“Why did she stop?” I asked.
“We are just practicing the start,” said Coach
Pibwell. “You see, the start is a big thing in a sprint
like the 50 Free. If you are fast off the starting blocks,
you have a good chance of winning the race. But if
you trail off the blocks, it’s hard to win. You end up
back in the waves, getting sloshed from side to side.
That’s why we have the sprinters do lots of starts.
Kim’s start has been getting better and better .”
“So, Coach,” I said, “do you think Kim can win the
50 Free at the state meet?”
“She should win it,” said the coach. “I think she is
the best overall swimmer in the state. Plus, as you can
see, she has a strong start. But the 50 Free is so fast. A
lot of swimmers could win it .”