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The Trouble With Sprinters Part III:
The Free Spirit of Gary Hall Jr.
By Bruce Wigo
The theme of this series of articles has been that sprinters are different from other swimmers—athletes who have historically been considered troublemakers by the establishment, but who have been great for the sport. This month’s featured sprinter is Gary Hall Jr.—one of the greatest in Olympic history…but, perhaps, one of the most maligned and misunderstood.
“Give me a chance. Let me step on the blocks and race. I don’t care if I come in dead last. I just want to race… because the race is what I love more than anything!” —Gary Hall Jr.
For the last two months (SW July and August), this space was devoted to iconic swimmers who were considered troublemakers by the swimming establishment. The “trouble” with them was that they rebelled against authority and refused to be the ideal representative of amateur sport.
The first article, “Calling All Troublemakers,” told the story of Eleanor Holm Jarret and Dawn Fraser, both banned from swimming for their non-conformity in and out of the pool.
Last month, “The Tom & Matt Show,” focused on Tom Jager and Matt Biondi, who forced a reluctant national governing body to join the modern world of sport. They paved the way for older swimmers to continue in the sport they loved without great financial sacrifice.
The third part of this series was originally conceived as an article about Gary Hall Jr. and Anthony “Tony” Ervin. While they were literally “tied” together in history when they both finished first for the 50 meter freestyle gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games, I have concluded theirs is not a story that can be told in a limited number of words, so you can expect some more fun reading next month about these “troublemakers” of our sport!
One of the first to recognize that sprinters were a different breed was Dave Marsh, when he was coaching Auburn University: “Sprinters are a different breed of cat. Their mental and physical wiring is light speed, and they get their stimulation from big competitions or challenges that put them in their mode.”
For many years, our sports’ philosophy was geared around distance and building up an aerobic base in age group programs. While that’s important, says Marsh, “We’ve lost some of the most gifted tigers to other sports because they didn’t get the stimulation they needed. The key is in identifying these tigers when you get them.”
While at Auburn, Marsh had a problem with some of his “tigers.” They weren’t living up to his expectations within his traditional program. That’s when his assistant, Mike Bottom, suggested giving the non-performers over to him for sprint-specific training: “What have we got to lose?”
“The problem with sprinters,” says Bottom, “is NOT that they are lazy and undisciplined as many believe. It is that they’re different. Within a one-size-fits-all program, they either rebel or they are destroyed and/or leave the sport. The ones who are successful are the ones who rebel. It took a lot of discussions with the athletes and acceptance on my part to understand this.”
When Bottom moved to Cal, he says, “Nort Thornton was a great help. We moved the bulkhead and trained in a shortened pool—12.5 to 15 meters. We encouraged feedback and experimented in the weight room and training program. Among the athletes he was training were Gary Hall Jr., Milo Cavic and, later, Anthony “Tony” Ervin.
A LATE BLOOMER…AND A FREE SPIRIT
As a child, Gary Hall Jr. grew up around Olympic swimming. His dad was a three-time Olympian who is now in the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Hall Jr. initially swam recreationally because his parents didn’t want him to sink under the weight of expectations. He started competitive swimming at 15 because his dad started a swim club in the hopes he could interest his son in something. He didn’t seem to be able to focus on anything for long, and he would later be diagnosed with ADD.
He wasn’t very good at first. He was very thin with spindly arms. As a joke he would flex and kiss his non-existent biceps before stepping on the starting block. It was an inside joke he And he was a free spirit. At the Pan Pacs in 1995, he wore a black ink band around an upper arm in honor of the Grateful Dead’s late Jerry Garcia.
Heading into the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Alex Popov proclaimed he was unbeatable. Showing the same confidence in himself, Hall responded by saying, “Right now, he’s swimming faster than me, but I don’t like being blown off like that.”
But he is best remembered for rattling the staid sensibilities of the “blue blazers” with comments such as: “I swim for the chicks and money”; “Swim like a fish, drink like a fish.” He was creating a persona for the media and press.
Thanks in part to Hall’s quirky personality, the Popov-Hall match-ups in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle were, perhaps, the most anticipated swimming events at the Games. Popov won both, by the blink of an eye, leaving Hall with two silvers and two relay gold medals—not bad for a “slacker.”
To more about the wild history of sprinter Gary Hall Jr.,
Check out the full article in September’s issue, available now!
