Page 179 of Beyond the Stroke

Jim Koster:“I was watching this relay team during warmups, and it’s clear everyone has their own routine, but when these four guys come together—it’s electric.”

Roger Selby:“Wallace’s injury was a big blow. This team has trained together for years. Eli Mitchell and Logan Wilson swam club in Santa Monica, Shields came on during his time at UC-Berkeley, and Wallace rounded it out when they joined Bob Owens’s Carolina Current.”

Jim Koster:“But what no one expected was the shift from bitter rivals to synchronized teammates between Shields and Fisk.”

Roger Selby:“Then maybe we should be talking about it.”

Jim Koster:“Their performance in Dubai turned heads. They’ve found a rhythm—and they’re winning.”

Roger Selby:“And not just winning. They posted the fastest time we’ve seen this year in the four-hundred-meter medley relay.”

Jim Koster:“That’s the kind of momentum they’ll need heading into trials.”

Roger Selby:“Logan Wilson leads off with the backstroke. He’s the best in the world right now—nothing to critique.”

Jim Koster:“Unless you’re talking about his life outside the pool.”

Roger Selby:“That’s not my lane, Jim. Inside the pool, he’s flawless. Watch that turn—textbook.”

Jim Koster:“Next is Rory Shields in the breaststroke. This stroke is the toughest to master, and Shields has been dominant for seventeen years.”

Roger Selby:“He’s battled a knee issue this past year, but looks strong today. He’s gunning for his fifth international team.The big question is whether his body can hold up through the next six months.”

Jim Koster:“It’s a risk every swimmer here takes. But right now? He looks locked in.”

Roger Selby:“And here comes Eli Mitchell.”

Jim Koster:“Did you see that exchange? Not a second lost. Shields and Mitchell are in perfect sync.”

Roger Selby:“Mitchell’s a quiet leader. Calm, focused, and all business.”

Jim Koster:“Have you seen him in warm-ups? That stare could cut through glass.”

Roger Selby:“Some guys joke around. Not Mitchell. He shows up to win. And he just earned the coveted spot of Sexiest Athlete on the cover ofAll Sportsmagazine.”

Jim Koster:“Connor Fisk will anchor with freestyle.”

Roger Selby:“Honestly, we should be calling the finish, but the Current is running away with this race.”

Jim Koster:“The second-place team is still a body length behind Fisk.”

Roger Selby:“And with that, Bob Owens’s team out of Coral Cove, North Carolina will finish in world record time.”

Jim Koster:“Let’s head to the deck—Jan’s down there trying to grab the guys—wait, something’s happening.”

Roger Selby:“I didn’t catch it at first, but there seems to be an altercation between two swimmers.”

Jim Koster:“Jan, do you have a read on the situation?”

Jan Stevens:“Yes, I was waiting for the teams to make their way over to me and there seemed to be some sort of altercation on the deck.”

Jim Koster:“Is it between different teams?”

Jan Stevens:“No. It’s Rory Shields and Connor Fisk.”

Roger Selby:“Oh my! They’ve fallen into the pool in a scuffle—are they fighting?”

Jim Koster:“Unbelievable. This is not what we expected today from those two.”

---