Reported by Karl Ortegon.
2017 ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES – MESA
- Mesa, Arizona
- April 13 – 15, 2017
- Series Points/Money after Indy
- Live stream
- Psych sheets
- Friday prelims heat sheets and timeline
- Live results
Yesterday, 2012 Olympic champion Dana Vollmer tweeted that the color of her suit worn at today’s 50 free prelims would correspond with the sex of her child— she’s been pregnant for 26 weeks now. A green suit meant she was having a boy, and a pink meant girl, and today in Mesa Vollmer walked out to the blocks in the green suit.
Her 50 meter free, a 27.59, was nothing close to a best time. That wasn’t the expectation, though, as she is over six months pregnant– the fact that she got up and raced a 50 free was incredibly impressive.
Vollmer has already had one son, Arlen. After the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona, where Vollmer earned a individual bronze in the 100 fly and swam on the gold medal 400 medley relay for the USA, she took a break from the sport to give birth to Arlen. She thundered back to the pool, though, and returned to competitive form to earn another bronze in the 100 fly and take silver as part of the American 400 free relay.
The 50 free was Vollmer’s only race of the meet.
DV: “Maybe we’ll have 3..”
Andy: [walks in abruptly] THIS INTERVIEW IS OVER!
Great interview and great insight into the mind of someone who has done it all, at peace with the sport is back to enjoying it for what it adds to her life experience.
Thank you, Dana! I got misty-eyed watching this interview because you so perfectly voiced what swimming has been to me after becoming a mom.
If there’s one storyline I didn’t appreciate enough at Rio, it was Vollmer’s. Won 3 medals at the Olympics less than a year and a half after having a kid. That’s kinda cool.
What a great role-model! It sounds like Dana is fulfilled and mentally and physically healthy and enjoying life. Congratulations on the new addition to your family, Dana! 🙂
Its not here yet .Being born is the most dangerous thing you’ll ever do besides dying .
have u tried both yet ? lol
Fantastic intervieuw . Its not about the medals or the wins necessarily – but for the love of the sport ( and everything around it ) .