50 FREE SET FOR SATURDAY: Bailey Grinter captures 'once-in-a-lifetime experience' of Olympic Swim Trials
OMAHA, Neb. - Imagine being 17 years old and swimming with people you have watched for several years achieve national stardom. This week, Edwardsville’s Bailey Grinter is doing just that at the Olympic Trials.
Grinter, a definite hometown favorite, has the support across Edwardsville and the entire region for quest at the Trials. She finished sixth in her heat in the 100-meter backstroke prelims on Monday and now is preparing for Saturday morning’s 50-meter freestyle swim.
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Grinter has a seed time of 26.05 for the prelims and hopes to crack the 26-second mark on Saturday.
“It is really exciting,” Grinter said Tuesday morning from the Trials pool in Omaha, Neb., after a morning workout. “It is a great environment and kind of nerve racking. Now with one race out of the way I feel a lot better and I can relax over the next couple days.”
Grinter has been a swimmer for the Edwardsville YMCA Breakers and the Edwardsville High School team for several years. She will be a senior swimmer for EHS this fall.
April Grinter, Bailey’s mother, has been snapping all kinds of photos of Bailey with other swimmers, including one with Nathan Adrian and another with Conor Dwyer, both top U.S. swimmers. April and Greg Grinter couldn't be more proud of their daughter for her accomplishments.
“It is pretty special being at the same meet and swimming in the same pool as all these swimmers,” Bailey said.
Every portion of the mechanics in the 50-meter freestyle are important, Bailey said.
“I am just going to focus on swimming as fast as I can down the pool,” she said of Saturday's key race. “The 50 free is definitely my favorite race.”
Bailey said all her hard work over the years has paid of to get to this pivotal point in her young swimming career.
April Grinter now looks back with much fondness to a trip they were making after a swim meet when Bailey was 10 and said she was going to one day try to make it to the Trials and Olympics.
April responded to her daughter that day: “You can, but you just have to work hard.”
Bailey then said, “I am going to, mom.” Since that point, she has been relentless on this quest to get to the top of the national echelon in swimming.
“Bailey really believes in herself and this is always at the forefront of her thoughts,” April said. “That is why she dedicates two to three hours to swimming every day, to time in the gym and private lessons.”
Legendary Edwardsville Coach Bob Rettle has worked with Bailey since she was a young girl as her mentor. Rettle reflected on the importance of the meet and Bailey's capability on this level:
“Obviously, this is the fastest swim meet in the world depth-wise. There are world record holders and people who win gold medals here. The difference between first and a hundredth doesn’t look like much. In the world of swimming a tenth of a second in a race is a lifetime. She is in the best shape she has ever been. She will go top notch. This is potentially once in a once-in-a-lifetime thing and such a great achievement.”
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