{"557201":{"#nid":"557201","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Olympic Swimmers Fine-Tune Training at Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Olympic history came to life once again Saturday as the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team submerged themselves in practice at the McAuley Aquatic Center for the last time before heading to the 2016 Games.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFans began lining up before sunrise to attend the public training session and catch a glimpse of some of the world\u2019s most-medaled athletes, including Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re so impressed and grateful to you being here since 5 a.m.,\u201d said Frank Busch, national team director for USA Swimming. \u201cOur hats are off to you, Atlanta.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event drew thousands, including many families and local young swimmers, who proved to be an outstanding crowd for creating an Olympic-style environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a huge help to us, just seeing all these people from around here cheer us on,\u201d said Gunnar Bentz, who swims the 800-meter freestyle relay. \u201cIt really gets us pumped for the games knowing everyone\u2019s backing us.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Olympic legacy left by former athletes at McAuley also served as inspiration throughout the week of training in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s cool walking in every day and seeing those rings up on the wall,\u201d said Chase Kalisz, who swims the 400-meter individual medley. \u201cIt helps just thinking about the history that\u2019s in this pool.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Bentz, an Atlanta native, training at the historic McAuley Aquatic Center was a sort of homecoming.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve been swimming here since I was 10 years old,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve probably swam 500 meets here, so I know it like the back of my hand.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBentz and Kalisz are two of eight University of Georgia students and alumni on this year\u2019s Olympic team. Saturday may have been one of the only times a group of Bulldogs felt so at home among Yellow Jackets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt may be Georgia Tech and they may be my rival, but I\u2019ve swam here all the time, so it\u2019s really cool and a surreal experience being back here training in this pool,\u201d Bentz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWeir, who has won three Olympic medals, has also spent countless hours at McAuley. She swam for Brookwood High School in Gwinnett County before enrolling at UGA in 2004. The Aquatic Center is her home pool \u2014 she competes and coaches with SwimAtlanta. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool to be the hometown girl here,\u201d she said. \u201c[I\u2019ve had] so many times racing in this pool, so it\u2019s crazy to be here training as an Olympic team and I\u2019m just loving every second of it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough its history began with the 1996 Olympic Games, the McAuley pool continues to breed success for swimmers of late. Thirty-seven records were set during the 2016 NCAA Championships held there in March, and the facility has become known as a place where athletes perform their best.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDave Williams, associate director of Aquatic Member Services for the Campus Recreation Center (CRC), says there are several reasons for that. Some of them are technical \u2014 the pool is wider and deeper than most, has more and wider lanes, and has flat wall finishes, which is what athletes will see in Rio. Other reasons are less scientific \u2014 the CRC staff takes music requests and then plays those songs for swimmers during practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s where our staff comes in,\u201d Williams said. \u201cWe help create an environment that\u2019s just conducive to fast swimming.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the 2016 USA Swimming Team leaving for Rio, the next group to occupy the McAuley pool could someday be on the same path. Tech will host the USA Swimming Futures Championship this week, from Aug. 4 \u2013 7, where up-and-comers in the sport will compete.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe next Michael Phelps will probably be here next Monday,\u201d Williams said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Olympic history came to life once again Saturday as the U.S Olympic Swimming Team submerged themselves in practice at the McAuley Aquatic Center for the last time before they head to the 2016 Games.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Olympic history came to life once again Saturday as the U.S Olympic Swimming Team submerged themselves in practice at the McAuley Aquatic Center for the last time before they head to the 2016 Games."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2016-08-01 09:17:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:22:12","author":"Kristen 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