LOLZLetter 280 | The Olympic Trials Are Here
Welcome,
Olympic Trials for both swimming and track took over my television last week, which says a lot considering I don't really watch a ton of TV these days. But now, they are taking the newsletter too. This isn't a "here's the results" or reporting type of newsletter, as mine rarely ever are. Just pieces I think are interesting and valuable. There seem to be a lot of athletes who have taken time off, only to come back better. I think this is valuable because, as amateur runners, it can be easy to get into a grind of go, go, go, and never take time off.
Some swimming:
Simone Manuel makes the Olympic Team:
Simone took over six months off because she was overtrained, and she was still able to climb back and make the Olympic Team. On the last day of the swimming trials, she won the 50. So much to unpack there, but I encourage you, if you feel burned out or overtrained, take that time off. It's always better in the long run.
Caeleb Dressel:
I knew of Caeleb before the trials, but I didn't know a ton about him. "Back in my day" of competitive swimming, it was the Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte show. Dressel started dominating during the time I took off from swimming. Following the World Championships in 2022, Caeleb battled mental health issues and was eventually diagnosed with anxiety. He was also out of the pool for eight months.
Even with beginning therapy and making good strides, he didn't come close to making the national team in 2023. It was heartbreaking to see him get third overall by just a few hundredths of a second in the 100, but he redeemed himself in the 50 and qualified for the Olympics in an individual event.
Lydia Jacoby misses Olympic Team:
This one was sad. Really sad, and Lydia is still so young. It was heartbreaking to see her miss making the Olympic Team. She's also talked a lot about what it's like dealing with Olympic fame and pressure at a young age (and small town).
Nose Clips:
Okay, so I somewhat feel like I didn't swim at a high enough level, or it wasn't normalized in 2008, but I was super curious about why professional swimmers were wearing nose clips. This video explains it a bit and if they are cheating?
Track and Field:
While we are only a couple of days into track and field trials, there have already been some interesting stories.
Sha'carri, Melissa Jefferson, TeeTee Terry sweep the 100 meters:
Okay, this is amazing, and I love to see Sha'carri requalifying for the Olympics. Something I appreciate about Sha'carri is that she does not sacrifice being herself. Whether you like her or not, she has always been true to herself and doesn't care if she stands out. It's also fun to see three training partners qualify.
Snoop Dogg participates in track and field:
Okay, so I did not have Snoop Dogg attending the T&F trials. He ran a 200 in 35 seconds, which is actually pretty fast? I don't think I could do that. I also got a good chuckle from his commentary on the men's steeplechase. He's expected to provide commentary at the Olympics.
Kate Grace dives to finals:
Kate only began competing again last month. She took a three-year break due to having her child, long COVID, and injury. She had one of the fastest times in the field, but last night they went from 27 women to nine, and it cut several fast ladies out. At the dramatic finish, Kate fell but was able to qualify. The fall looked brutal, but she later said she was okay. You can watch the race here.
These are just a few events I found interesting. I would love to hear what your favorite event has been to watch so far.
What is keeping me entertained?
Mostly the Olympic Trials, but I did write a review of the new rabbit Dream Chaser shoe. :-)
rabbit Dream Chaser Shoe Review
45 Of Funniest Olympic Memes From The Tokyo Games