Abbey Weitzeil proved her reset was working when she started racing at an elite level again at the World Cup.
Since then, the two-time Olympian has continued to get faster and faster – even stunning herself.
At the 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series stop in Fort Lauderdale, Weitzeil dominated a loaded field to win the 100 free in 53.38.
“I am super excited with that. Coming out of Knoxville, we didn’t do finals. I did the prelims and went 53.6. I was shocked by that. Coming in here, I feel pretty good,” Abbey Weitzeil said. “I have been going fast in practice. I have been setting little goals for myself, so I was thinking 53.4. Doing a race like that felt strong and going a 53.3 at this point of the year, I am really happy with that. I feel really good about where I am going.”
Weitzeil said the loaded field forced her to think and stick to the race strategy during her swim.
“I am known to go out fast and come home a little slower, so coming home is something I have really been working on. I am happy with the back-half of that race,” Abbey Weitzeil said. “Being next to Katie Ledecky in a race like that, I know I am going to be out way faster and I know she is going to be chasing me down on the way home. Just utilizing who I have in the field at the time is really fun. It forced me into coming home faster.”
Being able to take in those in-race moments and find her focus is something that Weitzeil has improved upon, starting when she took a few months break from swimming in 2022 after not making the worlds team for the first time in several years. She took nine months off and came back with a new outlook and a fresh racing vibe that has been working every step since her return.
“It is my mentality. Training next to people with really big goals and the same goals as me is awesome. It is good energy. My own mentality after having that break has been really good for me,” Abbey Weitzeil said. “I am really excited about where I am going. I think the switch, and resetting myself, I was kind of forced into a reset. Change turned out to be really great for me. The way I took on that challenge has really been working.”
Meanwhile, things have been working out of the pool as well, leading to a new level of happiness and another focus.
“I got engaged right before Thanksgiving (to Michael Jensen). Having good things happen in your life, I am happy away from the pool,” Abbey Weitzeil said. “It keeps my mind busy away from the pool which is really good for me. Having a partner who understands my swimming career has been amazing. It has been a blessing and I am really excited.”
A happy Weitzeil has proved to be a fast Weitzeil and she continues to build those hand in hand, ushering in the next stage of her pro career.
