Monday, October 3, 2022
A Look Back: Duel in the Pool’s Mixed-Class/Able-Bodied Relay Marks Step in Right Direction
Pictured: Lizzi Smith
When the event lineup was released for the 2022 Duel in the Pool, a head-to-head matchup between the United States and Australia that took place this past August in Sydney, it featured a mix of traditional swimming events as well as a few never-before-seen events.
As multiple “skins” events, a 200-meter Mystery Medley and more caught the eyes and imagination of swim fans, there was one new event that stood out as a potentially monumental race: The 4x50m Mixed-Class/Able-Bodied Freestyle Relay.
This four-person relay would feature two able-bodied swimmers with two Para swimmers, which has never been done in a major international event before.
“I was obviously very excited,” McKenzie Coan, a six-time Paralympic Games medalist and member of the 2022 Duel in the Pool U.S. roster, said of her reaction to seeing the event on the schedule. “Having a mixed Para and able-bodied relay was historic and hopefully has set a new precedent moving forward, where swimming is a space in which Para and able-bodied can not only compete as one, but they can do it in the same race and win together.
“I have always dreamt of seeing it throughout my career, and I certainly hope to see more of it in the future, most importantly for the young para-swimmers to see that there are opportunities like these for them.”
On the day of the relay, the U.S. would ultimately go with the lineup of Para swimmers Jamal Hill and Lizzi Smith, alongside able-bodied swimmers David Curtiss and Amy Fulmer.
While the four athletes had never swum on a relay together before, it quickly became apparent that the quartet was rooted in chemistry.
“It was crazy,” Hill said of his reaction to hearing that he and his close friend in Curtiss would swim the relay together. “We had just spent almost two weeks together this summer in South America. When we were there, I already knew I was going to Duel in the Pool, but I was with him in Colombia when he found out he was going to Duel in the Pool. To go from there to swimming on the same relay, and we’re both swimming a 50 freestyle where we would finish on the same end, it was really exciting.”
“I was able to get really close with Lizzi, Jamal and David throughout the week and our training camp,” Fulmer said, despite being a late addition to the relay due to a scratch, resulting in only having one morning’s worth of practicing relay exchanges with Hill before the final. “Jamal had gone to school in Ohio, so we were talking about Ohio in the ready room, and it was just a really good group.
“Jamal and I have been on quite a few trips together over the last few years with both of us being national team members,” Smith added. “Us being two of only four athletes selected, we both had a great understanding that we are also representing everyone within Para swimming.
“Amy and David were just awesome as well. Throughout our minicamp before competition, we got to know each other well on a human level and that built such a fun and cohesive relay team once we went into competition. Amy, David and Jamal are all stellar athletes and I’m honored to have been able to make history with them."
“I tried not letting it get to my head – being on a relay with such accomplished athletes,” Curtiss said when he saw the lineup. “Everyone in that group was so tight-knit and being on a relay made that group even more close together. Being able to swim with everyone on that relay was extra special because I think we all realized that we were there competing and were going to do the best we could.”
The stage was set – Fulmer and Smith at one end to swim the first and third legs, respectively, while Hill and Curtiss waited at the opposite end to swim the second and fourth legs.
Fulmer started off against the event against the Olympic champion in Australia’s Emma McKeon. McKeon began pulling ahead about midway through the leg and would end up touching in 24.36, out-splitting Fulmer by 1.15 seconds to give Australia the lead. The one-relay-exchange practice that Fulmer had done with Hill paid off, as Hill surged ahead on the second leg of the relay to bring the U.S. to just 0.02 seconds behind at the halfway mark.
“The night before, I had swam the men’s and women’s Para relay, and it was almost the exact same situation,” Hill said. “Australia had a one second lead on us, but that time I wasn’t able to catch him all the way . . . so when we had the exact same situation happen for this relay, I knew that Lizzi would do her thing after me and, as long as David was in the race, we weren’t going to lose.”
That is exactly what transpired.
Smith dove in after Hill and was up against Australian Paralympic legend Ellie Cole. Coan, who was watching from the stands, couldn’t help but take a moment to realize how incredible the moment was.
“It was especially remarkable to see Lizzi out there because we've grown up on the National Team together,” Coan said. “I think we had to pinch ourselves throughout this trip because, who would've thought at the beginning that it would be us competing for our country at this competition?”
At Smith’s touch, the U.S. held a 0.72 second lead going into Curtiss’ anchor leg.
“Australia was really competitive with us, but my sole objective was to win,” Curtiss said. “It was such a big thing – having able-bodied and Para athletes in a mixed relay like that. I really wanted the U.S. to be the ones to win that for the first time. That was really important to me.”
Curtiss held strong to his objective – stretching out to an insurmountable lead that resulted in the U.S. finishing nearly two seconds ahead of Australia. Curtiss and Hill, who finished on the same end, let out a yell and a fist pump and were soon embraced by their American teammates in Fulmer and Smith.
