Pan Ams: An exercise in tough

Beating Brazil in Brazil is like, hard. We knew it was going to be tough but now that we are in the competition and actually having to do it, well, it's tougher to do tough than it is to talk about tough. I am reminded that this is and was always the case.

This young US team is doing a bang up job. There is no doubt about it. Every swimmer here has made the US proud, swimming their guts out in these Pan Am Games. They have been gracious in victory and defeat. I am sure that you will see some of these swimmers on the Beijing trip.

With that said I now talk (write?) about the Brazilian team. I have spent many years on the pool deck and have been around long enough to remember when Brazil was a strong team. Way back in 1996 I narrowly beat a couple different Brazilians and their relay team was a contender for the gold medal.

Brazil is in the process of demonstrating that they are back with a young and talented team that is stronger than they have ever had before. This next generation of Brazilian swimmers is impressive and we can be sure to see them fighting for medals next year.

Tonight I swim the 4x100 free relay, prelims.

The morning finals schedule has me all spun around. When someone is talking about the evening session I assume they are talking about finals. When they talk about the morning I assume they are talking about prelims. It's always been that way and I am conditioned.

Since there is nothing short of selling my soul that will change things back to the way that they always were at the Olympic games I just keep trying to make the change. So instead of talking about morning and evening swims I talk about prelims and finals. It doesn't help because whomever I am talking to has had the same problems adjusting. It's total communication breakdown.

Early on I decided that I would hold judgment until I tried the morning final schedule. Now I have. Whether we are talking about prelim/final or morning/evening, it stinks. Morning finals suck. Everyone is doing the best to stay positive about it, but it sucks. Everything about it sucks. It is going to be really difficult on the swimmers in Beijing, more than I had anticipated. Yeah, everyone is on the same playing field, that's true. It sucks for everyone.

The schedule here allows only a few short hours between morning and evening (final and prelim) sessions. There is enough time to eat and get a massage. Or get a massage and take an hour nap. Or eat and nap, but not all three. Here we are getting back at eight or nine at night and there are only fifteen swimmers entered in some of the events. Imagine what time we will get back to the Olympic village, after a long bus ride, after each event offers fifteen heats.

As if swimming in the Olympic games wasn't difficult enough, some NBC exec, that probably sold their soul, just made it a little more challenging. Thanks a lot. Maybe we should tie the competitor's hands together! It will be great for ratings! Who here still has a soul?... And wants a promotion?

Bother. I'm leading off the relay tonight in the prelims. I haven't been training for the 100 but I'm going to try to pop a good one. Just gotta be tough.

Gary Hall Jr.