Carson Foster Overcomes Linger Doubts to Conquer 400 IM, Unlock Huge Potential
The day before Olympic swimming began in Tokyo, Carson Foster got on the blocks to race a 400 IM at a low-key Sectionals meet in Austin. One month earlier, Foster had missed the Olympic team in excruciating fashion, surrendering the lead to Chase Kalisz and then, on the final length, the runnerup position to Jay Litherland. But in Austin, Foster recorded a mark of 4:08.46, the fastest time in the world for 2021 and good enough to make him the ninth-fastest performer in history.
When Foster watched the 400 IM Olympic final and realized his time was faster than what Kalisz swam to capture gold, he was not frustrated but instead inspired. He wanted his chance at redemption, to break through to a senior-level long course squad. He was excited that the 2022 World Championships team was to be selected in April, sooner than their customary spot in June.
But as the U.S. International Team Trials drew closer, Foster still could not shake every ounce of doubt. Swimming the fastest time in the world was great, but it was at Sectionals, not the high-pressured showcase of a national qualifying meet. He performed well at the Short Course World Championships in December, finishing with one medal of each color, but at the NCAA Championships in March, his highest finish was a third-place mark in the 400 IM, and all of his fastest swims came in prelims.
Foster was performing very well in all but the biggest races. Would the pressure of swimming in big-time finals remain a mental block? Could he overcome that obstacle, especially with the major selection meet now only one month away?
In his first race this week in Greensboro, Foster crushed his lifetime best by more than a second in the 200 freestyle, and his time of 1:45.57 earned him the top seed. He did not need to swim any faster. If he could finish fourth place or better, and his spot on the World Championship team would be secured.
That evening, Foster placed third, his time of 1:45.66 just hundredths off his morning effort. He had qualified.
Suddenly, all the pressure of the redemption swim in the 400 IM abated. The race he had anticipated for nine months was no longer do-or-die. He had claimed his spot in Budapest. Simply watching Foster walk around the pool deck Thursday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, his sense of relief was palpable.
Perhaps that’s what made Foster comfortable to swim a relaxed prelims effort in the 400 IM rather than his usual all-out strategy. He ended up qualifying second for the final despite looking incredibly relaxed and smooth on the final 100 meters of freestyle.
“I’m kind of uncomfortable doing that,” he admitted. “That’s never been really my jam to go super easy in prelims, but I trusted the coaches, trusted that I was going to be able to do it.”
A few hours later in the final, Foster found himself in second place after 300 meters, seven tenths behind Kalisz after the veteran’s usual stellar breaststroke split. His time at that wall was 3:11.00, almost a second slower than he covered the first 300 meters at Olympic Trials. But that was just fine. “The race was 400 meters and not 300 and that if I get passed, it’s OK,” Foster said.
That was the point in the race at Olympic Trials where Foster faltered. This time, he thrived. He caught up to Kalisz and pulled himself back into the lead. “I’m a good freestyler, and I’m going to be able to come home,” Foster said. “Just staying calm that first 50 and just trying to race that last 50.”
Bobby Finke made a late surge to almost catch Kalisz, but by that point, Foster was well clear. In 4:09.33, he had his World Championships spot. So many days of doubt were behind him.
The next stop, of course, is Budapest for a global showdown that will include defending world champion Daiya Seto, world No. 1 Duncan Scott, emerging Frenchman Leon Marchand and Olympic champion Kalisz, and Foster has the abilities required to compete with those stars. He will certainly be in medal contention, and he could even be in the running for gold. Beyond that, Foster’s sky-high potential has long been obvious to those in the sport, and he is still only 20 years old.
But Wednesday and Thursday’s performances were absolutely a game-changer. His 200 free performance lessened the pressure, and in the 400 IM, he made his long-awaited leap to the top of the U.S. rankings in the 400 IM. He performed his best when it counted, and that win could be the moment that kicks off a prolific international career.
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