As an avid surfer, water skier and beach aficionado living in not-so-tropical Rhode Island, Elizabeth Beisel knows all about making the most of her summers.
This year, she’s applying the same philosophy in a different type of water, far from the sands of Narragansett Beach.
At the Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb., the 15-year-old obliterated her personal-best times and made the U.S. team by placing second in both the 200-meter backstroke (2:06.92) and the 400 individual medley (4:32.87). She’ll try to ride this wave of success all the way to the medal stand in Beijing next month.
“I don’t think anybody expected those times. I was amazed,” said her father, Ted. “I was amazed at the 4:36.75 out at Santa Clara (Calif.) that she did in May. To think she could drop another four seconds off that was surprising to say the least.”
Beisel, who lives in Saunderstown, R.I., and attends North Kingstown High, credits her progress to a training regimen designed by Chuck Batchelor, her coach with the Attleboro-based Bluefish Swim Club.
“I’ve never worked as much in swimming as I have this year, so it definitely is a good sign to show that when I do just focus on swimming, I can get a lot faster,” she said.
Thanks to added dry-land training, such as running and weightlifting, Beisel has quickly gained the strength needed to compete with the world’s elite.
“Most athletes, they get better and better in training, and then it might be six months down the road till you see the fruits of the labor, so to speak,” Batchelor said. “Whereas Elizabeth is such a phenomenal athlete and so kind of in tune naturally with everything, that if she makes a few improvements in training over the course of two weeks, the next time that she races, it’s visible.”
Technology has helped, too. Beisel first wore the Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit (which has taken the sport by storm since its February introduction) at Santa Clara in May, and has recorded her fastest times in it.
“Once you put the suit on, it’s surreal,” she said. “I have never felt anything that fast before, ever.”
However, Beisel wasn’t convinced that she was Olympic-ready until she actually proved it.
“Making the team was a surprise,” she admitted. “Maybe not for my coach, because he probably thought I could make it. But for me, it was, definitely.”
Beisel heads to China as the youngest woman on the U.S. swimming team. Some athletes have thrived in that role: Anita Nall (1992), Amanda Beard (1996) and Megan Quann (2000) all won multiple medals. Conversely, a 15-year-old Katie Hoff was overwhelmed four years ago in Athens, falling victim to her nerves and swimming poorly.
“Just watching Katie learn and progress from that experience, I think, has not only helped her but other young swimmers that are in my position,” said Beisel, who finished behind Hoff in the 400 IM in Omaha. “I’m just going to try to go in and learn from Katie’s experience and use that to my benefit, and hopefully I’ll be calm before my race.”
Beisel should also benefit from having competed at last year’s world championships in swimming-crazed Australia, where she placed 12th in the 200 backstroke. That experience, along with her relative anonymity at the international level, might help her pull off a surprise in Beijing – especially in the IM, where she’s ranked third in the world this year.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” said Batchelor, “and it really excites me because, as good as she is right now, she is so far from being as good as she can be.”
Beisel will return to the United States once the swimming competition ends, and crossing the International Date Line on the long flight home will give her a unique birthday present: more time.
“I leave on Aug. 18 and then I land on Aug. 18 in America, so I sort of get two days for my birthday,” explained Beisel, whose mother Joan and brother Danny will make the trip. “I’m excited about that.”
