Before the Beep: How Florida Star Josh Liendo Prepares for Major Competitions

Before the Beep: How Florida Star Josh Liendo Prepares for Major Competitions

Josh Liendo was an Olympian before he arrived at the University of Florida in the fall of 2022. His time since becoming a Gator has only sharpened his racing focus.

Liendo’s explicit aim upon trading his native Scarborough—a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada—for Gainesville was to become a better racer. At home in the long course pool and a national record holder in his teens, his swimming aptitude was clear. But NCAA swimming, he hoped, would sharpen that to a finer edge, testing himself week-in and week-out against the best in the SEC, which, many weeks, looks a lot like the best in the world!

The result through his freshman campaign at Florida was four NCAA titles, including the individual 100 free crown and three relay golds, all while breaking NCAA records. The SEC champion in the 100 fly, he was the SEC Male Freshman Swimmer of the Year and a seven-time All-American.

Outside of college, Liendo swam in three events at a get-your-feet-wet Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 just before his 19th birthday. Four years on, he’s shaping up as a medal contender in Paris, having won silver in the 100 fly at the 2023 World Championships and bronze in the 100 free and 100 fly at Worlds in 2022, plus a mixed 200 free relay gold at the World Short Course Championships in 2021.

Racing might be straightforward, but getting ready is an iterative process that Liendo is always honing:

THE WEEK BEFORE THE MAJOR MEET

What does preparation look like a week out?

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

I try to maximize my rest—just make sure I’m recovering well, because you have to start early if you want to feel rested and feel good before the meet. And I try to get as close to my meet schedule as I can—when I eat, when I wake up. I make sure I drink a lot of water before meets, and just simple stuff…(like) making sure I’m taking my supplements, drink water, food’s good—just stuff like that—stay healthy, and don’t do anything dumb to get injured.

Do the demands of college make that any more difficult at Florida?

The big thing is school. For SECs, I look at it as, I’m going to try to do as much school as I can the week before because I definitely don’t want to be doing schoolwork at SECs. That’s the main shift, just a more busy life. I had had high school obviously, but I only got at a high level when I was almost out of high school, and being at a high level in college, I have to manage that now.

AT THE HOTEL

Any superstitions or rituals?

Not really. It’s just simple things, but nothing I would say I have to do. At Florida, for a meet day, they want us to shower the morning before. They say to take a hot shower because it wakes you up. But that’s a Florida thing. I always try to make sure I’m snacking and eating while I’m traveling. I want to make sure that I have fuel and the simple stuff like drinking water or if I want to do compression (therapy) or Normatec, especially after a flight, or putting your legs up on a wall.

When you’re in town for a meet, are you off keeping to yourself or more likely to interact with others?

I think it’s a mix. I definitely try to do nothing to (make sure I) rest, but every now and then, I’ll be like, ‘Do you want to play on the Switch, Super Smash Bros or Mario?’—just something to get your mind off swimming. And maybe I’ll go out on little walks so that I’m not in the hotel all day, but still keeping activity to a minimum. I’m definitely still social and not isolated, but I’m being smart with that and not trying to expend a lot of energy in…not the wrong places…but trying to save it for the meet.

ON RACE DAY

What does warm-up look like? Does it change based on the race?

It’s definitely evolving. I used to do a lot more for warm-up. I’m one of those people who’s always last-minute in the ready room, taking my time to get there. But for warm-up, I spend a lot of time out of the pool, activating, making sure my muscles are ready to go and that they’re firing—a lot of mobility stuff, some exercises to get muscles activated, a little bit of stretching.

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

In terms of free or fly (for races), it’s mostly the same, but it’ll be a little different. For fly, I’ll do some drills: I like putting on paddles sometimes, a little more kick maybe to get the dolphin kicks feeling good. I do a little breath control for both. I would say they’re pretty similar.

I’m pretty much ready before I get in for warm-up because of all the activation I do, so I don’t do much in the pool. I just make sure my muscles are ready to go, and if I feel good, I get out. If I’m good, there’s nothing more to do.

How much, especially as a sprinter, has the activation part of it grown?

It’s just me learning and seeing how my body reacts to certain things. We have a program here, but everyone’s body reacts differently to different types of stimulus and different types of activation. So I’ve just kind of learned to not do too much, and at the same time, not do too little—just listen to my body and feel it out. I definitely want to get in all the exercises, but if I’m feeling good, not overwork them—shoulders, hips, making sure everything is moving right.

IN THE READY ROOM

Are you in your own world with the headphones on or ready to be chatty?

I think it depends. I’d say the bigger the meet is, the quieter I get. If it’s a small meet, I’m more talkative in the ready room. As you get to Worlds or Olympic-type meets, I would say I’m more locked in. I don’t listen to music anymore. I listen to it when I’m doing those activation stretches, before I get in the warm-up, before I head to the ready room. But I don’t necessarily have it in the ready room or going on deck because I like being aware and knowing what is going on, and sometimes it’s a complicated process when they’re walking you out…or it’s a maze to get to the pool. I want to be dialed in, no music, but with my own thoughts.

What’s on the playlist?

It changes. I have a playlist, and any of those songs are good. I have one that gets me ready to go. There’s some Meek Mill, some Kendrick Lamar, some DMX, some Lil Wayne—just stuff to get me hyped…and that’s the kind of songs I want.

There’s got to be Drake on there, right?

There is some Drake. Drake has some hype songs. I’ve got a song on there from him called “R.I.C.O.” that I really like.

BEHIND THE BLOCKS

What are the last thoughts before the whistle to get up on the block?

I’m not trying to overthink, but there is a process going through my mind of what’s going to happen when I get off the block. I’m talking to myself, saying what I want to do before I go. I have that set in my mind so that when the gun goes off, it’s just instinct from there…then you just let everything else take over. [bug]

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Johnson Swim school

27 days ago

Most dedicated swimmer