INDIANAPOLIS — You can't miss Lilly King in the pool.
She's a very special athlete. A natural in the water.
And now, she's chasing more Olympic glory.
"What an honor to go back," she said. "Not that it wasn't special the last time, but I can appreciate it more this time, having been on the other side of it, not being so young and knowing what to expect. Just the grandeur of it all, so excited to be in the moment and enjoy."
Making it back to the Olympics is a major accomplishment, especially after the games were delayed an entire year. During the pandemic, 13News caught up with Lilly as she trained in a public pool, doing whatever it takes to stay ready.
"Training in pools in Martinsville, training in a pond, one-lane pool in Indianapolis. There have been so many different things going on and having to move different places. I refer to it as 'the year we were driving to practice,' because we were in the car all summer. Its been wild but I've got a great support group here. This team is fantastic and family, so they made it a lot more fun that it could have been," Lilly said.
She is a two-time gold medalist, the world record holder in the 100-meter breaststroke. King will also compete in the 200-meter breaststroke.
All eyes will be on her.
"The pressure is always on, but I expect that of myself. I have high expectations and I expect to repeat," she said. "I think the one that's more up in the air is the 200. We will see how that goes. Hopefully another gold medal. I have a tough competitor out there that pushes me every day. We will see what happens."
That new challenger is Annie Lazor, who also trains at IU.
"When she first started training with us, I didn't think she was going to be a threat, and she sure proved me wrong," Lilly said.
But it's well known that Lilly thrives on competition.
"I do," Lilly said. "I do love it. It's good. We make each other better and we are great racing partners, which is something people don't ever talk about, using your teammate to strategize. Excited to continue do do that."
Now 24 years old, Lilly is ready for the world stage again. She wants more gold medals.
"It would feel pretty good. I think 'go to another meet and take care of business, go to another meet and take care of business.' That's all it is," King said. "With the world watching, its just a swim meet. Just a swim meet. No big deal."
What other people are reading: