One of the basic requirements to becoming an Olympic athlete is to listen to your coaches.
Kierra Smith of Kelowna did just that at the Canadian Olympic trials in Toronto and earned not one, but two event berths at the 2016 Olympics in Rio on the weekend.
Smith, a member of the Liquid Lightning Swim Club based in West Kelowna, won the 100-metre breaststroke in a personal-best time 1:06.93 (her previous best was 1:07.44 in the preliminary earlier on Friday) and on Saturday the 22-year-old added a victory in her specialty — the 200-metre breaststroke — with a time of 2:23.91 (PB is 2:22.82).
The Immaculata High School graduate will also be considered to swim the breaststroke for Canada in the 4x100 medley relay at the Olympics.
“My coaches told me to go out there, be myself, and enjoy the moment,” said Smith after her surprising win in the 100-metre breast. “That’s what I did. And I really did have a lot of fun . . . I’m just so happy right now, I don’t know what else to say.”
While Smith was ranked seventh in the world and coming off a gold-medal performance in the 200 breaststroke at the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto, the NCAA Div. 1 champion at the University of Minnesota said in an interview with KelownaNow in February that the Olympics are a whole new ballgame.
“I’ve been on the national team and been the top breaststroker in Canada for the past two years, so I just have to hope that I can keep my nerves in check through Olympic trials and make the Olympic team,” said Smith at the time.
“In 2012 I finished fourth and didn’t make it. This year I feel a lot more confident and lot more like I deserve to be there. I’m really looking forward to going there, getting it done, and hopefully qualifying,” added Smith in the interview with KelownaNow’s Dave Cunning.
To get her further prepared to contend for a spot on Canada’s roster in Rio this summer, Smith migrated back to Kelowna from Minneapolis to train with her club coach, Emil Dimitrov. Even though she gets world- class coaching from Kelly Kremer at the University of Minnesota, there’s still something about her hometown Liquid Lightning coach that keeps her coming back.
“For this last bit I want to go back to Emil because he knows me so well and can sharpen up my breaststroke,” Smith said. “He’ll get me fine-tuned and ready to be the most confident I can be going into Olympic trials. I’m so lucky to have Emil as a coach. I switched clubs (from the Kelowna Aqua-Jets) to train with him when I was 14, even though he was on the other side of the lake.
Smith is a four-time individual Big Ten Champion and a three-time All-American, and will have one year of college eligibility left after competing this summer.
“I think the biggest thing with Kierra is her desire,” Minnesota coach Kremer told the Minnesota Daily. “She really wants to be the best, and I think that desire to get there is what makes her so good. She’s willing to do whatever it takes and commit to the highest level, and it shows in all aspects of her athletic performance.”
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