The pressure is now off. Come August, there will not be a single Bruin swimmer competing in Athens.
Despite at least one semifinals finish in three events, Bruin swimmers failed to advance to the Olympics at the Olympic Swimming Trials in Long Beach.
“I think we did really well,” UCLA swimming coach Cindy Gallagher said. “Under this kind of pressure, you either crumble or show real poise and confidence.”
Junior Kim Vandenberg advanced further than any other Bruin at the trials by winning her heat in the semifinals and then finishing fifth overall in the finals of the 200-meter butterfly. She also advanced to the semifinals of the 100m butterfly.
“Kim needed to swim her race, rather than (worry about the Olympics),” Gallagher said. “Usually she is the one passing people near the end of a race, but this time she was passed.”
Kristen Lewis, a senior in 2004, also advanced to the semifinals in both the 100m butterfly and the 200m butterfly, while Class of 2004 alumna Sara Platzer, the final Bruin swimmer at the trials, advanced to the semifinals of the 50m freestyle, where she finished with a time of 26 seconds flat.
All the swimmers realized the intensity of world-class competition by competing in the trials.
“Kristen (Lewis) and Naoko (Watanabe, a senior last year who competed in the 100m and 200m backstroke) both swam very good races,” Gallagher said. “Kristen is an extremely talented swimmer, and Naoko has improved every year.”
Sophomore Katie Nelson, who competed in the 800m freestyle, and sophomore Jane Imagane, who competed in the 400m and 800m freestyle, gained valuable experience that should serve them well in the future.
In terms of recruiting swimmers for next year, Gallagher sees the trials as a positive step to attract potential Bruins.
“Anyone there saw that all of our swimmers are very positive and that no one is crying,” Gallagher said. “We’re looking to recruit sprinters for next year.”
Strangely enough, one of the main roadblocks in recruiting for the women’s swimming team is the fact that UCLA no longer carries a men’s team.
“UCLA’s reputation in the swimming world is a big challenge,” Gallagher said. “Despite the fact that it is one of the greatest places to go to school, since the men’s team was cut, it’s been much harder to recruit swimmers.”
Gallagher also said she is always trying to recruit local talent, which would seem especially important considering many of the swimmers who made the Olympic team were from Southern California.
With the Olympic Trials now behind them, most of the Bruins will compete at Nationals August 3-7.