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Brooks Curry Training at Cal: “This is going to be the greatest preparation I could have”

Olympic champion Brooks Curry moved to Berkeley to train under Dave Durden and the Golden Bears last summer after finishing his degree at LSU. Curry trained with Durden at the 2021 Olympic training camp and since then knew he wanted to train under the coaching maestro.

Curry didn’t want to discuss his NCAA eligibility, but we did talk about his move to Berkeley and how it has impacted his leadup to the 2024 Olympic Trials. Alongside training partners like world champion Jack Alexy and Olympian Bjorn Seeliger, Curry is confident this is the greatest preparation he could have leading into an Olympic year.

See Also: Brooks Curry Is In the Transfer Portal, But Not Planning to Swim at Cal

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Nakamoto
9 months ago

Once you go Cali…

grant wellington
9 months ago

I bet he is swimming at cal this semester

Andrew
Reply to  grant wellington
9 months ago

I guarantee it. This is Dave Marsh we are talking about.

Would be crazy if the double runner up in 50/100 free from 2 years ago is now the 3rd best sprint freer on his own team

bonsky
Reply to  Andrew
9 months ago

If you are referring to Brooks, he was not the double runner up 2 years ago (2022). He won both of those events.

BJORN
Reply to  bonsky
9 months ago

Think he was referring to Bjorn Seeliger

Justin Pollard
Reply to  Andrew
9 months ago

Wow, giving Bjorn some props, so rare from you Andrew, but it’s nice to see you grow personally!

Andrew
Reply to  Justin Pollard
9 months ago

He’s the third best sprint freer on his own team and chokes away any opportunity. Still a fast guy and pencil him in for 2 top seeds and 2 chokes but I’d like to see him show up more (at all) in an individual final

Diehard
9 months ago

I thought Cal didn’t take swimmers from outside……but I guess Hunter tore off that bandaid?
Good luck to Brooks!

Chlorine son
Reply to  Diehard
9 months ago

Was it that cal didn’t take swimmers or were people just not asking to join the group?

RealSlimThomas
Reply to  Chlorine son
9 months ago

I understood it as Cal didn’t take swimmers. Focus was always on the collegiate team and coaches would only split their attention for alumni. Unsure if it is/was an athletic department rule or personal.

It’s possible Hunter didn’t rip the bandaid off, but Dave Marsh certainly could have.

oxyswim
Reply to  Chlorine son
9 months ago

People have definitely asked and they were always turned down before Hunter. I’m sure Bowe asked about bringing Hunter as he was working through the hiring process. Closest previous example of an outside swimmer has been Coleman’s brother not swimming at Cal as an undergrad, but getting his PhD there and Durden allowing him to train with the bears.

Hank
9 months ago

A key piece of our 4 x 100 free relay. Decent shot at an individual swim.

Smglsn12
Reply to  Hank
9 months ago

A decent shot at the 800 free relay as well

PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
Reply to  Smglsn12
9 months ago

Probably true re the 800, but if he makes it that’s a result of some of the young guys who have great SCY times not translating them into LCM, which would bode poorly for our chances at the Olympics.

Adrian
Reply to  PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
9 months ago

Who do you have in mind for this comment? A 1:46.39 is legit and would have made the world’s team if he swam that time at the A final. 2023 is his first year swimming the 200 LCM free since 2019 (according to swimcloud), his previous best is a 1:51, so I think he still has room to improve, maybe to a 1:45, which should guarantee a top 6 finish at trials.

PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
Reply to  Adrian
9 months ago

From a SCY perspective, Heilman and Williamson. I would also include McFadden as a young guy and Urlando as a ceiling guy for that relay. If we assume Hobson, Foster, and Smith are all on reasonable form going into the games, our chances at winning the relay will have a massive difference between finding a fourth leg who can split something akin to a 1:45.0 rather than a 1:45.high or 1:46.low.

Adrian
Reply to  PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
9 months ago

Kibler should be the fourth leg, he is looking good now training with Bob. But GB should honestly be running away with this relay, with 3 guys that can split 1:43, and challenging the WR. So the US is the clear favourite for silver anyway.

jp input is too short
Reply to  Adrian
9 months ago

Watch out for South Korea too!

PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
Reply to  Adrian
9 months ago

As someone who had many many many dollars wagered on Australia winning the women’s 800 at the last Olympics, there shouldn’t be a high level of certainty applied to that race.

Last edited 9 months ago by PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
snailSpace
Reply to  PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
9 months ago

Yeah, it’s really weird how the best 200 fliers/backstrokers/breaststrokers are consistently doing really fast times – Milak/Phelps have been sub 1:53 many times, Irie/Lochte/Rylov/Piersol have been sub 1:54 many times and ZSC has been sub 2:07 quite a few times, yet a sub 1:44 is incredibly rare in the 200 free. That inconsistency extends even into the 1:44-1:45s: guys with 1:44 low PBs going a second slower as relay leadoffs almost as a rule, or splitting slower times than their flat start PBs.
My theory is because freestyle is the most effective stroke, doing a 200 is not as different from doing a 100 phyisiologically than, say, doing short-axis strokes, which really aren’t energy efficient, so a 100 and… Read more »

Last edited 9 months ago by snailSpace
Boxall's Railing
Reply to  snailSpace
9 months ago

Solid analysis! Andy Hardt-level quality.

snailSpace
Reply to  Boxall's Railing
9 months ago

Wow thanks.

Smglsn12
Reply to  PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
9 months ago

How fast are you expecting those guys to be? If he cuts half a second from his B final at worlds trials last summer and makes the relay with a 1:45.7 I wouldn’t be worried about the younger 200 guys at all

jp input is too short
Reply to  Smglsn12
9 months ago

I don’t think a 1:45-mid to high is out of the question for Williamson at all at the rate he’s shedding time.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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