By Melissa Wolf, Swimming World Intern.
Swimming fans from young to old were able to enjoy cheering on their favorite swimmers in Knoxville this weekend at the TYR Pro Swim Series Meet.
Young members of Tennessee Aquatics sat together on the bleachers under the scoreboard, in the area known as the club seats, where they loudly cheered for their teammates and heroes of the sport. As they sat and watched the finals the crowd could hear the roaring applause for the big names like Michael Andrew and Katie Ledecky.
Prior to the 50 free the club seats got a thumbs up from Andrew before his race which made the day of these kids who want to be just “like mike” when they grow up. The athletes were there to race and the fans were there to cheer. The blending of the two made for great entertainment.
Photo Courtesy: Melissa Wolf
The youthful excitement that those sitting in the club seats brought to the deck was contagious and served as a reminder to everyone why they train and compete, because swimming is fun!
“The Club seats were my favorite part of the weekend because it was fun to meet the Olympians and watch them swim” said Elijah Linkous. Linkous spent time on the deck with his family and team volunteering to carry baskets behind the block and cheering from the club seats. He would encourage other swimmers to come to the next meet because as he said “its worth it to come to the meet, you can learn stuff and have fun!”
Photo Courtesy: Melissa Wolf
Not only were fans provided the opportunity to watch great racing, there were times to meet and greet Olympians. Many fans, young and old, had their days brightened when they got autographs from their favorite swimmers. For those there in Knoxville, swimming came to life.
Photo Courtesy: Andy Ross
Fans were not the only ones that were starstruck at the Pro Series Meet in Knoxville. First time competitors to a Pro Am meet could be seen on the deck sizing themselves up to those whose times they are chasing. The opportunity to warm up with their greatest idols started off as overwhelming and became an exciting norm for those swimmers as the weekend progressed.
Racing, cheering or watching, the Pro Swim Series in Knoxville offered so much for fans and athletes. If you missed the fun there are other meets scheduled through out the country; March 6-9 at Des Moines Aquatic Center, April 10-13 at Richmond, May 17-19 at Bloomington and June 12-15 at Clovis.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
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