Posted at: 07/03/2012 10:49 PM
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Email to a FriendExperiencing the Olympic Trials
(ABC 6 NEWS) -- At fourteen years old, Lindsey Horesji has accomplished something most can only dream of by swimming in the Olympic Trials. As one of the youngest to compete in Omaha last week, Lindsey took away an irreplaceable experience and some pretty cool stories to go along with it.
Her coach described as the “Super Bowl” of swim meets.
"It's just incredible, you can't explain it, it's fantastic," says Mark Vininski.
"The atmosphere was so cool," added Horesji.
Lindsey qualified in the 100 meter breastroke and competed in her heat at the Olympic Trials last Tuesday. She came in 88th, breaking the top 100 like she had hoped. She was happy with her finish, but that doesn't mean she's satisfied.
"I kind of added a little bit but that's ok because I didn't add that much,” said the incoming high school freshman. “Most of the people train for this meet and I only had three weeks or so to get ready for this."
This was only the 5th time the Albert Lea native raced the 100. She is used to yards and in the Olympics the pool is measured in meters, making it a little bit different of a race. It can only mean the next time she returns to the Trials, she'll be even more prepared.
"We're stepping it up, we've got a plan, four years from now, we're going to be in the hunt," says her coach.
Coach Vininski is confident Horesji will be a major contender for the 2016 Olympic Team. But for now, she simply got to experience what it feels like to swim at that level and be surrounded by superstars.
"I mean really we went there to go there, to get the experience,” said Vininski. “I mean when she was getting ready for her swim, she was stretching out on the mat and Ryan Lochte was maybe eight, ten feet away from her. I don't think she was thinking about her swim, I think she was thinking 'There's Ryan Lochte!'"
Horesji says she learned from watching the Olympic stars and is even more eager after these trials to one day join them on Team USA.
