born march american swimmer olympic gold medalist grew tennessee began competitive swimming age seven high school set state swimming records led state title named year attended university_of_michigan shifted focus freestyle butterfly time ncaa national champion thirteen time american michigan set big conference school records route big titles senior season won big medal honor school student athlete represented united_states world championships times winning gold medal meter freestyle relay team won individual relay national titles finished times set american record meter butterfly jointly holds additional national records relay events qualified narrowly missed making olympic team meter butterfly finished seventh meter freestyle missed qualifying meter freestyle relay team spot elected scratch meter freestyle olympic schedule allowing team summer olympics london won gold medal contributions heats meter freestyle relay early life born march dwight tennessee grew father worked lawyer oldest children grandfather attorney general alabama uncle world champion meter safety national_football_league swimming lesson age reluctant face underwater minutes swimming freely age seven entering swimming competitions young child diagnosed family doctor encouraged swimming eventually condition age won city meet title yard butterfly age group won year old younger meter butterfly got personal letter olympic gold medalist father later said letter got davis excited swimming year joined began compete national stage played baseball basketball ran track deciding concentrate swimming seventh grade won meter freestyle events beating qualified age trials finished 32nd meter freestyle 30th meter freestyle finished summer nationals meter freestyle represented united_states goodwill games named athlete year united_states placed games earning team bronze medal following year led high school state swimming title graduating spring state finals broke tennessee yard freestyle record seconds captured yard butterfly state record finals events placed meter butterfly sixth meter freestyle eighth meter freestyle events time high school american high school swimmer year addition yard butterfly yard freestyle set yard freestyle state record high school graduation inducted school hall fame college career attended university_of_michigan earned bachelor degree political science year coach began entering butterfly events distance high school difficult adjustment said team needed let contribute freshman summer selected represent united_states placed sixth meter freestyle decision training started pay year set conference record swimming yard butterfly route big title university meter freestyle team took place ncaa championships group time set new open record individual events took fourth place meter butterfly eighth meter butterfly qualified finished fourth meter butterfly missing olympics half second final meter butterfly finishing seventh took head coach michigan season new training program greater focus speed training distance weight training think improving speed said strong work ethic wants improve instead getting pool tell actually thinks asks questions wants know theory won ncaa championship yard butterfly time michigan big record fastest time ncaa history meter butterfly placed fourth spring won meter butterfly time placed fourth meter butterfly placed second meter butterfly winning meter freestyle relay team world championships narrowly missed medals finishing fourth meter butterfly duel pool won silver medal meter meter butterfly events end season ranked eighth world meter butterfly 20th meter butterfly repeated ncaa champion yard butterfly swimming race improving big record narrowly missed ncaa record coming second short finished fourth yard butterfly second place yard freestyle relay team end season named combined achievements sport academics community service college career time america selection team big member years college received honors senior year awarded big medal honor student athlete michigan finished college career big individual titles conference relay titles conference records yard butterfly yard butterfly yard freestyle relay additional school records relay performances yard freestyle yard medley yard medley post college swimming career graduation continued train michigan facilities goal mind qualifying olympics hadn intended swim professionally college later said continued improve sense financially continue swimming august placed second meter butterfly time qualifying world championships teamed win meter freestyle trophy winning seconds end season ranked 13th world meter butterfly 34th meter butterfly world championships march turned second fastest time opening round meter butterfly semi finals placed tenth missing finals seconds later won second national championship meter butterfly led race start finish beating seconds good race said felt control felt lot stronger lot better event joined teammates win meter freestyle relay time swam team second fastest leg placed meter butterfly won meter butterfly duel pool time placed second meter butterfly time event teamed capture yard freestyle relay title quartet time broke american record seconds captured silver medal meter butterfly event won yard butterfly title time second place medley relay finished year ranked 11th meter butterfly 22nd meter olympic trials preparation olympic trials trained michigan coached shortly trials went colorado train altitude better mentally said preparation physically stronger years ago entered trials number seed meter butterfly widely expected olympic team second years completely life aside try olympic dream come true told reporter entered trials fourth seed meter butterfly qualified meter freestyle preliminary round meter butterfly turned fastest time acknowledging nerves played role fast swim semi finals achieved new personal best finished second fastest time