been legendary, and it's something that we have excelled at. And to add to that list -- it was definitely in my mind coming into Trials. I think me and Destin wanted to make sure one of us was going to be on this team with most likely Murph, or if Murph couldn't do it, both of us.

And that was kind of what we had been striving for all year. We definitely wanted to keep it in the Cal family. The list of backstrokers is legendary for Cal, and it's a privilege to be added to that list.

Q. Keaton, we talked in the meet about your training group at Cal and coming in as a freshman and getting to swim with those guys. Everyone on the stage trains at storied programs, but for Cal, I'm wondering if just being around the history and the legacy that they have, especially putting guys on Olympic Teams, if that affected that mentality coming into this meet at all?

KEATON JONES: Yeah, I mean, there is definitely a presence on pool deck when you walk by and you see the list of names on the wall. That was one of the things Jack told me in the cool down after the 2 Back, he was like, we walk by that wall every day, and our names are going up there now, next to, like,legends. But, yeah, you feel it every practice when you're stepping up and Murph is ripping times and Abbey is going, and Nathan Adrian is coming to practice and watching us. The vibes and energy were way different this year than anything I have ever experienced before, and it made you want to come in every day and sell as hard as you could and give everything you had.

Q. You Cal guys have had a great week, getting a lot of guys on that Olympic Team, but also some tough moments, Destin obviously in that 100 Free coming up painfully short, Dare tonight. How do you guys handle that as a team, right? Obviously supporting and cheering for you guys when you have these big moments but also supporting the guys who came up just short in a meet where that does happen?

KEATON JONES: Yeah, with a meet like this, there are a lot of high and lows, a lot of good swims, a lot of not good swims, swims that we would want to have back for sure. That's just what happens when you bring such a large team; not everyone is going to be able to hit. But I know we're all supporting each other, and the guys who are moving on and the guys who got left home, we're all going to support each other no matter what, and they're all going to be back. They're all great swimmers. Go Bears!