'He’s The Captain, For Sure'
July 28, 2021 | Swimming & Diving, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
When Nic Fink won the 200-meter breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month in Omaha, Neb., making the Olympic team for the first time, there were smiles far and wide.
"He is the feel-good story, and it's not just with us (at Georgia). It's sort of like everybody, every coaching friend of mine wanted him to make the team. He is sort of revered, because of his work ethic and his attitude. He's so highly thought of that everyone was happy when he made it," said Jack Bauerle, Georgia's Tom Cousins Swimming and Diving Head Coach.
As a youngster in 2012, Fink placed 11th in the 100 breaststroke and 17th in the 200. As a professional after a great Georgia career, Fink placed seventh in the 100 and 200 at the 2016 Trials. Now 28 years old, this was his last chance to make it.
In the 100, on June 13, Fink placed third, .41 seconds out of second, behind training partner Andrew Wilson. Only the top two make the team, so finishing third can be a brutal place. Fink had a couple of days to regroup and make the most of his final chance.
In the 200 final, Fink swam a great race and won with a time of 2:07.55, with Wilson placing second .77 seconds back.
"After getting third in the 100, I was definitely disappointed," Fink said before heading to Tokyo. "I got my head back on straight and the relief that I felt after the 200 was definitely something I'll remember. It was definitely a relief to get the monkey off my back."
It was a relief for Fink but pure joy for so many friends and teammates.
"If there was one guy that I would give up my spot to get someone on the team, it would be Nic, for sure," said former Bulldog Jay Litherland, who earned a silver medal in the 400 individual medley in Tokyo. "I look up to him, he's the captain, for sure. He's been through so much and he works so hard every single day in practice, just such an amazing teammate, and to see him achieve his dreams, his goals, is just beautiful."
"Nic is such a leader on this team — we call him the captain of our pro group," said two-time Olympian Olivia Smoliga, who earned a bronze medal in Tokyo as part of the 4x100 freestyle relay squad. "He just has a good heart and just a focused mind on everything. He checks in on everyone. You can't help but root for someone like that."
When asked about being "the captain," Fink seemed a tad embarrassed.
"I try to do my best to get along with everybody. I try to do my best to keep everyone pushing in the same direction forward. It's nothing official; if they see me as kind of a captain figure, that's great. It's just me trying to keep the group together, and I really want what's best for everybody," Fink said. "Success is contagious and seeing a bunch of my teammates make the team at Olympic Trials is something that really helped me get past my third place and make the team. Watching them succeed really helps me succeed."
Georgia swimmers have enjoyed plenty of success in Tokyo. In the men's 400 IM, Chase Kalisz earned a gold medal and Litherland the silver. Hali Flickinger earned a bronze in the women's 400 IM, while Smoliga and Allison Schmitt, in her four Olympic Games, got bronze medals in the 4x100 freestyle.
After making the team, Fink has made the most of his Olympic opportunity. He's advanced to the final of the 200 breaststroke and has a shot at a medal. Following Fink's semifinal swim on Wednesday morning in Tokyo (Tuesday night in Athens), placing second in his heat and fourth overall, Bauerle said he loved what he saw from Fink.
"I can't be more proud of him and I think he has something lift in the tank (for the final)," Bauerle said after the semifinal. "It's exciting. He put his life on hold and hung around six more years just to try to make this happen, and here it is. Not bad for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winner.
"The swim was perfectly done for the semifinal and I think he's ready to go. He's excited and I'm excited for him."
A 15-time All-American at Georgia (2012-14), Fink holds the Bulldog records in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, as well as the SEC record in the 200. He was a very good and accomplished Georgia swimmer who also earned a degree in Electrical Engineering and was also named SEC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In 2015, Fink was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. But believing that his best swimming days were ahead of him, Fink put his academic goals on hold to chase his swimming dreams. In the fall, he's headed to graduate school at Georgia Tech. Or as Bauerle put it, Fink is going off to study engineering at "the enemy."
"I told him this would be the last time I'd ever speak to him," Bauerle joked.
Fink achieved plenty in swimming outside of the Olympics, first competing in the world championships in 2013. He finished fifth in the 200 at the 2017 world championships, earned a silver at the 2019 Pan American Games, and year after year he kept getting better and better.
He's now the best he's ever been, competing on the biggest stage of them all.
"This year, especially after COVID, I just wanted to have fun and make sure I enjoyed the ride," he said. "I think I've gotten way better at competing the last couple of years. I was always pretty good at training but I think I got way better at competing, and I think it showed this year."
