What the Men's 4x100m Freestyle in Beijing Taught Me As a Young Swimmer

Monday, August 11th, 2008. I remember as if it was yesterday. Since the 2008 Summer Olympic Games were in Beijing, China, the Olympic committee decided to change the original program of races to make the finals in the morning for television purposes.

Something a little unusual in swimming until then. As Nathan Adrian mentioned, up until that day, the French were probably the favorite to take the title in that race as they had the WR holder in their relay (Alain Bernard) and some of the best sprinters in the world as well. Michael Phelps was in his journey to achieve what it would become the most remarkable and best individual performance ever by an athlete in the Olympic Games (8 Gold Medals), and Jason Lezak (3rd on the 100freestyle at those games) had an extra motivation after missing the gold on that relay for the past 2 Olympic Games.

I don't plan to mention the entire background story that most people already know (Frenchmen saying they'd smash the Americans like guitars) but I will talk a little more of the impact that race had on 12 years old me at the beginning of my professional swimming career.

I remember watching that race with my dad, late at night (in Brazil), so late that my dad was already 'asleep' (despite him denying it) for the first two legs of that relay. Brazil had been disqualified for a false start in prelims so we were not actually too excited to watch the race despite the fact that we wanted to see Michael get another gold medal. As the race progressed and the US seemed they would lose the gold medal and Michael's goals would be crushed, tension arose when Jason flipped and started to make a comeback against the fastest 100 freestyle swimmer in the world until then. I was up from the couch and yelling at the TV and at my dad screaming "He's got it, he's got it." My dad suddenly sat down as if he was more aware and paying more attention to what was going on and started getting excited too. As a former soccer player, my dad had just started to understand more about swimming as I had recently picked new sport in our family for my career. He did not know many rules and names, but the one thing he knew was that Alain Bernard seemed tired and Jason Lezak was about to guarantee the gold.

As the history goes, Jason touched first, Americans were celebrating in a way I have never seem anyone celebrating before. The coolest thing I learned by watching that race, was the importance of TAKING PRIDE on your own hard work. It did not matter what anyone else's situation was. At least from my perspective, it did not seem like Team USA was trying to brag to the French or anyone else. They were simply celebrating the hard work and the pride they took in bringing home that gold and doing their individual jobs as a TEAM. Later on, I think I remember Jason saying he did not do that for Michael and his goal to get 8 gold medals, but he did it for USA's tradition and their pride.

What really stuck to me was that it is ok to take pride and celebrate your wins. Small daily wins or once in a lifetime big achievements. No one knows your story better than you do. Treating yourself, taking a moment to understand how those moments of glory will impact the rest of your life and transforming them into fuel or examples to others is what really matters.

I'd like to personally thank Nathan Adrian for taking time out of his day and contributing and sharing his favorite swimming moment of all time with me so I could share on Swimming World Magazine's platform.