Sequel: Swimmers Story ›
My 3 Dedications And Me
It's All Tactics, Baby
She woke up to someone knocking on the door and ignored it, "Ergh Missy!" she groaned and got no reply. She sat up to see she was alone and dragged herself up opening the door to see Michael, "Well good morning" he said and she pushed her hair into a messy bun as he sat on her bed. He started talking about her 200fly as she tried to stay awake and listen. "So is this a good experience for you?" she nodded "Erm what were my splits last night?" she asked "26.93, 32.70, 37.03 and 29.49" he replied and she nodded, "Well mom has your parents going here, there and everywhere. There's not a thing they're missing at all" he said and she smiled "And they don't know yet?" "Nobody knows yet, I'm surprised Ryan hasn't realised yet. He's sharper than he lets on that one" Michael stated and she smiled.
He looked at the notes on the wall alongside some pictures, "Where did you get them from?" "Oh Katie and Missy and I made them for each other and then Ryan joined in. They have these Polaroid cameras sat around for us to use and Ryan got hold of one, so he turned in to a qualified photographer. If I forget any of this experience I'm pretty sure Ryan has a picture to remind me of it" she laughed and he nodded.
"Well as long as you're working hard still, you wanted three and you've got 2! You have a good chance for 2 more!" he said "2 more? I thought I was only back up?" "Yes well I shouldn't be telling you this but if you perform well in this 200 fly then you're replacing Dana in the medley relay. You'll be there to practise takeovers tomorrow if you do well so you do well and you can have 4 of them!" he explained and she nodded.
He left and she stretched out before going back to sleep. She went to get food later and saw people milling about, she saw her phone had messages on and read them before heading back to sleep. She was up and ready for the evening session, the bus ride she spent trying to think of how to play her race out, did she go out fast and hope to hold them, slow and try to catch them or did she keep an average pace and try to push at the end?
Ryan watched her as they made their way into the aquatics centre, she kept away from the others to try focus and watch them and she noticed one of the girls from Britain seemed to go flying from the start. She watched as she went out fast and she panicked, that girl was quicker! What was she meant to do? She saw Michael over the other end with some of the American guys and knew she couldn't waltz over, what the hell was she meant to do? She spotted Bob Bowman leant up the side daydreaming.
She looked at him before walking around to him "How's it going Dorothy?" "Erm can you do me a favour? I need coach and well..." she trailed off looking over in Michael's direction. "I'll try get him! Keep moving!" he warned and she went back to the pool, she watched as Bob called Michael and somebody else pulled him off from USA swimming.
Michael disappeared with the guy and Dolly began to panic, Bob saw her watching the girl worried and he sighed. "Dorothy can I talk to you?" she nodded keeping stretching, "You're panicking, keep calm!" "I can't! We never saw her coming! She's faster! She's younger! If she goes out at that pace I can't contain her and I can't know if she can keep it up! If she can what if I don't get close? What if she slows but I can't catch her?" she rambled out and he looked at her.
"I can't help you! I don't know what you can do or what she can do! I don't watch the fly, all I can say is that she is younger than you. She isn't always consistent, she may blitz it or she may blow it. She's not got the experience or the confidence of the 2 races you've had" he reasoned and she shook her head. "Look you need to calm and focus, you panic you'll lose it. Look Allison is coming back, I have to go but keep calm and do what you think is best! Good luck!" he offered before walking off and she looked around her.
She saw Ryan wander in after his races and realised she'd be soon. "Hey Dorothy! I won't keep you, you've got to get in that zone. But I will say good luck Princess!" she nodded "Did you see my races?" she nodded "That young whippersnapper thought they were going to beat me, like I'm having that!" he grinned and she smiled at him. "So anyway good luck and I'll be watching you!" he laughed kissing her cheek and she nodded. He turned to walk off "Ryan! Why'd you go out so slow in the back?" "Because the youngsters switch off, they get in front and don't save enough! They don't like it when people come burning past them, so you have to break confidence levels in them a bit. So I let them go and watch them" he answered her and she nodded letting him walk away.
She turned to see the young British girl looking worried and she watched her thinking, maybe she should go with her? She could probably keep with her, well she could try to see if she could. She was going faster than she thought capable of but did she want to wreck her chances?
