This time around it all made sense.
Fort Greene native Lia Neal made the United States Olympic swimming team for the second time earlier this month, but unlike 2012, the 21-year-old Neal settled into her role with ease. Neal was a jumble of nerves and excitement heading into the London Games, but this year she’s more focused. The shine of the phrase “two-time Olympian” may never wear off, but Neal isn’t a rookie anymore.
She’s going back to the Olympics with a purpose – to do something special in Rio.
“I think this time around it was easier for it to sink in than it was in 2012,” Neal said. “The first time it was a bit of a shock and it kind of took almost a year for it to sink in that I had done that. But this time around, I set out to make the team and I did, so I was just very happy to have reached my goals.”
Neal medaled in London — earning a bronze in the 4-by-100-meter freestyle relay — but she’s determined to do even better with the relay team in Rio. That’s why Neal, who just wrapped up her junior year at Stanford, has barely gotten out of the water in the last few months.
She’s always had an intricate practice schedule, but these past weeks have been a whirlwind of exercises and workouts and double sessions in the pool. It’s been exhausting, but Neal knows she’s doing what she has to do to help the United States succeed in Rio.
“The past few weeks have been crazy,” Neal said. “Sundays are our day off though. That’s nice. Those are good days.”
Neal’s dedication to her sport goes back years. She started swimming when she was just 7 years old, and her success is undeniable.
Neal took home four medals — including two gold — at the 2010 Junior Pan Pacific Championships and earned two more medals at the 2011 World Junior Championships. She posted a 53.65 split in the 400-meter freestyle relay at the 2012 Olympics, helping the United States to an American record.
This year at Stanford, she won five Pac-12 titles — including two individual titles — and set an American and National Collegiate Athletic Association record at the Pac-12 Championships as a member of the 200-yard and 400-yard medley relays. She currently holds five Stanford swimming records and is second in two others.
Neal is a force to be reckoned with in the pool, and as far as she’s concerned, all of that success begins with practice.
“It’s definitely rewarding to finally get to race and be at meets,” Neal said. “That’s when you see all the work and the hours and energy that we put into practice kind of come together. You can see where it lands you.”
Neal isn’t nervous about Rio. She’s excited and a bit anxious to simply get the competition underway, but she isn’t nervous. It’s a strange feeling, particularly with the eyes of the world staring at the pool, but Neal isn’t an Olympic first-timer anymore. Neal has four more years of experience under her belt and, this time around, she’s coming for gold.
“My hopes are to just kind of, ideally, have the perfect race,” Neal said. “Being on the relay, for my leg, I want to do everything I can to help Team USA. I want to get us into the finals and then in the finals I want to get us on the podium.”
