Paris Open Water Prep Differs for Mariah Denigan, Katie Grimes

Paris Open Water Prep Differs for Mariah Denigan, Katie Grimes

Mariah Denigan likes to joke together with her teammates that the 1500 freestyle within the pool appears like a dash. She omitted, maybe strategically, her teammates’ response to that.

However when it got here to U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis final month, Denigan’s regard for the pace of the longest pool occasion coloured her preparation, which for the open water swimmer will differ sharply from her pool brethren because the Paris Olympics arrive.

“I positively don’t go as little as some sprinters clearly and even some pool distance swimmers in yardage,” Denigan mentioned at Lucas Oil Stadium, after ending seventh in prelims of the ladies’s 1500 on the best way to eighth within the ultimate. “I positively simply carry down the depth and nonetheless attempt to preserve my quantity somewhat increased. So like on a race week, it’d be like 6k, 5k, 4k by day, so drop a thousand. After which the day earlier than the race solely doing like a 1500.

“So day earlier than the 10k race is at all times actually enjoyable for me as a result of I get to only sit round and do nothing.”

That’ll be Aug. 8, when Denigan and fellow American Katie Grimes are amongst 24 girls who will chase medals within the 10-kilometer, scheduled to be held within the River Seine (or, if water circumstances don’t enhance, the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium).

The preparation for every will differ barely, due to the individuality of their journeys.

Regardless of a strong efficiency in Indy, open water is the one occasion Denigan will contest in Paris, which streamlines the preparation. She educated by means of Indy, and her plan is to maintain the yardage excessive. Taper for open water isn’t like taper for the pool, and never simply in terms of quantity.

A part of that, says Denigan, owes to the actual psychological challenges of open-water competitors.

“Plenty of it’s simply how sturdy can I be mentally? And that’s how open water is,” she mentioned. “It’s a must to be more durable than the folks round you. So I really feel like that’s the place my strengths lie throughout the sport.”

Denigan, 21, is in her first Olympics. The native of Ohio who trains at Indiana College certified through the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, the place she positioned eighth, a leap from fifteenth in Fukuoka the summer season earlier than.

A part of her preparation consists of time in a physique of water, Indiana’s Lake Lemon. That was one of many venues the place Indiana swimmers may prepare with social distancing whereas swimming pools remained closed within the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s an asset Denigan nonetheless makes use of to her benefit, as soon as water temperatures heat sufficiently by the center of the spring.

“I really feel like my coaches are in all probability the most effective within the nation of specializing in open water coaching and letting me prepare open water whereas additionally specializing in (issues like) Anna Pep (Peplowski) doing the 2-free,” she mentioned. “In order that they do a extremely good job of balancing no matter the person wants, and that’s why I find it irresistible at IU.”

Grimes’ preparation is by necessity completely different. In her second Olympics at age 18, she’s each youthful and extra skilled than Denigan. She additionally has the excellence of the primary American lady to qualify within the pool and open water on the identical Olympics, Grimes sealing the latter with a bronze medal within the 10K on the 2023 World Championships.

Grimes’ schedule in Paris might be busy. She certified within the 400 particular person medley, contested July 29, and the ladies’s 1500 free, with heats on July 30 and a July 31 ultimate. She then will get per week to arrange for open water.

Grimes additionally swam the 200 backstroke and 400 free at Trials earlier than scratching out of finals in each. She completed eighth within the 200 free.

Grimes’ expertise with the pool/open water double is rising. In Fukuoka, she swam open water first, then 9 days later contested the 1500 free, by which she admits she “bought wrecked,” ending a distant eighth. She recovered 5 days later to win a silver medal within the 400 IM.

On the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, Grimes took silver the 400 IM and the 1500 free earlier than ending fifth within the open water, a schedule which mimics Paris and is her clear choice.

“I positively favor open water after simply because, I noticed in Fukuoka, I bought wrecked within the 1,500,” she mentioned. “I positively like to only give attention to my pool occasions first.”

By way of coaching, although, there’s little to tweak. Her work with at Sandpipers of Nevada with coach Ron Aitken, the open water head coach for Paris, is geared round heavy distance and IM units. They’ll tweak the stroke units earlier than the IM and handle quantity for the 1500 earlier than a quick ramp-up for open water.

“It’s going to be completely different for positive,” she mentioned. “However we had this identical lineup in Budapest the place we swam the pool that’s prior – the 1500 and the 400 IM, after which I’ve the 10K a couple of days after that. We’ve carried out it earlier than and we’ve gotten all of the arduous work out of the best way. So we all know that if I simply attempt to preserve my endurance up, preserve my power up, I’ll be good.”