She stretched out as she saw someone push out the door calling them and Ryan wave at her saluting and she nodded. She sat in the call too and focused, she was going with that girl and she was going to burn everything to get there! Just as they called them in to line she spotted one of the older girls push past the younger British girl and the younger girl looked nervous and she smiled to herself. Ryan Lochte you are a genius! She thought to herself! She'd track her and she'd take her when she wasn't watching her!
He looked at the notes on the wall alongside some pictures, "Where did you get them from?" "Oh Katie and Missy and I made them for each other and then Ryan joined in. They have these Polaroid cameras sat around for us to use and Ryan got hold of one, so he turned in to a qualified photographer. If I forget any of this experience I'm pretty sure Ryan has a picture to remind me of it" she laughed and he nodded.
"Well as long as you're working hard still, you wanted three and you've got 2! You have a good chance for 2 more!" he said "2 more? I thought I was only back up?" "Yes well I shouldn't be telling you this but if you perform well in this 200 fly then you're replacing Dana in the medley relay. You'll be there to practise takeovers tomorrow if you do well so you do well and you can have 4 of them!" he explained and she nodded.
He left and she stretched out before going back to sleep. She went to get food later and saw people milling about, she saw her phone had messages on and read them before heading back to sleep. She was up and ready for the evening session, the bus ride she spent trying to think of how to play her race out, did she go out fast and hope to hold them, slow and try to catch them or did she keep an average pace and try to push at the end?
Ryan watched her as they made their way into the aquatics centre, she kept away from the others to try focus and watch them and she noticed one of the girls from Britain seemed to go flying from the start. She watched as she went out fast and she panicked, that girl was quicker! What was she meant to do? She saw Michael over the other end with some of the American guys and knew she couldn't waltz over, what the hell was she meant to do? She spotted Bob Bowman leant up the side daydreaming.
She looked at him before walking around to him "How's it going Dorothy?" "Erm can you do me a favour? I need coach and well..." she trailed off looking over in Michael's direction. "I'll try get him! Keep moving!" he warned and she went back to the pool, she watched as Bob called Michael and somebody else pulled him off from USA swimming.
Michael disappeared with the guy and Dolly began to panic, Bob saw her watching the girl worried and he sighed. "Dorothy can I talk to you?" she nodded keeping stretching, "You're panicking, keep calm!" "I can't! We never saw her coming! She's faster! She's younger! If she goes out at that pace I can't contain her and I can't know if she can keep it up! If she can what if I don't get close? What if she slows but I can't catch her?" she rambled out and he looked at her.
"I can't help you! I don't know what you can do or what she can do! I don't watch the fly, all I can say is that she is younger than you. She isn't always consistent, she may blitz it or she may blow it. She's not got the experience or the confidence of the 2 races you've had" he reasoned and she shook her head. "Look you need to calm and focus, you panic you'll lose it. Look Allison is coming back, I have to go but keep calm and do what you think is best! Good luck!" he offered before walking off and she looked around her.
She saw Ryan wander in after his races and realised she'd be soon. "Hey Dorothy! I won't keep you, you've got to get in that zone. But I will say good luck Princess!" she nodded "Did you see my races?" she nodded "That young whippersnapper thought they were going to beat me, like I'm having that!" he grinned and she smiled at him. "So anyway good luck and I'll be watching you!" he laughed kissing her cheek and she nodded. He turned to walk off "Ryan! Why'd you go out so slow in the back?" "Because the youngsters switch off, they get in front and don't save enough! They don't like it when people come burning past them, so you have to break confidence levels in them a bit. So I let them go and watch them" he answered her and she nodded letting him walk away.
She turned to see the young British girl looking worried and she watched her thinking, maybe she should go with her? She could probably keep with her, well she could try to see if she could. She was going faster than she thought capable of but did she want to wreck her chances?
She stretched out as she saw someone push out the door calling them and Ryan wave at her saluting and she nodded. She sat in the call too and focused, she was going with that girl and she was going to burn everything to get there! Just as they called them in to line she spotted one of the older girls push past the younger British girl and the younger girl looked nervous and she smiled to herself. Ryan Lochte you are a genius! She thought to herself! She'd track her and she'd take her when she wasn't watching her!