The Long, Strange Journey of Cuba’s Hanser Garcia to the Olympic Final

When Hanser Garcia’s name popped up as the third-seed headed into the finals of the men’s 100 free final, a lot of people, even swimming people, were left scratching their heads about who the Cuban was.

Garcia’s rise to sprinting stardom has been meteoric, but has not exactly been a straight path.

The man known in his native country as “El Pollo,” or “the Chicken,” was a member of Cuba’s National water polo team until 2009. The skills needed for water polo are similar to those needed to be a world-class freestyler, but still hugely different. There is no diving in waterpolo; there are no flipturns in water polo; and no dolphin kicks. Being a world-class sprinter requires near-perfection in all of these skills, as well as a very technical stroke, whereas water polo’s focus is more on athleticism and swimming in ways aside from straight lines.

He started out very well. He cracked 50 seconds in the 100 free in 2010, his first full season of swimming training, but nobody took much notice of him.

It wasn’t until the Pan American Games in 2011, where he took a silver medal in the 100 free, that he caught the attention of the passionate Latin American swimming community.

Even at a minor continental competition like the Pan Am Games, that medal can’t be discounted. If there is an area where the Pan American region is strong, it’s the sprint freestyles. Between the World Record holder Cesar Cielo, the Fraser Brothers, and the American entrants, a silver is a tough order.

But more than the numbers, there was the eyeball test in this race. Garcia swam a 48.3, which ranked him 12th in the world. But he did so with a bad start, weak turns, and little power underwater. Suddenly, 47’s began dancing through the heads of fans, if only he could get proper training.

He and his coach Lili Mojarrieta had been working in an outdoor, 25-meter pool in Cuba, and winter was approaching. Seeking better conditions, they headed to Peru – not exactly a swimming mecca, but perhaps still an upgrade from Cuba.

That training still wasn’t giving him what he needed, so he hopped across the pond to Europe to fine-tune his racing skills, improve his strength, and race a higher level of competition. That wasn’t without it’s own challenges though; in late March, he dropped a weight on his head in Serbia, requiring that he get four staples on his forehead.

That accident didn’t hinder him much; in April he swam a 48.39 in a solo time-trial in Cuba to reassert himself as an Olympic darkhorse contender. At the European Mare Nostrum series in June, he wasn’t mind-blowing, but seemed to be adapting to elite competition. His starts were better, and his turns were better.

Fast-forward 6 weeks, Garcia seems to finally be putting things together. His start is years ahead of where it was, though still very inconsistent. His turn needs a lot of work. But on top of the water, he was as good as anybody. I’d almost go so far as to say that he’s dominant, especially on his second 50.

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Luis
7 years ago

The Pan Am Games a minor continental competition? WHAT? Just because you americans go to the pan pacs, which is a minor continental competition indeed that only allows 4-5 countries to compete, doesn’t mean the pan ams are a minor competition. Every single country in America go to the pan ams, it isn’t a minor competition! For the americans, the continent, is the third big mayor competition after the olympics and the world champs.

11 years ago

After that semi I thought he was this guy – remember you posting some details about him before, just an awesome story.

Joseph Dawisha
11 years ago

He really pulled up on that final 50 of the 100m semis….When I watched him on the start I thought that he would loose for sure, and I was thinking of a 7th or 6th place finish for him, but on that final 50 it was like he put the nitro on!!!!!I was amazed at the power he had on the final stretch….I am really Hoping he medals at the 100m finals. Does anyone know what day and time the finals will be?? Oh an nice article, pretty cool of you finding the darkhorses and writing about them!!

TedBaker
11 years ago

He’s a beast!!! His semi swim today was nuts! That’s the fastest, poorest technique I’ve ever seen!

TX Swimmer
11 years ago

I saw his 100 free semi. The man has no technique. Its all brute force.

Jg
Reply to  TX Swimmer
11 years ago

I saw the touring Cuban song & dance. Wow something is working. Theladies were smoothly muscular like Cabribean sprinters & the men light as a feather. Heck there was a 93 year old in there.

Im having what they’re having !

Jg
11 years ago

Cuba used to have a good water polo team .

Cuba also has had a drug problem.

My fave story is when the Minister For Sports’ boy got caught. – a T & F internationalist.

Cubans have cool names & are quite sassy for communists.

Wahooswimfan
11 years ago

Watch his Pan Am swim at
http://youtu.be/WaCOwdqVHPk

He is in the lane just above Cielo – the start is laughable – and he still goes 48.3

11 years ago

This is a cool story. I like to see new faces do well

PR Sensation
Reply to  ZYNG43
11 years ago

Agreed. More stories like this would be awesome.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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