Florida coach Gregg Troy met with reporters Monday morning with a smile on his face.
And who could blame him?
The Gators’ swimming roster for the 2016 season boasts three swimmers who competed at the Olympic Games in Rio last month. The most notable, Caeleb Dressel, earned two gold medals for the United States.
“Very few teams actually have a medalist coming back and competing in college,” Troy said.
Troy also made sure to acknowledge senior Mitch D’Arrigo, who swam for Italy, and junior Jan Switkowski, who competed for Poland.
“Those three athletes are back in school so that gives you a great sense of their focus moving forward,” Troy said. “All three swam exceptionally well.”
Despite the great success of Florida's current Olympians, Troy believes the entire team is ready to compete at a high level. The athletes who didn’t compete not only had extra training time, but also have something to prove in response to the high level of their teammates' success.
“Those (Olympic) athletes are coming off a natural high,” Troy said. “But the athletes that didn’t compete at the Olympics have a real focus, so I think it’s one of the easiest years to get the team focused because of the success of what people have done in the Olympics.”
With the Olympics behind them, both the men’s and women’s teams are excited to get back to competing.
They will start the 2016 season Sept. 23 in Fort Lauderdale at the All-Florida Invitational.
Troy is confident that the Olympics will only add to the fire they bring.
“The Olympic year has a dual impact,” Troy said. “It’s always exciting during that season and it’s just as exciting afterwards.”
Contact Drew Kozlin at dkozlin@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @DrewKoz2.
Florida's Caeleb Dressel reacts after winning the 100-yard freestyle at the NCAA men's swimming and diving championships Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Atlanta. The initials on his face are in honor of a former teacher. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
