Thursday, September 1, 2022
Coby Carrozza is Getting Comfortable in the Spotlight
Coby Carrozza has sat in his fair share of ready rooms during his 10-plus-year swimming career.
But it was while waiting at this summer’s FINA World Championships that the significance of where he sat – and who was sitting around him – told Carrozza how far he’d come in the sport.
“I’d been used to sitting among other college swimmers but never among the best swimmers in the world,” said Carrozza, who swam a leg of the gold-medal-winning 800 freestyle relay in Budapest. “As I looked around, I quickly realized what that movement meant. I was there. I belonged.”
The previous summer at Olympic Trials in Omaha, Carrozza finished 10th in the 400 freestyle and used the meet largely as a learning experience.
But following a strong collegiate season at the University of Texas, he swam a 1:47.30 in a team trial during practice, so he felt confident going into World Championship Trials earlier this spring.
While in Budapest, he spent the first five days of the meet enjoying the experience and making mental memories.
On the sixth day – his competition day – Carrozza, who admits he’s not someone who is laser-focused before his swims, was locked in and felt comfortable and ready to compete.
He swam a leg on the morning prelims of the 800 freestyle relay, and in the evening, shared in the experience cheering on his teammates while winning gold with them.
“(Worlds) were my first international meet, but having many of my Longhorn teammates and training partners – especially Carson (Foster) and Drew (Kibler) – on the roster and relay made me more comfortable,” said Carrozza, who surfs whenever he can and also recently got into cooking.
“If they hadn’t been there to support me, I don’t think I would have been as successful.”
With two older siblings, Carrozza grew up at the pool. He followed his sister and brother to the pool, swimming summer league before moving into a more regular routine at his local club.
And while he said he never took it seriously as a kid – stopping swimming in the seventh grade but returning before his freshman year – he quickly realized it had special meaning and significance.
“I was pretty bad when I returned, and it took me a while to start to drop time and see some improvement,” he said. “I hated swimming when I was really young. My parents made me go to practice. In fact, when I was 12, I was kicked out of practice for blowing bubbles.
“When I returned before my senior year, it was because I wanted to be with my friends, but I eventually realized I was pretty good. I took it from there.”
That summer, in fact, Carrozza went 3:56 in the 400 freestyle and made the Junior National Team.
He won the 200/500 free combo, was the 100 free runner-up and took third in the 200 fly at Juniors West as a high school junior, and was a four-time finalist at Junior Nationals.
Coming from an ultra-athletic family – his mom, Sheila, and dad, Paul, were track athletes (his mom was a member of Team USA at the 1993 IAAF World Championships) and sister, Quinn, swam at Texas and brother, Crayton, currently runs track and cross country at Texas – it was almost predestined that Carrozza would achieve at the highest levels.
To make it to the next level, he said he needs to do a lot more of what he’s been doing – making good choices, getting quality sleep and recovering appropriately after training.
He said he also needs to keep his goals in mind but not let the pressure of his own expectations derail his ultimate dream of swimming at a future Olympics.
“The next two years are important with Worlds and then the Olympics,” he said. “This year’s Worlds was a stepping stone to next summer’s Worlds and then the Olympics in 2024. And while I loved being a member of this year’s relay team, I definitely want to make the team in an individual event.
“But whether I make it as an individual or as a member of a relay – or both – just being there representing the United States is the ultimate dream.”
But it was while waiting at this summer’s FINA World Championships that the significance of where he sat – and who was sitting around him – told Carrozza how far he’d come in the sport.
“I’d been used to sitting among other college swimmers but never among the best swimmers in the world,” said Carrozza, who swam a leg of the gold-medal-winning 800 freestyle relay in Budapest. “As I looked around, I quickly realized what that movement meant. I was there. I belonged.”
The previous summer at Olympic Trials in Omaha, Carrozza finished 10th in the 400 freestyle and used the meet largely as a learning experience.
But following a strong collegiate season at the University of Texas, he swam a 1:47.30 in a team trial during practice, so he felt confident going into World Championship Trials earlier this spring.
While in Budapest, he spent the first five days of the meet enjoying the experience and making mental memories.
On the sixth day – his competition day – Carrozza, who admits he’s not someone who is laser-focused before his swims, was locked in and felt comfortable and ready to compete.
He swam a leg on the morning prelims of the 800 freestyle relay, and in the evening, shared in the experience cheering on his teammates while winning gold with them.
“(Worlds) were my first international meet, but having many of my Longhorn teammates and training partners – especially Carson (Foster) and Drew (Kibler) – on the roster and relay made me more comfortable,” said Carrozza, who surfs whenever he can and also recently got into cooking.
“If they hadn’t been there to support me, I don’t think I would have been as successful.”
With two older siblings, Carrozza grew up at the pool. He followed his sister and brother to the pool, swimming summer league before moving into a more regular routine at his local club.
And while he said he never took it seriously as a kid – stopping swimming in the seventh grade but returning before his freshman year – he quickly realized it had special meaning and significance.
“I was pretty bad when I returned, and it took me a while to start to drop time and see some improvement,” he said. “I hated swimming when I was really young. My parents made me go to practice. In fact, when I was 12, I was kicked out of practice for blowing bubbles.
“When I returned before my senior year, it was because I wanted to be with my friends, but I eventually realized I was pretty good. I took it from there.”
That summer, in fact, Carrozza went 3:56 in the 400 freestyle and made the Junior National Team.
He won the 200/500 free combo, was the 100 free runner-up and took third in the 200 fly at Juniors West as a high school junior, and was a four-time finalist at Junior Nationals.
Coming from an ultra-athletic family – his mom, Sheila, and dad, Paul, were track athletes (his mom was a member of Team USA at the 1993 IAAF World Championships) and sister, Quinn, swam at Texas and brother, Crayton, currently runs track and cross country at Texas – it was almost predestined that Carrozza would achieve at the highest levels.
To make it to the next level, he said he needs to do a lot more of what he’s been doing – making good choices, getting quality sleep and recovering appropriately after training.
He said he also needs to keep his goals in mind but not let the pressure of his own expectations derail his ultimate dream of swimming at a future Olympics.
“The next two years are important with Worlds and then the Olympics,” he said. “This year’s Worlds was a stepping stone to next summer’s Worlds and then the Olympics in 2024. And while I loved being a member of this year’s relay team, I definitely want to make the team in an individual event.
“But whether I make it as an individual or as a member of a relay – or both – just being there representing the United States is the ultimate dream.”