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A lifetime best in the 100 fly prelims has American Tom Shields ranked second going into tonight’s semifinals at the FINA world championships. The motivation to put together his fastest swim ever didn’t come so much from the competition as it came from the desire to continue having a roof over his head.
He didn’t swim well in the 200 fly in Kazan, placing eighth with a 1:56.17. His 1:55.75 in the semifinals ranks him 14th in the world, which put him out of contention for funding from USA Swimming through the Athlete Partnership Agreement. Only athletes ranked in the top 12 in the world get funding for the next year, a crucial motivator for postgraduate swimmers.
Shields’ 51.09 now ranks him second in the world, and almost assuredly will put him in good financial standing as he trains on the Road to Rio.
“I wanted to get the APA monkey off my back,” Shields said after his prelim swim. “I wanted to get a time that I figured 11 other people (in the world) couldn’t beat. Now, I just want to race, get that out of my mind, pay some bills.”
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Shields said he tried not to pay attention to what Laszlo Cseh was doing in the previous heat, knowing that the Hungarian swam consistently fast in the 200 fly.
“I was doing my best not to notice, because I knew he would go fast,” Shields said. “I got some things I can change, I know he does too. So, we’ll see where we end up.”
who else really loves it
Not me
Hey, whatever it takes to motivate you is ok with me.
Hey, whatever it takes to motivate you is ok with me.