espnW Blog: Jessica Hardy
Courtesy of Jessica Hardy What a difference a year makes. At this time last year, leading up to the London Games, there was a lot of anxiety in my life. After my suspension just before Beijing, I was afraid I wouldn't get another shot at the Olympics.
Boris Streubel/Bongarts/Getty ImagesI didn't expect winning Olympic medals to feel quite this good! Since I started swimming, I've dreamed of competing at the Olympics and earning medals with the U.S. team. Seeing those dreams become reality this past summer has brought me immense satisfaction.
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY SportsAfter winning a gold and a bronze, U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy is enjoying her reward: a warm bed instead of a cold pool.
AP Photo/Mark J. TerrillYou asked U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy questions via Twitter, and she answered. She weighs in on her love for the sprint events, her swimming strengths and her time in London:Tina, @TinaLaswim: Have you considered competing in the 200m breaststroke, and if yes will it be in recent future?
Adam Pretty/Getty ImagesGreetings from the Olympic village! The swim team arrived on Monday, and I have finally finished unpacking the cornucopia of clothes that we found waiting for us in our rooms upon arrival. I have seven suitcases stuffed into my dorm room!
AP Photo/Mark J. TerrillWhen I touched the wall at the end of the 100-meter breaststroke final last week at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, my first thoughts were happy ones. I knew it had been a good race, but then I looked at the scoreboard.
Courtesy of Jessica HardyThere are some days when the absolute last thing I want to do is wake up before dawn on a cold morning and jump into an equally cold pool. But there is one thing that makes it so much better: my fiancé Dominik Meichtry is right there with me.
AP Photo/Mark J. TerrillGoing through a moment of crisis transformed me, humbled me and brought out what mattered most in my life. During my suspension from competing, I probably would have lost my spirit completely if I didn't have a loving group of family and friends there supporting me through it all.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesJessica Hardy will be blogging for espnW in the lead-up to this summer's London Olympics. Check back in April for more on her journey.I was at an Olympic team training camp in Palo Alto, Calif., two weeks before Beijing, when my whole world fell apart.