Episode #088 Fred Bousquet

Fred Bousquet was the first man to break 19 in the 50 SCY Free as well as the first man to break 21 in the 50 LCM Free. He was, without a doubt, one of the greatest relay swimmers in the history of the sport. While the individual Olympic medal fell just outside his grasp, he was the epitome of a team player. He swam for his team and for his country, not for himself.

Brett and Fred begin the conversation with breaking the 19 second barrier in the 50 Free at NCAA's.

Fred swam 3rd on the 4x100 Free Relay at the Beijing Olympics, giving Alain Bernard .8 tenths of a second lead over Jason Lezak and Team USA. We did a mash up of Lezak (Episode #087) and Fred about the greatest relay of all time. You can watch it here.

Brett and Fred have a long, personal history of working together. They talk about the good times and the bad. Brett is open and vulnerable to criticism.

They discuss the 20.94 performance at French Championships.

Brett describes Fred as having the most beautiful freestyle there ever was. Nobody created power and and speed quite like him.

Enjoy!

Fred Bousquet Full Episode:

YouTube Shortcuts Courtesy of Coach Ron Hehn

2:00 Breaking Barriers
5:00 Breaking :19 in the 50 Yard Freestyle
10:20 Importance of Team / Motivation
12:30 2008 Beijing Olympics / Original Relay Plan
19:00 Reaction to Relay Order Change
25:30 Bernard vs Lezak: Anchor Leg Breakdown
28:30 Silver Medal Perspective
31:00 World Record Breakdown
38:20 Freestyle Technique
40:45 Likes / Dislikes About Being Coached by Brett Hawke
44:30 The World’s Best As Training Partners: Bousquet and Cielo
51:45 2008 & 2009 Frustrations
55:30 Coach : Athlete Relationship
57:00 Bousquet’s Commitment to Returning to Auburn
1:00:00 Career Reflection
1:02:00 Future World Record Projection

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