Plymouth-native and Robbinsdale Armstrong alumna Sierra Smith took part in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials last week, finishing 59th of 77 swimmers in the women’s 50-meter freestyle in Indianapolis with a time of 25.97 seconds, which was 1.50 behind first-place finisher Torri Huske. Smith had a reaction time of 0.66.
While the finish does not provide Smith with an Olympic qualification, the experience has been a precious one for the former Falcon.
“After qualifying for trials in March, I felt so excited and honored to get the opportunity to compete at the Olympic trials,” Smith explained. “My two goals were to prepare and compete the very best I could, and take it all in.”
Smith also said that she had a great experience in Indianapolis and looks forward to supporting the United States in the coming edition of the Summer Olympics.
“Looking back, I would say I did just that [I accomplished that],” she added. “I arrived over a week before I competed, so I got to fully enjoy and experience the electric atmosphere before I needed to lock in for my race preparation. My heart felt so full from seeing so many people cheering on the sport I love and from seeing so many athletes showing their own love for the sport by competing at such a high level. I am extra excited to watch the Olympics now that I got to see the races and the place where each of the athletes secured their spot on the U.S. Olympic team.”
Smith also noted how thankful she was to continue to be part of the swimming community after earning her first experience at the Olympic trials level.
“Overall, I am just so thankful God gave me a passion for swimming and the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful celebration of the sport.”
The 2024 Olympic Games, otherwise known as the Games of the XXXIII (33) Olympiad, will be hosted in Paris, France from Friday, July 26, to Sunday, Aug. 11.
Most Popular
Comments / 0