Monday, October 4, 2021
Relentlessness of Nic Fink Wills Him to Olympic Dream
Nic Fink has been swimming for a long time. He knows the overwhelming joy his sport can bring. And he knows too just how brutal it can be: sacrificing decades of day-to-day intense training to climb up, and eventually summit, the world’s elite swimming ranks, only to be met with crushing devastation of missing an Olympic Team spot.
Fink also knows resolve.
After missing the U.S. Olympic Team five years ago, Fink came back to Omaha for another shot at making the 2020 Team. The 28-year-old veteran was up against the rising rookies who had no fear and nothing to lose, yet Fink was still the heavy favorite predicted to take both breaststroke events. In typical U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Swimming fashion, the 100-meter event came down to the finish, separating joys from agony by mere hundredths. Fink touched the wall, looked up and saw a 3 next to his name.
Five years to once again go through the same heartbreak. It was an all too familiar feeling summed up by the cruelest of margins.
Less than 48 hours later, Fink would race in the 200, his very last shot of qualifying for a lifelong dream.
“I gave myself four hours to get over it,” says Fink. “I knew I had to be a goldfish with short term memory, just forget it and move on. It’s unfortunate. Of course I was disappointed but I couldn’t let it ravel me. I think having been in that situation before, it helped soften the blow. The next day, I didn’t have a 100 thought. It was all about setting myself up for the 200. I had a complete changing of the mindset.”
Clearly a sentimental favorite, the fans seemed to want it just as bad as Fink did. The crowd was backing him even before the start, and as the field was coming home on the last 50, the noise was deafening. With his final chance to make it happen, Fink found his closing speed pulling away from the field. He touched the wall, looked up at the clock, and—finally— saw a 1 next to his name. He was officially heading to the Olympic Games.
“I really can’t describe it,” says Fink. “You kind of think about it for years, what’s it going to feel like when you win. You go through the motions, what it will be like to jumping on the lane rope and celebrating.”
That didn’t happen. Fink got on the lane rope but there was no screaming, no water slapping, no arms raised in victory. Just one big exhale. “It wasn’t like I had envisioned it at all. It was a very surreal moment. I didn’t feel excitement at that point because I was just really overwhelmed with relief.”
Fink waited a bit to let the feelings sink in. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience. But I’ve also been on the other side and now all too well how it feels when you don’t make it and others are celebrating. These are my friends and teammates so I get it.”
The resolute competitor recognizes that what he accomplished is rare. Being able to shift his mindset to dump the 100 from the memory bank, as well as the ’16 Trials, and bounce back for the 200 is no feat for a lesser man. Fink credits his ability to a change he made in 2018.
“I was swimming really well and competing in the Pan Pacs and World Championships cycle leading up to 2016 Trials, and not making the Team hit me pretty hard. I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep swimming. A couple years later, I decided to shift my focus.
I started to have fun with swimming and became more laid-back. I used to be so intense about practice, and question everything. But instead of thinking, ‘I need to train hard, I need to race fast’, I started thinking, ‘I get to train hard, I get to race, I get to swim fast.’”
Fink says this change helped him both in and out of the pool and it wasn’t long until he really started to come into his own by 2020. “I used to get upset if I was out-touched at a meet like a TYR Pro Series. But since the shift, I just have way more fun now. I’m more relaxed going into meets, and even practice,” he says.
Fink’s advice for young swimmers who are struggling, is to relax and trust their training. “No matter what bump in the road you’re facing, if you have the training in the bank, you’re going to be okay. You should be able to go on with confidence.”
When Fink needs to rely on his training, he recalls a crazy set he did at high altitude training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado with coach Bob Bowman. After warm-up, he jumped straight into an I.M. ladder set: 100 free / 100 IM, 200 free/ 200 IM, and so on, all the way up to an 800 free/ 800 IM, and then back down.
“I was pumped. I went in with total confidence but started dying half way through. All the girls were lapping me,” says Fink. “The crazy training is what builds the confidence.”
Fink also knows resolve.
After missing the U.S. Olympic Team five years ago, Fink came back to Omaha for another shot at making the 2020 Team. The 28-year-old veteran was up against the rising rookies who had no fear and nothing to lose, yet Fink was still the heavy favorite predicted to take both breaststroke events. In typical U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Swimming fashion, the 100-meter event came down to the finish, separating joys from agony by mere hundredths. Fink touched the wall, looked up and saw a 3 next to his name.
Five years to once again go through the same heartbreak. It was an all too familiar feeling summed up by the cruelest of margins.
Less than 48 hours later, Fink would race in the 200, his very last shot of qualifying for a lifelong dream.
“I gave myself four hours to get over it,” says Fink. “I knew I had to be a goldfish with short term memory, just forget it and move on. It’s unfortunate. Of course I was disappointed but I couldn’t let it ravel me. I think having been in that situation before, it helped soften the blow. The next day, I didn’t have a 100 thought. It was all about setting myself up for the 200. I had a complete changing of the mindset.”
Clearly a sentimental favorite, the fans seemed to want it just as bad as Fink did. The crowd was backing him even before the start, and as the field was coming home on the last 50, the noise was deafening. With his final chance to make it happen, Fink found his closing speed pulling away from the field. He touched the wall, looked up at the clock, and—finally— saw a 1 next to his name. He was officially heading to the Olympic Games.
“I really can’t describe it,” says Fink. “You kind of think about it for years, what’s it going to feel like when you win. You go through the motions, what it will be like to jumping on the lane rope and celebrating.”
That didn’t happen. Fink got on the lane rope but there was no screaming, no water slapping, no arms raised in victory. Just one big exhale. “It wasn’t like I had envisioned it at all. It was a very surreal moment. I didn’t feel excitement at that point because I was just really overwhelmed with relief.”
Fink waited a bit to let the feelings sink in. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience. But I’ve also been on the other side and now all too well how it feels when you don’t make it and others are celebrating. These are my friends and teammates so I get it.”
The resolute competitor recognizes that what he accomplished is rare. Being able to shift his mindset to dump the 100 from the memory bank, as well as the ’16 Trials, and bounce back for the 200 is no feat for a lesser man. Fink credits his ability to a change he made in 2018.
“I was swimming really well and competing in the Pan Pacs and World Championships cycle leading up to 2016 Trials, and not making the Team hit me pretty hard. I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep swimming. A couple years later, I decided to shift my focus.
I started to have fun with swimming and became more laid-back. I used to be so intense about practice, and question everything. But instead of thinking, ‘I need to train hard, I need to race fast’, I started thinking, ‘I get to train hard, I get to race, I get to swim fast.’”
Fink says this change helped him both in and out of the pool and it wasn’t long until he really started to come into his own by 2020. “I used to get upset if I was out-touched at a meet like a TYR Pro Series. But since the shift, I just have way more fun now. I’m more relaxed going into meets, and even practice,” he says.
Fink’s advice for young swimmers who are struggling, is to relax and trust their training. “No matter what bump in the road you’re facing, if you have the training in the bank, you’re going to be okay. You should be able to go on with confidence.”
When Fink needs to rely on his training, he recalls a crazy set he did at high altitude training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado with coach Bob Bowman. After warm-up, he jumped straight into an I.M. ladder set: 100 free / 100 IM, 200 free/ 200 IM, and so on, all the way up to an 800 free/ 800 IM, and then back down.
“I was pumped. I went in with total confidence but started dying half way through. All the girls were lapping me,” says Fink. “The crazy training is what builds the confidence.”