Gold in the Water: The True Story of Ordinary Men and Their Extraordinary Dream of Olympic Glory
In California, a team of talented young men begin pursuing the most elusive dream in sports, the Olympic Games. The pressure steadily increases as two best friends (a mentor and his protégé) reach the top of the world rankings and unexpectedly find themselves direct competitors. Their teammates include an emerging star methodically plotting to retrace his father's path to Olympic glory, as well as a super-extraordinary athlete desperate to walk away from it all. Led by one of the most...
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“Mullen does an excellent job not only of conveying the daily torture that elite swimmers go through in the pool but also of giving insight into lesser-known aspects of swimming.” —-The New York TimesIn California, a team of talented young men begin pursuing the most elusive dream in sports, the Olympic Games. The pressure steadily increases as two best friends (a mentor and his protégé) reach the top of the world rankings and unexpectedly find themselves direct competitors. Their teammates include an emerging star methodically plotting to retrace his father’s path to Olympic glory, as well as a super-extraordinary athlete desperate to walk away from it all. Led by one of the most passionate coaches in sports, a brilliant and explosive strategist on a personal quest for redemption, this team of dark horses and Olympic favorites works through escalating rivalries, joyous triumphs, and heartbreaking setbacks.Author P. H. Mullen chronicles their journey to the 2000 Olympic Games and presents one of the most powerful and moving sports books ever written. Boldly sweeping in literary power and pace, this startling book willpermanently change how you view the Olympic athlete.It is a fascinating world of suspense and emotion where human desire for excellence rules over all, and where there are no second chances for glory. But above all, Gold in the Water is a triumph of the human spirit.“Gold in the Water is essentially the tale of a journey of self-awareness, self-belief and the important relationships between coaches and a band of elite swimmers.”—-The London Times“Like the best sports books, this one spends a lot of time with the athletes, letting us see them not just as performers but as people.... A superb sports book.”—-Booklist (starred review) “This is the book I wish I had written. Gold in the Water accurately and vividly describes the emotional turmoil that precedes an Olympic Games, and it made me care about the character of the participants, not just their swimming. I couldn’t put it down!” —-John Naber, Olympic hero, author of Awaken the Olympian Within, and president of the U.S. Olympic AlumniNamed one of the “Best Sports Books of 2001” by The London Times Publishers Weekly Olympic fans undoubtedly remember the wonderful performances of the U.S. swimmers at the 2000 Olympics in Australia. What viewers may not fully understand is the grueling training endured by a larger group of swimmers who trained for other meets leading up to the trials and Olympic competition. Mullen, a sports writer and competitive swimmer, focuses on the Santa Clara Swim Club, two athletes Tom Wilkens and Kurt Grote and their coach, Dick Jochums. The author provides an intimate look at the physical training along with the emotional and psychological roller-coaster ride for the swimmers as they try to make the Olympic team. As coach, Jochums also endures serious hardships, including bankruptcy of the swim club and accusations of financial misconduct. Mullen skillfully details exactly what the swimmers are feeling (e.g., "Now Wilkins was furious.... He was in the best shape of his life, he'd just swum in the world's fastest pool, and his time was more than 1.5 second slower than his best. He needed to find an outlet for his fury...." Sports fans and anyone who has trained for competition will find this book enjoyable. (Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
\ Publishers WeeklyOlympic fans undoubtedly remember the wonderful performances of the U.S. swimmers at the 2000 Olympics in Australia. What viewers may not fully understand is the grueling training endured by a larger group of swimmers who trained for other meets leading up to the trials and Olympic competition. Mullen, a sports writer and competitive swimmer, focuses on the Santa Clara Swim Club, two athletes Tom Wilkens and Kurt Grote and their coach, Dick Jochums. The author provides an intimate look at the physical training along with the emotional and psychological roller-coaster ride for the swimmers as they try to make the Olympic team. As coach, Jochums also endures serious hardships, including bankruptcy of the swim club and accusations of financial misconduct. Mullen skillfully details exactly what the swimmers are feeling (e.g., "Now Wilkins was furious.... He was in the best shape of his life, he'd just swum in the world's fastest pool, and his time was more than 1.5 second slower than his best. He needed to find an outlet for his fury...." Sports fans and anyone who has trained for competition will find this book enjoyable. (Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ VOYAThe roar from the stands; the feel of the scratchy blocks under bare feet; the gently rippled stretch of blue bordered by colored plastic lanes; the slightly foggy view from beneath the goggles—all come alive within the pages of this amazing account of how a handful of men and women mounted a journey to the Olympics. Few will be able to forget the amazing achievements made by the United States Swim Team at the 2002 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but seldom do readers get a glimpse behind the scenes at the hours of time spent swimming endless laps and the mental journey required to make it to stand on the blocks of the Olympic arena. Mullen, an accomplished sports reporter and competitive swimmer, focuses on the Santa Clara Swim Club, several of their athletes, and the imposing force on the deck, Coach Dick Jochums. Exploring the personal lives of the athletes while taking time to explain the dynamics of athletic conditioning, swimming physics, and the politics of sport, this story of physical triumph and disappointment will interest anyone who has participated in competitive sports. Although focused on swimming, this artfully written book tackles larger themes such as dedication and motivation, making it accessible for anyone looking for an inspirational story. Photos. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P S A/YA (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2001, St. Martin's Press, 326p, \ — Heather Hepler\ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsTension builds along with skills as two American swimmers prepare for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Journalist Mullen (Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, etc.) begins at the 1998 World Championships, where Kurt Grote and Tom Wilkens finish first and seventh, respectively, in the 200-meter breaststroke. Soon after, the two former walk-ons at Stanford begin their Olympic training schedules. Friends and rivals, they lead different lifestyles. Grote, a naturally gifted swimmer, balances his athletics against the requirements of med school and a new marriage. His protege, Wilkens, more workhorse than prodigy, has no life outside the pool and is uncertain which events are his best. Both young men entrust their careers to Dick Jochums, the new head man at the Santa Clara Swim Club: a Bobby Knight-like coach fired from his job at the University of Arizona-abusive, self-righteous, burning with a redemptive fury to reestablish himself as an elite coach and restore Santa Clara to the national prominence it last held in the 1970s. Mullen uses other SCSC members to dramatize the world of the top-level swimmer. Dod Wales, son of an Olympian, evaluates all coaching suggestions with Spock-like rationality. Tate Blahnik's immense talent is tempered by his bitterness about past coaching exploitation. Dara Torres's feminine presence cheerfully alters the atmosphere of the macho club. Assistant Coach John Bitter is brilliant on the pool deck, but dangerously careless with the club's cash. Olympic stars Lenny Krayzelburg, Jenny Thompson, and Tom Dolan make cameo appearances. A journalist and former collegiate and professional swimmer, Mullen confidently covers the design of a "fast" pool,swimming physics, collegiate and Olympic politics, and race strategy as his deftly constructed story moves through the exciting 1999 Pan-Pacific meet at midpoint to the climactic Olympics. Merits a spot on the top step of the podium. (8 pp. b&w photos, not seen)\ \
