Published: June 29, 2008 01:22 am            

OLYMPICS: Jeff's Hesen going for Olympic swim team this week at trials

Ben Hesen has proven himself against the best in Indiana, and he’s grabbed conference and national championships at the college level.

There’s only one stage left for the former Jeffersonville High School and Indiana University swimmer to star — internationally at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

“That’s the plan — to be there at the Olympics,” said Hesen this week, one day before he departs for the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. “Let’s see what I can do.”

Hesen heads to Omaha with three opportunities of making his Olympic dream. He will compete in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke as well at the 100 butterfly.

A national champion in the 100 backstroke during his senior season at Indiana University, Hesen realizes his best opportunity to be Beijing-bound probably lies in that event. He was third last summer at the U.S. National Championships and finished the 2007 season ranked No. 11 worldwide in the event.

“It has been the strongest event for me really going back to high school,” he said. “Winning at the NCAA was a huge accomplishment for me. This is my new quest — making the Olympic team. It’s the biggest stage a swimmer can possibly compete on.”

Greeting Hesen at the trials will be a stacked field in the 100 back, headed by 2004 Sydney Olympics star Michael Phelps and 100 backstroke world record holder Aaron Piersol.

Hesen, who has the seventh-best time entered in the 100 back, would need to crack the top two spots to qualify for Beijing.

“Honestly, with the people swimming there, it will probably take a world record to qualify,” Hesen said. “That’s got to be the mindset I have going in — anything less won’t get me there.”

Piersol set the current record of 52.98 seconds on March 27, 2007. Phelps, who has won six gold medals in the Olympics, is a four-time world swimmer of the year award winner and tied an Olympic individual record in Sydney, Australia, with four individual gold medals and won eight total medals in those games. Hesen has competed against Phelps head-to-head before as a collegian.

“Without trying to offend anyone, once you swim against Michael Phelps — that’s as good as anybody you will ever compete against,” Hesen said. “It just doesn’t get better than that.”

The 100 back trials will be on Monday.

“(The 100 back) has to be the focus for me,” Hesen said. “It’s my best event. It’s such a competitive field, but it’s the Olympic trials so you can’t think it’s going to be easy.”

In his other events, Hesen has the 17th-fastest time entered in the 100 butterfly and 28th-best time in the trials in the 200 backstroke. The 200 backstroke competition will be Thursday and the 100 fly will take place on Friday.

Hesen spent the past few weeks prior to the trials in his hometown, and he says a few friends and family will make the journey to watch him make his Olympic effort. The rest he hopes will be able to see him live on television. The trials will be carried on both NBC and USA Network.

“I usually get a lot of family and friends wherever I swim,” Hesen said. “Lots of people I see now wish me luck and tell me they’ll be watching.”



U.S. Olympic Trials on TV

Date Time Network

Today 8-9 p.m. NBC

Monday 8-9 p.m. USA **

Tuesday 8-9 p.m. USA **

Wednesday 8-9 p.m. USA

Thursday 8-9 p.m. USA

Friday 8-9 p.m. NBC **

Saturday 8-9 p.m. NBC

Next Sunday 8-9 p.m. NBC

** Denotes days Hesen is scheduled to compete

        

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