Athletes training for next Olympics in Athens

While some students can cram the night before a major exam and do well, athletes must prepare years in advance for their “big test.” In hopes of going to the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 2004, many SMU athletes will stay on campus this summer to train.

It is not uncommon for Mustang athletes to become Olympians. In 2000, more than 15 past or present SMU athletes went to the Olympic Games in Sydney and competed in 28 events. Capturing three medals, these Mustangs represented 13 countries, including two-time silver medalist Martina Moravcova, who trained every summer at SMU, sometimes three times a day. Winning doesn’t come easy. These Mustangs devoted many hours, including holidays and summers to their sport.

While Athens is 6,300 miles from Dallas, it’s not too far for athletes on the swim team.

“Everyone has the opportunity to go [to Athens],” head women’s coach Steve Collins said. “It’s in the back of their minds that they want to be an Olympian.”

Most of the women on the swim team have already made or come close to, qualifying times for the Olympic trials in June 2004 in Long Beach, Calif. While about five female swimmers hope to represent the United States, the others will represent countries from Sweden to Slovenia. Georgina Lee has already made the women’s 4×200-meter relay team for Great Britain and will compete this summer in the Commonwealth Games.

“Summer training is good,” Collins said. “With little or no hours of school, the girls get more rest in between workouts.”

Right now, the swim team trains exclusively on the long-course outside and will continue this summer. In addition to two practices everyday, the swimmers also put in time in the weight room.

SMU Strength and Conditioning Coach Will Lawrence trains many Olympic hopefuls, including the swimmers, year-round.

“The summer is such a good time for athletes to improve because of the increase of quality work-outs due to the more amount of time they have,” Lawrence said.

The track and field team also sent athletes to the Sydney Games and came home with medals. Senior thrower Peter Mitsides hopes to make it to Athens in 2004. Mitsides, a three-time National Champion for Cyprus in the discus and shot-put, plans to continue his training at home this summer after graduation. Training five to eight hours a day, Mitsides will mainly focus on weightlifting and technique. He says that SMU has helped him become a better athlete, and he can see a great improvement over the past four years.

“Most SMU throwers are Olympians as well,” Mitsides said. “It’s very motivational to work with such great athletes every day. We all push each other to improve.”

Athletes can’t just “cram” for the Olympics; they must train every day for many years in hopes of representing their countries. The hours of training and intensity of workouts will increase for the Olympic hopefuls this summer, but they all have one goal in mind…to represent their country.