Making the Olympic moment

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Davis Tarwater claims his story consists of near misses, but it all it takes is one to be an Olympian.

Tarwater was raised in Knoxville, and quickly fell into swimming. At the age of 16, he was cruising through the pool in Indianapolis at the U.S. Olympic Trials against the best in the country. And thus began his journey to representing Team USA at the Olympics.

“Going into it, I had realistic expectations that probably I was not going to contend for the Olympic team,” Tarwater said.

While he didn’t make the team as a teenager, he would get three more opportunities. After collecting experience and strength at the University of Michigan, Tarwater went to the Olympic Trials in 2004 well-prepared.

In an individual event, like the 200-meter butterfly that he swam, Team USA only brings the top two swimmers to the Olympics. Tarwater finished fourth, but was less than a half of a second behind the swimmer who finished second.

“To actually make that team and to be top two, with all of the competition and all of the depth that America has to offer, is really, really hard,” Tarwater said.

The schedule of an Olympic swimmer is everything. Every four years, health and conditioning need to line up well to even have a shot to make the team.

“You distill those four years down into this one moment. It can be kind of overwhelming,” Tarwater said.

With the high-level of competition and the years spent training, the pressure to perform in that one moment can weigh heavy on swimmers. Being able to compartmentalize that pressure is priceless.

“In 2008, when I was at the top of my game and trying to go for a spot on the 200 butterfly, I didn’t handle that pressure as well as I could have. I really think I let the moment get too big for me,” Tarwater said. “Ultimately in 2008, I was third in my best event, but I had the third fastest time in the world going into the Olympics.”

The U.S. boasts some of the best swimmers in the world, but only a select few will make the team. The smallest things, like who was having a good day the day of the finals, can change who travels around the world, and who watches from home.

Tarwater had one last chance in 2012 to try and make the team. Once again, he was a hair away. In the 200-meter freestyle, Team USA keeps the six top finishers at the Olympic Trials. Tarwater finished seventh, missing out by a quarter of a second.

Thinking retirement was next, he got a call that would change everything.

“After the meet Michael Phelps withdrew that event from his Olympic schedule, and that moved me up,” Tarwater said.

Retirement would have to wait. London was calling.

Tarwater would help the relay team roll through the Olympics, bringing home a gold medal. While he says he loved the competition, things like the opening ceremony and representing his country are the things he truly cherished.

“Being able to go into international competition on foreign soul, look up at the scoreboard and have it say ‘Davis Tarwater, USA,’ and put the American flag on your cap with your name on it; it just doesn’t get any better than that.”

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