Dana Vollmer: “I Want To Be Back In And Feel That Thrill”

The women’s 100 butterfly is going to be much more interesting over the next year and a half with US Olympian and World Record Holder Dana Vollmer back in the water. After briefly stepping away from the sport, Vollmer told Universal Sports over the weekend that she is ready to be back in the water.

“I miss the nerves. I always got nervous before hand and that was something that I thought I wouldn’t miss. I want to be back in and feel that thrill. It’s definitely something I didn’t think I would miss, but you do.”

Although she wasn’t officially drug tested by the USADA between the second quarter of 2013 and the first quarter of 2015, she told Universal Sports that she never actually retired retired. Any American athlete that retires and returns to competition must enter back into the WADA testing pool again and sit out for six months before returning to competition. It is unclear at this point if her name was removed from the testing pool, but if her name was removed from the pool, the waiting period for returning athletes was shortened this year to 6 months (from the previous 9 months). As of the first quarter of 2015, she wasn’t drug tested by the USADA, although she could have been tested during quarter two.

When asked about the possibility of racing next summer, she said that if she can get back in shape, maybe she will see what she can go in the pool. If she get’s back into shape, her biggest competition in the 100 butterfly will come from Kelsi Worrell and Kendyl Stewart nationally as part of a women’s butterfly field that is viewed as one of Team USA’s biggest question marks heading toward Rio. Vollmer was the 2012 Olympic Champion in the 100 butterfly and is the only swimmer in history to break 56 seconds in the event.

“I hated when I saw the rumors that I actually did retire; I never did retire. I always wanted to leave it open for myself and I want to get back into shape. It’s one of those things that if I can get back into shape, maybe I’ll see what I can go in the pool.”

Vollmer and her husband, Andy Grant, recently had their first son. Arlen Jackson Grant was born on March 6th of this year.

“Lifestyle wise, I want to be extremely active with my son and in life in general. I’m loving it so far. I know how to get into shape and eat healthy and set that lifestyle my family. If that includes getting back in the pool… it has so far. It’s been really fun getting back in the water.”

Video is courtesy of Universal Sports Network, a SwimSwam partner.

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bobo gigi
9 years ago

Good news.

badparent
9 years ago

When Worrell goes 56 this summer this event will look a lot stronger for team USA.

Coughlin should prob stay on point with the BK with Franklin being so off.

bobo gigi
Reply to  badparent
9 years ago

A Missy “so off” on backstroke, as you say, is still by far the fastest backstroker in USA.
By the way, she wasn’t “so off” at last NCAAs. She easily won the 200 back there with a big new PB of 1.47.91 very close to the American record. Not bad for a girl with bad starts and bad underwaters, especially in a 25-yard pool where these technical parts are so important on backstroke.
So the talent hasn’t disappeared.
Her only problem is to become again the long course swimmer she used to be before going to college.

badparent
Reply to  bobo gigi
9 years ago

I don’t know what your problem is Bobo. If you admit she hasn’t been the backstroker she was 3 years ago (before CAL and there NCAA yards obsessed focus that took the worlds best backstroker and turned her off to meter backstroke – hence why she is leaving CAL?) then saying she is way off is accurate. Might she regain her form – sure. But she has not demonstrated that form in meters (and seldom in yards) in THREE years. That is off form. Way off form. If that isn’t way off form I don’t know what is….

Sean S
Reply to  badparent
9 years ago

I have to agree here with badparent. That’s not to say she can’t get back to her long course success, but leading up to London she was simply untouchable in the 2 back and damn hard to beat in the 100 and that has not been the case the past two summers. I would love for her to prove me wrong and give her WR a run this summer but I think it’s going to take until Rio for us to see that.

Michael Schwartz
9 years ago

Does any body else think that Coughlin should focus on the 100 fly? This is such a weak event for the American women internationally and with Coughlin only focusing on a few events she could really make a difference in the 100 fly on relays and individually.

Steve-O Nolan
Reply to  Michael Schwartz
9 years ago

Eh…no? She’s mentioned before she trains backstroke because it helps her shoulders open up after swimming a lot of freestyle, so I’m guessing fly wouldn’t be too great on ’em.

I doubt she’d be much better than Worrell at this point and it’d take away from her other strokes. I think she’s making the right call.

Paul E. Rhythm
9 years ago

Wow, great news! As a flyer myself, I loved watching her in action. She has such a beautiful stroke! Good luck in your comeback, Dana and congrats on the birth of your first, Arlen too!

ERVINFORTHEWIN
9 years ago

Great News ! welcome back in the pool Dana .

About Tony Carroll

Tony Carroll

The writer formerly known as "Troy Gennaro", better known as Tony Carroll, has been working with SwimSwam since April of 2013. Tony grew up in northern Indiana and started swimming in 2003 when his dad forced him to join the local swim team. Reluctantly, he joined on the condition that …

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