INDIANAPOLIS — Lydia Jacoby looked up, shocked. Just 27-hundredths of a second separated her from Emma Webb’s second-place finish in the women’s 100m breaststroke final, but they seemed like two continents apart.
Veteran swimmers often describe the U.S. Olympic Trials as the toughest swimming event in the world—tougher than the Olympics themselves. In some events, the third-fastest American may be the third-best swimmer in the world. But only the top two will make the U.S. team.
Small profits make up the biggest bets. Either success or failure, everything or nothing.
Jacoby ended up with nothing, and just three years later he shocked himself and the world by winning a gold medal in the same event at the Tokyo Olympics. On Tuesday morning, she announced she had finished the 200m breaststroke, meaning her race was over. The 20-year-old will not be going to Paris.
“I feel amazingly good,” Jacoby said Tuesday. “I don’t think it’s quite hit me yet. I did cry a little bit last night, but I was on good terms today. I’m sure there will be a lot of time over the next few weeks to process the emotions and I’ll… try to schedule some Fun things to look forward to this summer.
Two-time gold medalist Lilly King won gold in Rio de Janeiro on Monday night with a time of 1:05.43. Webber’s second-place finish was a shock, one of the real upsets of the race so far. After Kim congratulated Weber, she swam over and hugged Jacoby.
“My heart breaks for her,” King said. “But on the other hand, Emma Webb’s performance was fantastic – that’s the way this game is. It makes your career, it destroys your career. It’s the hardest encounter in the world. In my opinion, this is much more difficult than the Olympics.
“I hope she can come out of this and move on and I will always support her.”
In recent months, Jacoby has spoken publicly about the severe depression she experienced after winning gold in Tokyo. She felt like everyone wanted a piece of her and she couldn’t say no. She couldn’t tell who around her truly cared about her well-being and who just wanted to be associated with the gold medalist. There were days and weeks when she didn’t want to get out of bed at home in Alaska.
“I feel like my identity is locked into sports,” Jacoby said Tuesday. “The biggest thing for me lately is (remembering) that being a swimmer is what I do. It’s not who I am. I have a lot of interests and passions. I have great friends outside of the sport. And family. It’s a big thing for me to remember these things.
“A lot of people outside of the sports world see this and think that’s what it’s all about. It’s important for people to realize that, yes, this is what I do and I’ve put a lot into it. Obviously, I’m very passionate about it. There’s a lot of emotion invested in this, and it’s pretty devastating, but ultimately, it’s not going to change my life.
Lydia Jacoby and Lilly King hug after the 100m breaststroke final at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Jacobi did not qualify for the Paris Olympics. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Jacoby said she seriously considered giving up swimming after the Tokyo Olympics, and even discussed whether she wanted to compete at trials at times over the past year. She’s glad she stuck with the sport and came out here to swim, despite the disappointing results.
Jacoby said she was frustrated with her performance at Lucas Oil Stadium. Her time of 1:06.37 was more than a second slower than her 2021 Olympic qualifying time. Jacoby said all her training has been focused on the 100m breaststroke and she plans to compete in the 200m breaststroke anyway.
“I felt like the swim meets I was competing in didn’t reflect my abilities well, and that was the most frustrating part for me,” Jacoby said.
She said she plans to take a break from swimming to “get in a better shape in life outside of swimming and then resume the sport in a healthy way.” She doesn’t think she’s given up on the sport completely, nor does she think it’s The movement is over.
But this is long term. Now, Jacoby isn’t sure if she’ll be watching the event on television next month. She wasn’t sure she could handle it, sitting at home on the wrong continent while her friends and former teammates wore red, white and blue.
“I feel like I haven’t really accepted the fact that I’m not going to swim there,” Jacoby said. “Honestly, I’m not sure if I want to watch me play. It’s something I haven’t really thought about yet. But the people who make up the team – like this past week, I’ve been crying for all the friends who make up the team And shed tears of joy… So, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing everyone do amazing things in Paris.
“My absence will certainly be difficult but I wish them all the best.”
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Regan Smith sets women’s 100m backstroke world record at Olympic trials
(Top photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
