IU senior swimmer Vaziri reflects on gold medal win

IU senior swimmer Leila Vaziri sits with her gold medal close by and reflects on her world-record-breaking performance at the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.\nHer eyes look heavy, but she can hardly contain her smile. \nShe has been back in Bloomington for almost a week, but she’s still adjusting to the time change and getting to know the gold medal she keeps by her side. \n“I don’t know if this will ever sink in,” Vaziri said. “I’m still trying to collect myself. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.”\nVaziri entered her first World Championship appearance as a 100-meter backstroke specialist. However, she finished in 10th place, narrowly missing a swim in the finals. \n“I was really upset,” Vaziri said. “I was at the pool the next day sitting and watching when I knew I should be out there swimming.” \nVaziri would get another chance in the 50-meter backstroke and quickly erased her disappointment. \nIn her preliminary swim, she set an American record time of 28.25. Then she set a world record time of 28.16 in the semifinals and matched the time in the finals on her way to a gold medal. \nHer feat shocked the swimming world, and it shocked Vaziri as well. \n“I never would have imagined this,” she said. “They only have 50-meter competitions at world championships, so this was my first time in the event.”\nVaziri wrapped up a stellar career at IU with a third place showing in the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA championships in March. She finished her career with a school record 15 All-America certificates. While she said balancing classes and practice was often hard, she will always remember being a college athlete. \n“This has been a great experience for me,” she said. “I was talking to some of the girls on the U.S. national team and they said swimming in college was one of the best times of their lives, and it has been for me, too.”\nWhile Vaziri enjoyed great success in college, she will gladly make the transition from swimming yards in college to swimming meters in international competitions. \nShe said she prefers meters because it is more straight swimming without as many turns. \nSwimming has always been the easy part for Vaziri, who started swimming when she was 8 years old. However, it wasn’t until she was 13 that she started training competitively. She said now, at age 21, that she has finally become a good trainer and a good racer, not just a good swimmer. \nVaziri will have to continue her good training as she plans to prepare for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The 50-meter backstroke is not an Olympic event, but Vaziri believes her success can translate to the 100-meter back.\n“This gives me great confidence and it relates to where I should be with my 100 back,” she said. \nAfter graduation, Vaziri plans on joining her club team in Florida, where she will be close to her family and can focus on her Olympic training. She knows the training will be tough, but she is ready for the challenge. \n“There could be some real nightmares ahead,” Vaziri said. “It’s scary, but so exciting.”\nBut for now, Vaziri will catch up on sleep and enjoy sweet dreams of gold medals and world records.