“Right after the race, Amy and I were walking over to give the post-race interview, and we were talking about how we both have chills from that race,” Smith said. “It was huge that the moment wasn’t just big for the Para community, but our able bodied teammates also recognized the magnitude of that relay.”
“Seeing that win and being a part of it with one of my best friends in Jamal, it was really overwhelming moment there,” Curtiss said.
In the landscape of the competition, the relay win was merely a matter of points added to the U.S.’ tally. In the broader scope of the sport, the impact of a Mixed Class/Able-Bodied Relay on an international stage goes far beyond the scope of a result at a swim meet.
“I hope this competition will only be the beginning for Para and able-bodied athletes joining forces to compete as one united Team USA. This could positively influence young Para swimmers across the country,” Coan said. “Numerous reasons play into the importance of having able-bodied and Para swimmers work with one another, but overall, the primary reason is pretty simple – it's time. It's time for both movements to compete as part of one Team USA. Para swimming is very different today from when I started back in 2006. Para swimming and sports have the traction and the ever-growing following to continue to make strides towards equality with able-bodied athletes and programs, especially by doing joint events with the USA Swimming athletes.”
“I remember talking to some of the Australian girls and they were saying how some of their national meets have both Para athletes and able-bodied athletes, but I feel like we don’t have that here in the United States,” Fulmer added. “I hope an event like this can bring the Para swimming and able-bodied communities together more. I think it is about time that we start having relays and meets together.”
“This was an avenue that swimming had not explored yet,” Curtiss said. “I hope we can do more things like this – having more relays between Para and able-bodied athletes. I think this (relay) was almost like a door opening up to so many more avenues, interactions and collaborations between Para and USA Swimming athletes. I believe, truly, that this is what the sport needed to get the ball rolling, hopefully, towards collaborating with Para athletes on a more regular basis.”
“Something like this, even bigger than just in competitive swimming, is moving the ball forward when it comes the atmosphere and bringing in more convergence to the sport,” Hill said. “Unfortunately the schedules for the Olympics and Paralympics don’t mix well, so maybe it’s unrealistic to think that an event like this will be at that level soon, but hopefully one day it will. But this event shows that the sport can be inclusive, and the more inclusive we are, the bigger pool of spectators, athletes and popularity the sport will get.”
“Any young swimmer who watched could see themselves represented on that relay, and that’s what swimming is all about,” Smith said. “Growing up with one hand, I rarely ever saw anyone who looked like me. I did not know what swimming for me could look like. We just created a path for the future of swimming to follow. Swimming will get faster, numbers will go up and kids will stay in the sport longer if they get to grow up watching athletes that they can see themselves in.”
When the event lineup was released for the 2022 Duel in the Pool, a head-to-head matchup between the United States and Australia that took place this past August in Sydney, it featured a mix of traditional swimming events as well as a few never-before-seen events.
As multiple “skins” events, a 200-meter Mystery Medley and more caught the eyes and imagination of swim fans, there was one new event that stood out as a potentially monumental race: The 4x50m Mixed-Class/Able-Bodied Freestyle Relay.
This four-person relay would feature two able-bodied swimmers with two Para swimmers, which has never been done in a major international event before.
“I was obviously very excited,” McKenzie Coan, a six-time Paralympic Games medalist and member of the 2022 Duel in the Pool U.S. roster, said of her reaction to seeing the event on the schedule. “Having a mixed Para and able-bodied relay was historic and hopefully has set a new precedent moving forward, where swimming is a space in which Para and able-bodied can not only compete as one, but they can do it in the same race and win together.
“I have always dreamt of seeing it throughout my career, and I certainly hope to see more of it in the future, most importantly for the young para-swimmers to see that there are opportunities like these for them.”
On the day of the relay, the U.S. would ultimately go with the lineup of Para swimmers Jamal Hill and Lizzi Smith, alongside able-bodied swimmers David Curtiss and Amy Fulmer.
While the four athletes had never swum on a relay together before, it quickly became apparent that the quartet was rooted in chemistry.
“It was crazy,” Hill said of his reaction to hearing that he and his close friend in Curtiss would swim the relay together. “We had just spent almost two weeks together this summer in South America. When we were there, I already knew I was going to Duel in the Pool, but I was with him in Colombia when he found out he was going to Duel in the Pool. To go from there to swimming on the same relay, and we’re both swimming a 50 freestyle where we would finish on the same end, it was really exciting.”
“I was able to get really close with Lizzi, Jamal and David throughout the week and our training camp,” Fulmer said, despite being a late addition to the relay due to a scratch, resulting in only having one morning’s worth of practicing relay exchanges with Hill before the final. “Jamal had gone to school in Ohio, so we were talking about Ohio in the ready room, and it was just a really good group.
“Jamal and I have been on quite a few trips together over the last few years with both of us being national team members,” Smith added. “Us being two of only four athletes selected, we both had a great understanding that we are also representing everyone within Para swimming.