seven tenths second slower felt great celebrating said swim finals exactly tied world record pace meters stayed near meters fading meters passed beat personal best second half finish swam new personal best good olympic team missing tenths second race briefly considered retiring deciding finish meet don know future going bring didn want knowing didn said finished eighth meter butterfly earlier failed finals freestyle events devastated trial results later saying feeling world went home reflect swimming life general told parents stand hearing coverage olympics father quickly organized vacation costa_rica returning home uncle able help experience flowers gold medal favorite suffering injury months think knew pain feeling disappointment feeling felt thing recalled flowers offered perspective instead comfort believe god created ain accident got plan maybe wasn right thing soon met pastor souls church tough conversions decided life christ basically relinquished control took flowers advice heart started look possibilities future applied graduate school study public policy friend advice sent undergraduate work oxford_university accepted college oxford school year retirement return swimming national championships qualified represent united_states team world championships time career placing sixth meter freestyle placed fourth meter butterfly fifth meter butterfly preliminary round meter freestyle helped united_states turn qualifying time united_states later won event earning gold medal season decided retire competitive swimming concentrate academic work oxford oxford found new perspective life sport going oxford seeing ambition students transitioned sport mechanism good oxford swim team encouraged join ranks subsequently earned valuable player honors blue jacket british equivalent varsity letter newfound perspective said missing olympics best thing happened life gone oxford invested able chase olympic dream gift misery doesn misery graduated oxford master degree latin american studies described year oxford best time life october responding describes clear god returned swimming time united_states contacted swimming club talking marsh convinced time summer olympics comeback possible realized life left swimming desire come right way remarked marsh introduced new style training focused creating power relying endurance initially shifted focus meter freestyle abandoning butterfly major meet return placed meter butterfly china joined members win meter medley relay national championships august placed meter meter butterfly anchored national title winning meter medley relay team led club national title winning meter freestyle relay medley relay time set new open record seconds ahead second place team placed eighth meter freestyle meet duel pool december broke american record meter butterfly short course completing race record previously held time finished second event world record holder tied meter butterfly meet olympic trials entered june new perspective want swim fast best man let chips fall said team unbelievable don team plan champion entered competition ranked fourth meter butterfly fifth meter butterfly qualified meter meter freestyle chose scratch meter freestyle concentrate meter butterfly freestyle meter freestyle finals finishers qualified olympic relay team finished seventh missed making olympic team fourteen second meter butterfly semi finals turned second fastest time energy finals day knowing facing strong finishers decided hard try build big lead hold led field meters passed meter stretch held rest field final meters ahead dropping fourth split final meters seconds slower seconds slower final lap couple days later advanced meter butterfly final finished fifth called race swim morning boarded plane headed home later day facing prospect competing events olympics elected drop meter freestyle program decision allowed sixth spot meter freestyle added relay team said shocked news called ending career content walking away night peace left faith intact extra bout joy surreal said immediately boarded plane flew trials held team meeting practice told olympic swim coach won focus fire bolster team olympics coincidence olympic team training took place hometown olympics swam leg preliminary round men meter relay time personal best second fastest leg turned fastest preliminary swim fastest swimmers attributed performance concentrating exclusively freestyle months trials games olympic experience said lot international experience matches olympics heart pumping intensely trying calm standing blocks waiting exchange saying breathe breathe breathe rush typically relay team finals composed plus fastest swimmers team swimmers reserve swim relay final despite dropping individual meter freestyle program fast preliminary swim coaches strongly considered replacing number finals greater experience finals relay team beat second place french team seconds winning gold medal immediately announce retire saying decision meet added need little bit vacation think time decide best career life sponsorship personal life sponsored mutual according charlotte observer known versatile swimmers olympic squad finally qualifying athletic director said humble worked extremely hard positive says biggest mentor father remarking taught man importantly champion raised christian home growing sort went motions didn hold strong beliefs college abandoned faith later said olympics idol life making olympics met challenged examine moments later recalled time ability stuff life finally good time life life grew christian home time knew committed life christ credits christian faith helping ups downs competitive swimmer olympic experience said real gift god felt presence past weeks unbelievable feeling attends charlotte engaged fundraising michigan donated time visiting patients swimming career finished interested working world economic development records
Davis Tarwater