A wave of hot, humid air, tainted with the smell of various pool cleaning chemicals, blows over you as you walk through the doors of the natatorium. The sounds of splashing water and wet feet slapping against the pool deck constantly echo.
It's hard work to be a swimmer. Spending your days soaked in chlorine takes dedication, which is certainly what Gamecock freshman Nils Wich-Glasen brings to the table.
Standing at six feet four inches, it is not hard to see why Wich-Glasen has seen such success in the water — he was built for it.
Transitioning from his home in southern Germany to Columbia, South Carolina, has been a bit of a challenge for Wich-Glasen. The move has been made much easier with the support of his teammates, including senior Kevin Leithold, another German native.
“The team was a big factor for me getting used to life here,” Wich-Glasen said. “Competing in college is much more team-oriented here, which is not the case in Germany.”
Wich-Glasen and his teammates are now preparing for their biggest competition of the year as the Men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships begin on Thursday. As one of five Gamecocks to qualify for the event, Wich-Glasen has had an impressive freshman campaign to this point.
In the short time he’s been here, Wich-Glasen has already managed to record the fastest time in school history (1.52.97) in the 200 breaststroke at the SEC Championships, breaking his own record, which he set at the Virginia Tech Invitational back in November. Wich-Glasen finished second place overall at the SEC Championships, qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
Despite his success, Wich-Glasen remains humble.
“At the SECs, I didn’t feel like that was the best I could have possibly done,” Wich-Glasen said. “I feel that there is still things I could improve on. Of course I was happy, but I had never swam yards before this season. I feel pretty good right now and I am looking forward to NCAAs.”
While his athletic goals take precedent over his long-term career goals at the present moment, Wich-Glasen has big aspirations out of the pool. He's working to graduate with a Bachelors in international business.
“I think in the future, maybe working with companies focused on sports (would be good),” Wich-Glasen said. “Adidas is right in my hometown. Something like that would be great. Hopefully, companies in both Germany and the U.S."
In the meantime, Wich-Glasen is focused on how he and his teammates perform in Iowa City, Iowa in the next few days. Beyond that, he has his eyes on possibly participating in the Summer Olympics.
“Of course I would like to qualify for the Olympics,” Wich-Glasen said. “I think there is a little bit of luck tied into it, though. Everything has to happen perfectly to get there.”