Staff Writer
When Nic Fink won the 200-meter breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month in Omaha, Neb., making the Olympic team for the first time, there were smiles far and wide.
"He is the feel-good story, and it's not just with us (at Georgia). It's sort of like everybody, every coaching friend of mine wanted him to make the team. He is sort of revered, because of his work ethic and his attitude. He's so highly thought of that everyone was happy when he made it," said Jack Bauerle, Georgia's Tom Cousins Swimming and Diving Head Coach.
As a youngster in 2012, Fink placed 11th in the 100 breaststroke and 17th in the 200. As a professional after a great Georgia career, Fink placed seventh in the 100 and 200 at the 2016 Trials. Now 28 years old, this was his last chance to make it.
In the 100, on June 13, Fink placed third, .41 seconds out of second, behind training partner Andrew Wilson. Only the top two make the team, so finishing third can be a brutal place. Fink had a couple of days to regroup and make the most of his final chance.
In the 200 final, Fink swam a great race and won with a time of 2:07.55, with Wilson placing second .77 seconds back.
"After getting third in the 100, I was definitely disappointed," Fink said before heading to Tokyo. "I got my head back on straight and the relief that I felt after the 200 was definitely something I'll remember. It was definitely a relief to get the monkey off my back."
It was a relief for Fink but pure joy for so many friends and teammates.
"If there was one guy that I would give up my spot to get someone on the team, it would be Nic, for sure," said former Bulldog Jay Litherland, who earned a silver medal in the 400 individual medley in Tokyo. "I look up to him, he's the captain, for sure. He's been through so much and he works so hard every single day in practice, just such an amazing teammate, and to see him achieve his dreams, his goals, is just beautiful."
"Nic is such a leader on this team — we call him the captain of our pro group," said two-time Olympian Olivia Smoliga, who earned a bronze medal in Tokyo as part of the 4x100 freestyle relay squad. "He just has a good heart and just a focused mind on everything. He checks in on everyone. You can't help but root for someone like that."
When asked about being "the captain," Fink seemed a tad embarrassed.
"I try to do my best to get along with everybody. I try to do my best to keep everyone pushing in the same direction forward. It's nothing official; if they see me as kind of a captain figure, that's great. It's just me trying to keep the group together, and I really want what's best for everybody," Fink said. "Success is contagious and seeing a bunch of my teammates make the team at Olympic Trials is something that really helped me get past my third place and make the team. Watching them succeed really helps me succeed."
Georgia swimmers have enjoyed plenty of success in Tokyo. In the men's 400 IM, Chase Kalisz earned a gold medal and Litherland the silver. Hali Flickinger earned a bronze in the women's 400 IM, while Smoliga and Allison Schmitt, in her four Olympic Games, got bronze medals in the 4x100 freestyle.
After making the team, Fink has made the most of his Olympic opportunity. He's advanced to the final of the 200 breaststroke and has a shot at a medal. Following Fink's semifinal swim on Wednesday morning in Tokyo (Tuesday night in Athens), placing second in his heat and fourth overall, Bauerle said he loved what he saw from Fink.
"I can't be more proud of him and I think he has something lift in the tank (for the final)," Bauerle said after the semifinal. "It's exciting. He put his life on hold and hung around six more years just to try to make this happen, and here it is. Not bad for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winner.
"The swim was perfectly done for the semifinal and I think he's ready to go. He's excited and I'm excited for him."
A 15-time All-American at Georgia (2012-14), Fink holds the Bulldog records in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, as well as the SEC record in the 200. He was a very good and accomplished Georgia swimmer who also earned a degree in Electrical Engineering and was also named SEC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In 2015, Fink was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. But believing that his best swimming days were ahead of him, Fink put his academic goals on hold to chase his swimming dreams. In the fall, he's headed to graduate school at Georgia Tech. Or as Bauerle put it, Fink is going off to study engineering at "the enemy."
"I told him this would be the last time I'd ever speak to him," Bauerle joked.
Fink achieved plenty in swimming outside of the Olympics, first competing in the world championships in 2013. He finished fifth in the 200 at the 2017 world championships, earned a silver at the 2019 Pan American Games, and year after year he kept getting better and better.
He's now the best he's ever been, competing on the biggest stage of them all.
"This year, especially after COVID, I just wanted to have fun and make sure I enjoyed the ride," he said. "I think I've gotten way better at competing the last couple of years. I was always pretty good at training but I think I got way better at competing, and I think it showed this year."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
