If Kevin Steel can trim three-seconds off of his 100-meter breaststroke time, then the Moorestown Township High School graduate will be going to the Olympics.
The class of 2010 member is one of the top collegiate breaststroke swimmers in the entire country and he’ll be taking his talents to the Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., on Monday, June 25.
The 20-year-old sophomore athlete swam a 100-meter breaststroke in 1:03.8 at a national qualifying event, performing well enough and coming under the 1:04.6 cut time to make the trials.
He’ll travel to the Olympic trials on June 25 and try to crack the minute mark for the 100-meter breaststroke. A minute is most likely going to be the qualifying time for the Olympic team, Steel said.
“You can’t rule anything out. Anything is possible; I don’t want to say I can’t make the time,” he said. “It would be life changing, absolutely. It’s something that swimmers fantasize about their entire lives. You see people in tears on the podium when they’re listening to the national anthem at the medal ceremony. You want that for yourself.”
But swimming in the Olympics is much different than swimming in college, Steel said, due to the athletes swimming in a “long course” pool which is 50-meters long, as opposed to “short course” pools used in college that are 25-meters.
The difference between swimming in a short course and a long course pool is almost like being a sprinter and trying to compete in the mile.
“I’m an explosive athlete, I have a lot of power in my turns. In a short course you can utilize that power efficiently, you have a lot of turns and it makes a big difference in the race, that’s one of my biggest strengths,” Steel said after a day of practice. “At a long course, it’s a totally different race. It’s totally anaerobic; you notice your strength failing in a long course. When you go from a short to long course, you’re maybe taking 20 strokes a lap instead of five to 10; you start to feel more and more tired. It changes everything. If you’re great at turns, you’re going to lose something in your performance in a long course.”
Realizing he had to change his style, Steel and his coaches began to train on a long course this year, as well as mixing in short course work as well. One way to combat fatigue in a long course is to strengthen your legs, Steel said, which he’s been working on all year.
It also helps to have a freshman on the team who broke the NCAA short course record for a 100-meter breaststroke earlier this year. Steele said the emergence of Kevin Cordes as possibly the fastest 100-meter breaststroke swimmer in the nation has helped push him to be a better athlete.
Also, without the experience of swimming for four years with the Moorestown Township High School varsity team, Steel said he wouldn’t the swimmer that he is right now.
“High school swimming is a little more laid back than the club swimming world. In the club swimming world it’s more about the individual. In Moorestown and Arizona, it’s a big team atmosphere, you really learn what it’s like to be on a team, it’s an interesting concept,” he said. “Swimming with the high school really taught me how to have fun with the other guys and to be supportive of your teammates. You learn how to accept everyone and enjoy that more than your individual performances.”
He also thanked his mother and father for their sacrifices and support they made for him during his educational and swimming career.
Please visit www.moorestownsun.com to see how Steel fared in the Olympic trials on Monday, June 25.
