Alum Josh Laban Competes in Athens Olympics

Well, I don’t know how to begin discussing my Olympic experience. It has been a very long journey that started 14 years ago when I first jumped into the CDS pool as a member of the St. Croix Dolphins. Spending many hours around the pool and learning the intricacies of the sport, along with
having great role models - my brother, older swimmers and past Olympians, I believed that my Olympic dream was possible. With the support and encouragement of my family, my dream became a reality this past summer. The actual experience in Athens, Greece was even more special because my biggest supporter, my mother, Carol Laban was along for the ride. The trip began on August 9th; I had been training for the past several years in Athens, Georgia and was extremely anxious to make the Athens-to-Athens connection. I found the symbolism to be ironic, considering the fact that when I was in elementary school at CDS, we studied Greek history and the class was divided into Athenians and Spartans - I was a Spartan, the ancient rivals of the Athenians. Nevertheless, when I arrived in Athens the people were very friendly and treated me with the utmost respect. The sheer size of the Olympic venues and the number of people involved is quite awesome. However, I must say I was somewhat prepared for the festivities, having experienced the previous Olympics in Sydney, Australia as a spectator. The experience of walking in the Opening Ceremonies behind the VI flag will be a memory that I will always remember. During the ceremony, the Virgin Islands Olympic team also had the opportunity to take a picture with Tim Duncan, a past Virgin Islands swimmer. With all the excitement and other sporting events going on I had to remember to stay focused on my own event. I did not have to compete until August 19th, several days after the Opening Ceremony so there was plenty of time to build up some nervous energy. The event I was to compete in was the 50-meter Freestyle, one lap, and one race to advance to the top 16. In the end I finished 43rd. Despite, all the training I put in, nothing can prepare you for getting on the starting block on making your Olympic debut. I barely had the presence of mind to enjoy the moment because I was so focused, perhaps over-focused on the race. Yet, I managed to swim my best time and set a VI record, however, I felt that I could have done better, perhaps in four more years. After the competition I had the freedom to explore the city of Athens. Of course, the Acropolis and other ancient ruins top the list of things to see. Besides spending the days souvenir shopping, I also went to see other sporting events such as track and field, beach volleyball and other aquatic events. There were also plenty of cultural and musical events that took place, which sparked the Athens nightlife. The Olympics are a celebration of humanity and I was honored to be a part of this peaceful gathering. I would also like to thank the many coaches and CDS teachers that had an impact on my development. Joshua Laban, Class of 2000

Rising Senior Josh Laban Answers Questions about the Upcoming Olympics Aug. 13, 2004 From Georgia Bulldogs Official Site (http://georgiadogs.collegesports.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/081304aaf.html)

Josh Laban, a rising senior at Georgia, will represent the Virgin Islands in the 2004 Olympic Games. A native of St. Croix, Laban has participated in international competition for the Virgin Islands National Team since 1995, most recently swimming at the 2001 World University Games in Beijing and the 2003 Pan-American Games in the Dominican Republic. He earned honorable-mention All-America honors at the 2004 NCAA Men's Championships as part of the Bulldogs' 200m and 400m medley relays. Laban will be swimming the 50m free and is coached at the Games by Georgia assistant Brian Schrader. Laban offered the following responses on Friday morning: Q: What's the atmosphere in the Olympic village? A: Right now the atmosphere is friendly but intense since everyone is focusing on what they must do to perform well. Q: Aside from the experience of swimming, what's the most memorable aspect of the Games thus far? A: Well, not much has been happening so far besides settling into the the Village and going to the competition venue. I also think it is pretty neat to bump into famous athletes like Yao Ming in the Dining Hall. Q: How does the pool compare to Gabrielsen Natatorium or some of the other pools you've competed in during your collegiate career? A: I must say that the Aquatic Center is very impressive. The main swimming pool is outside with large grand stands. The water temperature is slightly warmer than the Gabrielsen Natatorium since it's outdoor, but everyone seems to be getting a nice tan in the great weather. Q: Have you been able to attend any other events besides swimming? Which ones? A: No, not as yet. However, the Opening Ceremonies will be held tonight and I must say I'm pretty excited. Also, when I'm finish competing I will have a lot of time to check out the other events like Track and Field, Basketball,and Volleyball. Q: Since the swim competition falls during the first eight days of the Games, what will you do once your events are over? A: I'll go and watch the other sporting events or take a tour of this beautiful and historic country during the day, and perhaps do a little celebrating at night. Olympic Q&A Series courtesy of the UGA Swimming and Diving Newsletter, Leigh G. Dillard, Editor. St. Croix's Laban makes his Olympic debut today By DEAN GREENAWAY Thursday, August 19th 2004 From the Virgin Islands Daily News (http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_sports?id=6900516) ATHENS, Greece - At theSydney Olympics in 2000, St. Croix's Josh Laban had a blast representing the Virgin Islands at the Olympic Youth Camp. He learned about the Olympic Movement, culture and the arts, went on tours, visited with families, perused museums and even attended several Olympic events. Four years later, Laban will make his debut at the Olympic Games at 10 a.m. today in the preliminary rounds of the 50-meter freestyle swim. "This time I'm getting to compete, and I'm actually excited," Laban said. "I've been sitting around looking at everybody else putting up their times. I've been in Athens for a little more than a week now, and I have one shot to pop something off and make it back to the semifinals tonight - and I'm pretty excited about that." Laban, who has been spending time in both the practice and competition pools, said he's shooting for a time of 22.5 or 22.6 seconds. On Tuesday night and again on Wednesday morning, Laban went to the competition pool to squeeze in a few starts before the real thing today. "I'm just getting used to the blocks, which is pretty important in the 50 freestyle. The start is very important," Laban said. "You have to be perfect from the start to the finish. You have to get off the blocks well, have a good breakout, know when you're going to breathe coming down the 50, keeping your stroke together and having a good rhythm," he said. "The 50 is something you practice over and over during the season and you try and perfect by the time you have to do it at the end of the season. It all comes together eventually. Hopefully, hopefully, you don't have to think on everything for those 22 seconds you're going down the pool." Having shaken off his jet lag, Laban said he's comfortable and confident going into today's race. "The first three days were a little rough because of the change of time," he said in reference to the seven-hour time difference between home and Athens. "I feel comfortable now with the sleeping schedule, and I'm well-rested. So I think everything has gone according to plan."