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Let us never forget — I mean never — seeing Bobby Finke, cheered on by his American swimming Olympic teammates, jump out to the lead in the 1500-meter freestyle and never let go – all the way to a Gold Medal and the world record.
Bobby, you gave us all hope that we can persist with grit and courage no matter how much pain in our own lives, regardless of obstacles and insecurities. No greater gift can anyone share with others than that. You, Bobby Finke, are an American hero for the rest of your life.
Let us never forget Hunter Armstrong’s third leg of the 4 by 100 freestyle relay that shot the Americans well ahead on the road to Gold. Hunter, you swam like the whole country was on your back and you carried all of us through that outlandishly quick 100 meters.
Let us never forget Katie Ledecky raising her hand together with Australia’s Ariarne Titmus after she won Gold in the eight hundred freestyle and her formidable competitor took Silver. Two sublime swimmers showing sportsmanship at the highest level in the most important moment with the world watching. Fierce competitors being respectful showing it’s not all about the Gold Medal, it’s about people respecting and honoring each other’s efforts and talents – regardless of how far away they live from each other.
Let us never forget Torrie Huske winning Gold in the 100-meter butterfly and on the medal stand having her teammate who won the Silver, Gretchen Walsh, join her atop the Gold medal stand. Torrie, we all feel even more admiration for you for that gesture than all the medals you won. You exuded classiness and non-selfishness on top of showing us you’re a world-class winner.
Let us never forget Nic Fink winning his first Olympic Medal at the age of 31, a Silver in the 100-meter breaststroke. Nic, I saw you swim as a 12-year-old and can’t believe you took your talent all the way to the top of the world. The height you rose to helps us all believe we can do the same no matter how lofty and unattainable goals may seem.
Let us never forget Caeleb Dressel’s anguish after not medaling in his 100 fly and 50 freestyle events, then coming back with a stellar 100-meter butterfly to catapult his team to Silver in the 4 by 100 individual medley relay. Caeleb, we all love you and always will no matter if you ever swim again. You are an authentic hardworking person with goodness in your soul, which is more important than how fast you swim.
Let us never forget all that we saw at the swimming pool in Paris. A young superstar, Leon Marchand, won four individual Gold Medals as his home country crowd cheered with joy. Leon, the smoothness and speed with which you swim seems like some sort of idyllic piece of art as if you’ve been touched by the swimming gods.
Let us never forget a Chinese swimmer, Pan Zhanle, breaking the world record in the 100 freestyle with an almost incomprehensible time of 46.40. For weeks and months and years we’re going to be wondering how you swam 100 meters that fast. It doesn’t seem possible and may not for a long time – yet you did it right in front of us. Crazy fast – faster than the millions of men who have swam 100 meters freestyle – all of them.
Let us never forget an Australian backstroker, Kaylee McKeown, who established herself as one of the greatest female backstrokers of all time, winning Gold in the 100 and 200 meters for the second straight Olympics. Kaylee, you dominated again. Congratulations on being so superior to everyone trying to catch you. Facing all that pressure, you still came through. Nothing but respect for what you have done.
Let us never forget all these marvelous moments at the Paris Olympics swimming venue. The purity of swimming as fast as you can when it counts the most after spending four grueling years practicing every day.
It wasn’t about name, image, and likeness money with swimmers offering their talents to the highest bidders. There wasn’t that clutter and complication. It was about representing your country, striving to be great, and, whether winning a medal or not, getting out of the pool and being mature about it, accepting the outcome no matter how much it may have hurt.
Let us never forget we saw the world – not just the United States – show how great swimming has become around the world from Ireland to Canada to Australia to China and on and on.
Let us never forget that the United States was shown to not be as dominant in swimming as it usually is and that they will have to change how they train, prepare, and strategize if they hope to win more Gold Medals at the Los Angeles Olympics. This is goodness. We all need to get better no matter how much we have achieved. Prepare more, practice more – all this is paramount and beautiful.
Let us never forget that swimming is a global sport now in a more serious way than it ever has been and this is exactly how it should be progressing.
Let us never forget that this is a lasting memory of these Olympics, that the U.S. is not as dominant as it once was and that’s a good thing because the country’s swimmers will be encouraged and tested to train harder and more intelligently so they go faster in Los Angeles four years from now.
Let us never forget this is all progress, the way it should be, the way life unfolds, getting tested, being beaten, and starting over to reach higher than ever.
Let us never forget any of this everywhere around the world.
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Sammy Sportface, a sports blogger, galvanizes, inspires, and amuses The Baby Boomer Brotherhood. And you can learn about his vision and join this group's Facebook page here:
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