Look: U.S. Swimmer's Pre-Race Dance Is Going Viral
This picture taken on June 28, 2019 shows a general view of the swimming pool of the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza during the UIPM World Cup modern pentathlon, a test event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (Photo by Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP) (Photo credit should read TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images)
The best swimmers in the United States descended upon Omaha, Nebraska this week for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. At the meet, the cream of the crop had the opportunity to qualify for this summer's Olympics in Tokyo.
Typically, the environment at the event can get pretty tense given what's at stake throughout the course of the week. But for distance swimmer Sierra Schmidt, the meet clearly provided another chance to have fun with the sport.
Schmidt showed off her positive attitude prior to her swim in the 1,500 meter freestyle final on Wednesday night. As she came out of the tunnel and lined up behind her lane, the former Michigan Wolverine danced around to music playing in her headphones. She clearly was enjoying the moment and staying loose before one of the biggest swims of her life.
Take a look,
Sierra Schmidt is a whole vibe. @Sierra_Swimspic.twitter.com/SVmbeat58R
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) June 17, 2021
">courtesy of Jeff Eisenband:
Schmidt's attitude was infectious and one of the highlights of the evening session on Wednesday night. According to the broadcast, the 23-year-old had made the pre-race ritual somewhat of a routine throughout the meet.
Schmidt turned in a solid swim in the 1,500 meter freestyle, posting a time of 16:08.69. She finished seventh and missed out on an Olympic berth, but still proved to be one of the best stories of the night.
In the same event, five-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky dominated the field and qualified for her third event in Tokyo. She ran away with the race, winning with a time of 15:40.50, over 10 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Erica Sullivan. Ledecky also won the 200 meter freestyle earlier on Wednesday night, setting herself up for another record-setting opportunity later this summer at the Olympics.
