Olympic swimming has put the sport on a rare pedestal for high viewership and interest. Intriguing storylines and intense competition this week in Rio has put the sport of swimming in a higher position of interest with large audiences across the world, including right here locally in Perry.
The Perry Jayette swim team reported for its first day of practice Monday and arrived at the McCreary Center with a number of questions and added motivation after watching Olympic swimming unfold on the television.
“Oh, the timing is perfect for us,” smiled Jayette veteran Head Coach Jean Dowd. “It’s great for the sport and neat for our kids to watch it and really pay attention to how the elite get the job done. It can really serve as a motivating factor for a number of kids in the fact that they see all of the long hours and dedication pay off for these Olympic athletes. My team arrived at practice talking about the competition and asking a lot of questions which I thought was really neat.”
Not only is Dowd preparing the Jayettes for the upcoming season which starts August 25th, but she also found herself playing the role of Olympic expert with a panel of 7 inquisitive high school swimmers.
“They asked really good questions which showed me they were interested. They inquired into the dynamics of the different countries, the different techniques that they were watching, the various cuppings along with the same drama filled storylines that everybody is following. Olympic swimming is the biggest stage the sport offers.”
Perry will have 7 swimmers competing this fall when the season opens August 25th.