Natalie Hinds Teases Return to College Roots in Gainesville
Natalie Hinds teased a return to Gainesville to train with Florida’s postgrad group, returning the 28-year-old to her college roots.
Hinds made the announcement on Instagram Saturday.
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Hinds has grown immensely since leaving the University of Florida, where she was a 20-time All-American from 2012-16. She won three SEC individual championships for the Gators.
But after finishing no higher than 40th at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, Hinds took a break from the sport. She would return in 2018 and shift her training base to the University of Georgia, with breathed new life into her career. Representing Athens Bulldog Swim Club, Hinds earned a relay spot in the women’s 100 freestyle at Olympic Trials in 2021, which turned into a bronze medal when she swam the third leg of the Olympic final in Tokyo.
Hers is one of the sport’s underappreciated comebacks, as she’s gone from essentially retired after Rio to continuing on toward a Paris games that would fall in her early 30s.
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She’s also been a staple of the Cali Condors’ International Swimming League the last two years, as a valuable weapon in their relay stable. She helped the Condors lift the 2020 ISL title in Budapest.
In Florida, Hinds will join one of the nation’s top training groups. The success that Anthony Nesty and his staff have had, particularly with freestylers from Caeleb Dressel in the sprints to Bobby Finke in distance, has attracted a number of talents, including Katie Ledecky on the women’s side.