LOSC swimmers make Olympic bids

By Matthew Sherman

The Lake Oswego Review, Jun 26, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Karen Turner, left, and Grace Carlson, both members of the Lake Oswego Swim Club, will compete in the Olympic swimming trials which will be held in Omaha, Neb. starting on June 29 and running through July 6.

Matthew Sherman / Lake Oswego Review

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By MATTHEW SHERMAN

Sports Editor

A poster of elite American swimmer Michael Phelps adorns the wall in Grace Carlson’s room and both Carlson and Karen Turner have admired Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin for years.

Now the two members of the Lake Oswego Swim Club will get the chance to rub shoulders with the best of the best in their sport, competing alongside them for a trip to Beijing and this summer’s Olympic games.

It’s almost hard to believe when looking at the two unassuming girls sitting on the deck of the dimly lit Lake Oswego pool. But, just add water and they turn into greased lightning.

Turner is 14 years old and will be a freshman at Lakeridge High School next year while Carlson is only 12 and will be an eighth grader at Portland’s Jackson Middle School next year.

Carlson just recently hit her Olympic trial qualifying time to the hundredth of a second in the 50 freestyle on her last attempt at a meet at Mt. Hood Community College.

In doing so, she became the youngest athlete ever to make the trials in U.S. Olympic swimming history.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking but it’s pretty exciting,” Carlson said.

Turner qualified for the trials in the 100 backstroke earlier in the year and then recently bested her time and is currently ranked 37th in the nation in that event.

Then, at Mt. Hood Community College, Turner hit the automatic qualifying time in the 200 individual medley in her final attempt at it and will race in both of those events at the upcoming trials in Omaha, Neb.

Both girls actually had the opportunity to swim at the Omaha facility in a meet just a few weeks ago, which gave them familiarity with the pool and the surroundings.

It will be a much different scene from June 29 to July 6, however.

Over 1000 elite swimmers will compete in the trials with over 100 participants in each event.

“It’s very rare for a 12 and 14-year-old to go. Just we few weeks ago we weren’t really talking about this. I was planning on going for just two days and now I’ll be there for the entire meet,” Lake Oswego Swim Club coach Coley Stickels said.

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