As Texas graduate swimmer Caspar Corbeau wrapped up his coaching camp in Hungary, it was lastly time to maneuver to an even bigger stage that may permit him to characterize and honor his household’s tradition.
With metallic music blasting by his headphones and designer sneakers on his toes, Corbeau will deliver his skills to Japan on Saturday to compete for the Netherlands nationwide staff on the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. He hopes to qualify for one more shot at changing into an Olympic medalist.
Because the grandson of Dutch immigrants who moved to the U.S. earlier than his father was born, Corbeau mentioned he attributes his option to swim for the Netherlands to his dad. Each Corbeau and his father are birthright Dutch residents.
“Once I was youthful, my dad thought it will be useful to have me a bit extra well-rounded when it comes to world tradition and perhaps go to locations that I by no means would have had the chance had I not accepted to swim for (the Netherlands),” Corbeau mentioned.
Corbeau’s twin citizenship works to his benefit, permitting him to face out amongst a smaller pool of opponents. The Netherlands’ two quickest swimmers in every occasion are chosen for the Dutch Olympic staff, supplied they attain the qualifying time on the World Aquatics Championships.
“If I swim to what I’m able to, I ought to qualify for Paris,” Corbeau mentioned. “The previous few years have been studying experiences, and I believe I’m lastly able to make that breakthrough.”
In 2020, Corbeau went to the Tokyo Olympics to compete within the particular person breaststroke occasions for the Netherlands. Corbeau swam occasions of 1:00.13 within the 100m breaststroke and a pair of:10.21 within the 200m breaststroke, however his efficiency didn’t qualify him for the semifinals for both occasion.
Nonetheless, Corbeau has considerably improved since he started swimming for the Longhorns; he has dropped from 52.90 to 50.49 within the 100m breaststroke and from 1:54.50 to 1:49.15 within the 200m breaststroke. Throughout his time at Texas, Corbeau turned a two-time nationwide champion, 18-time All-American and 16-time Massive 12 champion.
Corbeau credit his progress to the experience of his teammates and head coach Eddie Reese, who he mentioned pushed him to be the perfect athlete he might be.
“(I’ve) the opponents, a few of the greatest on the earth, practice subsequent to me every single day,” Corbeau mentioned. “And so they’re capable of step it as much as the subsequent notch and make you’re employed exhausting despite the fact that you may not wish to.”
Corbeau mentioned his relationship along with his teammates helped make him a greater swimmer, even when it didn’t at all times result in a medal. An impactful instance that involves thoughts for Corbeau was a 400m freestyle relay in his junior yr, the place the relay staff gained first place regardless of an total loss.
“It had an affect on me as a result of it was not a meet (and) it was not my greatest efficiency,” Corbeau mentioned. “However it’s one which I’ll treasure for some time as a result of these moments (and relationships) are extra necessary than the time or the medal.”
Corbeau will start competitors in Japan on Saturday, July 22, within the males’s 100m breaststroke occasion as he seems to be to emulate not solely his father’s tradition however the tradition he has come to thrive in at Texas.