Sequel: Swimmers Story ›
My 3 Dedications And Me
I'll Prepare You For This War
"Why do I have to wait in here?" she shouted and Michael looked at her, "Because I said you had to, now behave!" he ordered and she sighed sitting down. She heard him shout her and she walked out to hear talking and saw Bob, Michael and his mother all sat talking but there was another noise and she looked confused and Michael pointed to the speakers before turning something up and it was all shouting and clapping. "You can get on lane 3 Phoenix" Michael called over the noise that was already muffled to her and she looked at him doing as she was told and the noise died down before she stood on the start and there was a loud beep she felt through her feet and she sprung out hitting the water and going to work, her arms found the wall at the right time and she pushed away starting to move again and as she hit the far wall she surfaced looking at Michael who nodded at her and Bob pointed to the watch in his hand and Michael's mom leant over to them before she climbed out and Michael stood up.
"Right, that's that for the day. It's semi finals later and from that you're in lane 5" he said turning the sounds down and she looked at him. He had her go through the same routine and she went out to her 100 fly trying to get it right at speed, at the end he nodded at her and she climbed out again. The next day he had the shouting and cheering turned right up and she looked at him, she stood waiting and spotted Michael at the far end talking to Bob. The buzzer went and she hit the water pushing through it until she hit the wall and turned and Michael dived in at her side getting to work fast. She heard people shouting Michael's name and he hit the wall before her glaring at her when he pulled his goggles off.
He walked to Bob Bowman and looked at the time "Seriously that's her time?" Bob nodded "Her first half she was nearly flying, she slowed down when you got in and we were shouting you. You're right it's that that's bothering her when she's in there" Bob said quietly and Michael straightened his face "Tomorrow 200 IM" he said and she nodded.
She went through the heat and semi final practise and Bob watched her shaking his head, "She won't medal in this race at all, her only decent stroke is her fly" he stated and Michael smiled. "She can swim the others, she used to do them all. Her dad had her entered in free and back races until she was about 10 when he turned her to fly so I know she can do them. I was never great at back or breast stroke but I medaled" he reminded and Bob nodded.
"I know but she can't, her fly can put her well out in the lead but they catch her on a decent middle two and she can't get it back on her free" Bob explained and Michael nodded. "You're only seeing what she's done in her first two at it, she wouldn't qualify for it if she couldn't do it. You're seeing her alone and her time from other meets, I know her" Michael answered.
It got to the next day and Michael had to watch she didn't put too much in to the heat and semi final for the 200 fly and not have anything left for her 200 IM. "I'm telling you it's a no go, her splits slow from the fly and she can't get them back!" Bob pushed and Michael gave him a look that always made him nervous as Dolly turned to her back stroke pulling at the water. Before she took off on her breast stroke and Bob looked at Michael, "She's slowing right down and she won't make it back up, once she's slowed she's slowed. She's past the point of no return on a 33 second split" Bob argued and Michael pulled his goggles down waiting.
He dived in as she turned starting the last leg in free and Michael idled letting her get infront of him until he kicked and she kicked away from him as well. She touched the wall first easily ducking under the water and reappearing as Michael laughed, Bob had walked back alongside them and he looked at Michael. "She's like a racehorse, gets lonely out infront on her own. Her middle strokes are slower because she's not the best at them but she shuts off because she's hit the front from her fly. She needs someone to take the race to her almost before she'll push again" Michael explained and Bob shook his head.
"Right, that's that for the day. It's semi finals later and from that you're in lane 5" he said turning the sounds down and she looked at him. He had her go through the same routine and she went out to her 100 fly trying to get it right at speed, at the end he nodded at her and she climbed out again. The next day he had the shouting and cheering turned right up and she looked at him, she stood waiting and spotted Michael at the far end talking to Bob. The buzzer went and she hit the water pushing through it until she hit the wall and turned and Michael dived in at her side getting to work fast. She heard people shouting Michael's name and he hit the wall before her glaring at her when he pulled his goggles off.
He walked to Bob Bowman and looked at the time "Seriously that's her time?" Bob nodded "Her first half she was nearly flying, she slowed down when you got in and we were shouting you. You're right it's that that's bothering her when she's in there" Bob said quietly and Michael straightened his face "Tomorrow 200 IM" he said and she nodded.
She went through the heat and semi final practise and Bob watched her shaking his head, "She won't medal in this race at all, her only decent stroke is her fly" he stated and Michael smiled. "She can swim the others, she used to do them all. Her dad had her entered in free and back races until she was about 10 when he turned her to fly so I know she can do them. I was never great at back or breast stroke but I medaled" he reminded and Bob nodded.
"I know but she can't, her fly can put her well out in the lead but they catch her on a decent middle two and she can't get it back on her free" Bob explained and Michael nodded. "You're only seeing what she's done in her first two at it, she wouldn't qualify for it if she couldn't do it. You're seeing her alone and her time from other meets, I know her" Michael answered.
It got to the next day and Michael had to watch she didn't put too much in to the heat and semi final for the 200 fly and not have anything left for her 200 IM. "I'm telling you it's a no go, her splits slow from the fly and she can't get them back!" Bob pushed and Michael gave him a look that always made him nervous as Dolly turned to her back stroke pulling at the water. Before she took off on her breast stroke and Bob looked at Michael, "She's slowing right down and she won't make it back up, once she's slowed she's slowed. She's past the point of no return on a 33 second split" Bob argued and Michael pulled his goggles down waiting.
He dived in as she turned starting the last leg in free and Michael idled letting her get infront of him until he kicked and she kicked away from him as well. She touched the wall first easily ducking under the water and reappearing as Michael laughed, Bob had walked back alongside them and he looked at Michael. "She's like a racehorse, gets lonely out infront on her own. Her middle strokes are slower because she's not the best at them but she shuts off because she's hit the front from her fly. She needs someone to take the race to her almost before she'll push again" Michael explained and Bob shook his head.