MARIUS KUSCH ’19
US. HERE. NOW. By Palmer Magri ’24
Walking through Olympic Village, Marius Kusch ’19 swam for Germany in Tokyo and was constantly amazed by his first Olympic experience. “You walk through the village and see massive flags
hanging down. Depending on how big the country is, you get more space,” said the finance degree graduate. “Germany had so many athletes that half the building we lived in was covered in German flags.” Leaving his room every day, Kusch saw the statement,
“Uns. Hier. Jetzt.,” which in English translates to “Us. Here. Now.” Tis was Germany’s slogan for the games, as it was featured on posters and banners throughout the village. It was a reminder that his hard work to get to the games had paid off. Kusch, a world-renowned swimmer, raced in
four events, his favorite being the 100-meter butterfly individual. He placed in the top 10 in all of his events, clocking 44 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly. “I always loved racing in relays because it’s fun with other guys, but the 100-meter butterfly is the best because I trained the most for this event,” he said Competing at the Olympic Games is a milestone for athletes, so the pressure to compete at a high caliber is on. When asked what the atmosphere was like at the games, Kusch compared it to a regular swim meet—just at a higher level. “Te key to mastering the pressure is finding the balance where you are performing well without overthinking it,” said Kusch. “At the end of the day, the length is still 50 meters and [the pool] still has chlorine in it.”
I hop to the block, shaking out my arms and taking
a deep breath. Tis is it, and I won’t let my own mind stop me from seeing this dream through. No fear, I say to myself. When the official blows the long whistle, I’m the first to jump into the water. Once situated on the starting block for the 100-meter backstroke, all I can see is the wall. No fear. Have faith. When the splashing stops and the waves settle, silence washes over the entire venue. “Take your marks.” Tere’s something so exhilarating about the
moments before the starting sound. Tat moment when you break the water’s surface. You feel weightless and free. Everything else around you fades away, and you realize you’re living the dream you’ve played over and over in your head. You do what you’ve worked so hard to do, you trust your plan, you swim and you fight until that very last stroke into the wall. I’ve had a lot of people ask me how that moment felt when I touched the wall and saw the scoreboard. Honestly, it didn’t feel real. It was quiet, and strange, and I didn’t see my parents, nor did I even fully register what those numbers on the board really meant. Te person who broke the silence was my good friend and
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