[PHOTO CREDIT: TAYLOR NATIONS]
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Swimming World Magazine September 2020 Issue
FEATURES
010 IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN
by Dan D’Addona
Indiana’s Carmel High School has won the girls’ state swimming and diving championships for 34 straight years, a feat unequaled by any other high school—not only in swimming, but in any other sport.
012 BEST OF THE DECADE (2010-19)
In Swimming World’s first mythical national high school championships to determine the best teams of the last decade, Carmel High School of Indiana won both the girls’ and boys’ competitions.
013 GIRLS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET: BEST OF THE DECADE (2010-19)
Times compiled by Bob Klapthor
015 BOYS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET: BEST OF THE DECADE (2010-19)
Times compiled by Bob Klapthor
017 PREP POWER
by Andy Ross
Since Swimming World first began recognizing the top high school teams in the country in 1971, The Bolles School of Jacksonville, Fla., has won 18 national prep school titles—10 boys’, eight girls’. The Bulldogs have also captured 12 combined championships (public and independent schools), with both teams finishing No. 1 six times.
020 THE GOLDEN YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING
by David Rieder
Public schools Santa Clara and Mission Viejo built high school swimming dynasties from the 1960s through the early 1980s. Not only did they dominate high school swimming, but unlike today, they also produced many of the swimmers from that era who competed in the Olympics.
026 STILL CHASING EXCELLENCE
by John Lohn
Matt Grevers does not need to achieve anything more to stamp himself as an all-time great. But even at 35, there is a desire to accomplish more, and there is no reason to doubt Grevers can come through.
029 SUMMER OF SPEED
by John Lohn
Politics interfered at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, preventing South Africa’s Jonty Skinner from competing head-to-head against the USA’s Jim Montgomery in the men’s 100 freestyle. But that summer, they became the first two swimmers to break the 50-second barrier in the event, with Montgomery clocking 49.99 at Montreal, followed by Skinner with a 49.44 at the AAU National Championships three weeks later.
032 THE TROUBLE WITH SPRINTERS (Part 3): GARY HALL JR.
by Bruce Wigo
The theme of this series of articles has been that sprinters are different from other swimmers—athletes who have historically been considered troublemakers by the establishment, but who have been great for the sport. This month’s featured sprinter is Gary Hall Jr.—one of the greatest in Olympic history…but, perhaps, one of the most maligned and misunderstood.
COACHING
038 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: TRUST IN SCIENCE
by Rod Havriluk
Based on the many counterproductive technique elements that are conventional wisdom, it seems logical to ask why there is not a greater acceptance of science in swimming. The purpose of this article is to give swimmers and coaches some very real reasons to trust in science and scientists.
040 SPECIAL SETS: BACK TO BASICS
by Michael J. Stott
While college swimming as we know it faces a roadmap unlike any in recent memory, Coach Eric Skelly of the University of the Cumberlands, Ky. is treating the return to campus and formal practice as business as usual.
043 Q&A WITH COACH SION BRINN
by Michael J. Stott
044 HOW THEY TRAIN TAYLA LOVEMORE
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
036 DRYSIDE TRAINING: MORE CORE
by J.R. Rosania
JUNIOR SWIMMER
046 UP & COMERS: GABI BRITO
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COLUMNS
008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
023 DID YOU KNOW? JIM CROW
037 THE OFFICIAL WORD
042 MOMS AT MEETS
047 GUTTERTALK
048 PARTING SHOT
Swimming World is now partnered with the International Swimming Hall of Fame. To find out more, visit us at ishof.org
Back in my day (pretty much the decade of the 80s) there was a definite sense of shame attached to being a drop dead sprinter. If I am honest with myself, I often felt “less than” as a swimmer compared to the mid-distance/distance kids who were able to do unbelievable sets in practice. Thank goodness the sport has evolved thanks to trailblazing swimmers & coaches mentioned in the article. When you think about it, would we give Usain Bolt a hard time for not training the same way as Eliud Kipchoge? No way. To all the sprinters out there: embrace your abilities! Demand the respect you deserve, while giving your distance-specialized teammates the respect that they deserve. ??
LeAnna Schneider
Ranked in order of who of who has the biggest heads: 4. “A” List Movie Stars, 3. “A” list Rock Stars, tied for 2nd USN or USAF fighter pilots, 1. Swim Sprinters.
When the going gets tough,
The sprinters get out!!?
Should be titled “The trouble with coaches”. Can’t tell you how many sprinters I saw ruined and lost to the sport by coaches who couldn’t adapt.