“Amy and David were just awesome as well. Throughout our minicamp before competition, we got to know each other well on a human level and that built such a fun and cohesive relay team once we went into competition. Amy, David and Jamal are all stellar athletes and I’m honored to have been able to make history with them."
“I tried not letting it get to my head – being on a relay with such accomplished athletes,” Curtiss said when he saw the lineup. “Everyone in that group was so tight-knit and being on a relay made that group even more close together. Being able to swim with everyone on that relay was extra special because I think we all realized that we were there competing and were going to do the best we could.”
The stage was set – Fulmer and Smith at one end to swim the first and third legs, respectively, while Hill and Curtiss waited at the opposite end to swim the second and fourth legs.
Fulmer started off against the event against the Olympic champion in Australia’s Emma McKeon. McKeon began pulling ahead about midway through the leg and would end up touching in 24.36, out-splitting Fulmer by 1.15 seconds to give Australia the lead. The one-relay-exchange practice that Fulmer had done with Hill paid off, as Hill surged ahead on the second leg of the relay to bring the U.S. to just 0.02 seconds behind at the halfway mark.
“The night before, I had swam the men’s and women’s Para relay, and it was almost the exact same situation,” Hill said. “Australia had a one second lead on us, but that time I wasn’t able to catch him all the way . . . so when we had the exact same situation happen for this relay, I knew that Lizzi would do her thing after me and, as long as David was in the race, we weren’t going to lose.”
That is exactly what transpired.
Smith dove in after Hill and was up against Australian Paralympic legend Ellie Cole. Coan, who was watching from the stands, couldn’t help but take a moment to realize how incredible the moment was.
“It was especially remarkable to see Lizzi out there because we've grown up on the National Team together,” Coan said. “I think we had to pinch ourselves throughout this trip because, who would've thought at the beginning that it would be us competing for our country at this competition?”
At Smith’s touch, the U.S. held a 0.72 second lead going into Curtiss’ anchor leg.
“Australia was really competitive with us, but my sole objective was to win,” Curtiss said. “It was such a big thing – having able-bodied and Para athletes in a mixed relay like that. I really wanted the U.S. to be the ones to win that for the first time. That was really important to me.”
Curtiss held strong to his objective – stretching out to an insurmountable lead that resulted in the U.S. finishing nearly two seconds ahead of Australia. Curtiss and Hill, who finished on the same end, let out a yell and a fist pump and were soon embraced by their American teammates in Fulmer and Smith.
“Right after the race, Amy and I were walking over to give the post-race interview, and we were talking about how we both have chills from that race,” Smith said. “It was huge that the moment wasn’t just big for the Para community, but our able bodied teammates also recognized the magnitude of that relay.”
“Seeing that win and being a part of it with one of my best friends in Jamal, it was really overwhelming moment there,” Curtiss said.
In the landscape of the competition, the relay win was merely a matter of points added to the U.S.’ tally. In the broader scope of the sport, the impact of a Mixed Class/Able-Bodied Relay on an international stage goes far beyond the scope of a result at a swim meet.
“I hope this competition will only be the beginning for Para and able-bodied athletes joining forces to compete as one united Team USA. This could positively influence young Para swimmers across the country,” Coan said. “Numerous reasons play into the importance of having able-bodied and Para swimmers work with one another, but overall, the primary reason is pretty simple – it's time. It's time for both movements to compete as part of one Team USA. Para swimming is very different today from when I started back in 2006. Para swimming and sports have the traction and the ever-growing following to continue to make strides towards equality with able-bodied athletes and programs, especially by doing joint events with the USA Swimming athletes.”
“I remember talking to some of the Australian girls and they were saying how some of their national meets have both Para athletes and able-bodied athletes, but I feel like we don’t have that here in the United States,” Fulmer added. “I hope an event like this can bring the Para swimming and able-bodied communities together more. I think it is about time that we start having relays and meets together.”
“This was an avenue that swimming had not explored yet,” Curtiss said. “I hope we can do more things like this – having more relays between Para and able-bodied athletes. I think this (relay) was almost like a door opening up to so many more avenues, interactions and collaborations between Para and USA Swimming athletes. I believe, truly, that this is what the sport needed to get the ball rolling, hopefully, towards collaborating with Para athletes on a more regular basis.”
“Something like this, even bigger than just in competitive swimming, is moving the ball forward when it comes the atmosphere and bringing in more convergence to the sport,” Hill said. “Unfortunately the schedules for the Olympics and Paralympics don’t mix well, so maybe it’s unrealistic to think that an event like this will be at that level soon, but hopefully one day it will. But this event shows that the sport can be inclusive, and the more inclusive we are, the bigger pool of spectators, athletes and popularity the sport will get.”
“Any young swimmer who watched could see themselves represented on that relay, and that’s what swimming is all about,” Smith said. “Growing up with one hand, I rarely ever saw anyone who looked like me. I did not know what swimming for me could look like. We just created a path for the future of swimming to follow. Swimming will get faster, numbers will go up and kids will stay in the sport longer if they get to grow up watching athletes that they can see themselves in.”