July 15, 2008
Seniors Lori Halvorson and Jill Granger, two of four Tigers to compete for a spot on the Olympic roster at the 2008 USA Swimming Olympic Trials held in Omaha, Neb., reflect on their experiences from the event. Halvorson swam in the 50, 100, and 200-meter freestyle events, while Granger swam in the 200-meter fly.
What was the atmosphere like at the Olympic Trials?
Lori Halvorson: It was breath-taking. It's unlike any swim meet I have ever been to in my life. There's so much energy and excitement.
Jill Granger: It was pretty crazy. Just having a pool in the middle of the basketball arena with 13,000 people was unreal. The crowd was so loud and everyone was so excited.
How did you mentally approach this event compared to a standard collegiate meet?
LH: I generally approached it the same. I love to race and college dual meets are all about racing but when you get to Olympic Trials, there's no team you are helping to win but yourself.
JG: Well, we had gone to a meet there a couple of weeks earlier so I knew how everything was going to be set up so I was a lot less stressed out than I would've been normally.
Did your training regiment for the Trials differ from your training for the collegiate season?
LH: Not really. I always am doing whatever it takes to be my best and I want to be the best for both.
JG: Well, the 200 fly hasn't really been my main event since I've been here, so I was focusing just on the fly for two or three weeks. I also rested a lot more than I normally do.
Were you nervous before you swam?
LH: Yes, but I mostly get nervous because I'm really excited.
JG: I was surprisingly not as nervous when I raced at the Trials as I usually am.
What was it like to compete in the same pool as some of the world's greatest swimmers?
LH: Amazing. I always love when I get the chance to swim against the world's greatest swimmers. It motivates me to swim at their pace.
JG: It was so inspiring. It made you motivated just by watching them compete. I love watching world records being broken and getting to see the best swimmers make it look so easy.
Who were your biggest supporters in your quest to make the Olympic squad?
LH: My family, friends, and teammates have always been there every step of the way. I couldn't ask for a better group of people.
JG: My coaches. They really pushed me to keep trying and keep going.
How did it feel to be one of the four Mizzou representatives (Halvorson, Granger, senior Ted Harris, and incoming freshman Lisa Nathanson) at the Trials?
LH: Honored but I always love having all my teammates by my side during college swim meets and I wish they all could have been there.
JG: I was so honored to be able to go. I just made it at the very last possible meet, and it's pretty much a once in a lifetime opportunity to go and compete on that high of a level.
What can you take from the Olympic Trials to improve yourself for the college season?
LH: I love to race but I still have a lot to learn. I usually get really excited about racing the people next to me but at the same time I need to learn to race my own race to it s greatest potential.
JG: Probably just the level of competition that I was up against. I was up against world record holders and racing the best of the best, so I know where my place is now and what I need to do during the season.
What was your favorite part of the event?
LH: Watching people reach their dreams. It's every swimmers dream to make the Olympic team and to watch that happen is motivating and exciting. It really makes you believe that nothing is impossible.
JG: It was all so cool and it was great just to be there. Just being able to swim in that meet was probably my favorite thing. Watching finals was unreal with the fireworks going off and everything. It was amazing.