Gal Groumi Rekindles Joy of Swimming After Olympic Year; Transitions to Senior Season at Michigan

Gal Groumi; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Like most of the world’s elite swimmers, Gal Groumi was focused on the Olympics.

He was laser focused with tunnel vision, all eyes locked on Paris – and all of the expectations and pressure that comes along with that journey.

But now that the Olympics are over, the focus, the pressure and the expectations quickly evaporated.

The Israeli swimmer is back at the University of Michigan for his senior season with a clean slate after competing for his country on two relays.

“It is not easy,” Gal Groumi told Swimming World. “Paris was a four-year expectation, well three this time. I was 100% into it and doing everything I possibly could have done to get to that point. Some of my races were great and some were not as great as I wanted to, but that is OK and you learn from it.”

Getting back on campus in Ann Arbor was the first step.

“It is a weird transition. There is a lot of expectation and pressure that was so much, then completely disappeared after the Olympics, which makes sense because it is the most important meet of your life,” Groumi said. “It was a little hard to get back in at the start of the season, but my coaches really supported me and helped me to get back on the horse and now I am just having fun.”

It was something he worked on after the Tokyo Games, where he was on two relays and swam the 200 IM. He came to Michigan as a freshman and began a strong collegiate career.

This time, he is aiming for a strong finish to his collegiate career – and for Groumi it is about recapturing the joy of the sport.

It started with the Be Better Invite where Michigan competed with Purdue, Hope College and Calvin University to honor the late Ian Miskelley with a meet to raise awareness for mental health issues, specifically among athletes.

The meet had several fun events, including a skins game and fin relay. It was just what Groumi and the Wolverines needed to start the season with a new focus.

“This meet is one of the most fun,” Gal Groumi said. “It is all about fun and the athlete. There are no expectations and no pressure. You are just here to swim fast and have a good time with people around you. We want to remember that you can have fun while you are swimming.

“It is about enjoying the sport.”

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