| Polyakov heads to Austin for Grand Prix |
| Written by Sharon Robb | |
|
Two-time Olympian Vlad Polyakov is ready to climb back into the world’s top rankings. The longtime Coral Springs Swim Club swimmer will compete in the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series in Austin, Tex. Thursday through Saturday at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at the University of Texas. “This is our attempt to put ourselves back to where we were before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and re-establish the image of Vlad Polyakov in world swimming without the fast suits,” Polyakov said. While Polyakov is in great shape and eager to race, the biggest obstacle he is faced with will be getting into the meet. Entries were closed in record time with more than 1,100 swimmers. “We tried everything to get in so now we are taking a chance,” said his coach Michael Lohberg. Lohberg will try and enter him the morning of the meet as a deck entry for the first open lane in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke events. “That means I have to be there first in line. It is a little bit of a risk we take but we don’t have much of a choice,” Lohberg said. If he gets in, the 26-year-old Polyakov will be among an elite field that also includes 40 members of the U.S. national team including Olympians Natalie Coughlin, Aaron Peirsol and Rebecca Soni. Polyakov, a St. Thomas Aquinas and University of Alabama graduate who represents Kazakhstan, needs to swim 2:13 or better to qualify for the Nov. 12-27 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China and Dec. 15-19 FINA Short Course World Championships in Dubai. “It’s not as much pressure because I am pretty sure I can make the qualifying times,” Polyakov said. “It’s more to make a statement. It seems like I am having good results in training. I just haven’t been able to put it in a good race. “I have been looking for that breakthrough race in the last couple of years. Of course, I want to perform well at big meets, but I just want to have this one incredible race and re-establish confidence in myself and people.” After being without his coach for eight weeks while Lohberg battled life-threatening aplastic anemia after the U.S. trials and disappointing finish at the 2008 Beijing Games, Polyakov bounced back in 2009. He swam well in several fall European meets. “This year he is back on track,” Lohberg said. While Polyakov hasn’t decided to make a run at the 2012 London Olympics just yet, he said he just started thinking about the Games this week. The fact he is training well and high-tech suits have been eliminated to allow for a more level playing field, are motivation for Polyakov. Said Lohberg: “This is a good chance for him to get back into top, world-class level, which should happen at the Asian Games and World Short Course and that is what we are aiming for.” “Swimming-wise he is 100 percent back,” Lohberg said. “What he needs now is a breakthrough. If he swims 2:12 and maybe 1:01 or something like that, the old fire will be back and we can talk about the future. All he is missing is a fast swim.” For now, Polyakov is focused only on this week’s meet. “I am a lot more confident no matter what but having a breakthrough race right now would totally give me so much confidence,” Polyakov said. “No matter what time I swim I know in the end, the result will come.” In Austin, preliminary heats will be held in the 25-yard pool (short course) while finals competition will be held in the 50-meter pool (long course). Race footage from each night of finals, as well as interviews from the Grand Prix meet, will be broadcast online at www.swimnetwork.com. Sharon Robb can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |