I'm disappointed and disgusted at the "fans" who betray athletes just because they didn't win. Other athletes can have good races too, that's what makes sport exciting
Michael Phelps stands behind Katie Ledecky in support of her after criticism from fans
So on my flight to Hawaii, a newly married couple sitting next to me noticed my Olympic Team Handbook when filling out declaration forms, asked if I was going to the Games, I said yes… and the husband thanked me for my hard work and for representing the US. 🥺😩🥺😭
My name is Zach Harting, I’m 22 yrs old and finished Top 10 in the World last year in the 200 fly and I am currently working on improving my streamline. You’re never to good or to old to focus on the basics.
Anyone wondering why I celebrated a prelims race.... BEST TIME (by 0.02). The fastest a Zach Harting has Zach Hartinged a 100 fly in the history of ever.
I gave my 100Fly medal to a kid, roughly 10 years old, volunteering at the meet. His jaw dropped when he realized what I was doing. He comes up to me later and gives me a medal back and says "You gave me your medal, so I wanted to give you mine." 😭😭😭
Hot damn, I am blessed. SO MANY of my friends, since I was 12yrs old, came and watched me swim at Olympic Trials. To have friends like that is truly special. Thank you to each and every one of you for all the love and support! ♥️
Swimming has brought me to 8 different countries, and allowed me to meet people I would have never met before. Am currently enjoying a glass of wine... on the terrace of our Airbnb in ROME with
@zane_growth_ee
. I love my job.
I met this Japanese woman at Pan Pacs last year, saw her again at Worlds, & again at the Tokyo WC. She’s been so nice and has gotten me 2 gifts. I gave her 2 shirts from Worlds and one of my caps. She got so excited... it’s cool how I’m in a position to inspire that much joy.
Olympic Trials is right around the corner and I'm please to say that to avoid all the stress, I've been welcomed into the community of Magic the Gathering at a local game store. I've enjoyed just playing games with other nerds. They don't know I swim or how good I am. Just gaming
Thank you everyone for the overwhelming amount of love and support. I’m slowly getting to everyone but it’s gonna take me a couple days to get back to everyone! 😅
After a lot of thinking, I’ve decided that I will retire after the 2021 Olympic season, come whatever may. I’ve swam for 16 years and loved every minute of it. Time to use my engineering degree! Thank you everyone for following my journey!
Ppl ask if I'm nervous... So far no, I haven't felt any nerves since Trials. What I AM feeling is excited to race... Especially here. Let's go throw down a fast time and see how many times they'll let me loose.
#Olympics
#InsideScoop
#Mindset
#MentalGame
So I've received a couple comments from fellow swimmers on Olympic Team expressing how they did NOT want to travel with me due to my track record 😂 frankly, I don't blame em one bit! Hahaha
During Worlds in 2019, I stated that I should bring my own soy sauce to Asia due to rice being served at every meal but not necessarily soy. You laughed then, and you may laugh now bc I have soy sauce in my bag 👨🏼🍳
#CookingWithZach
The conversation... More or less.
@USASwimming
: "Zach can you come to Austrialia for Short Course World's?"
Me: "Sure, when do we leave?"
USA Swimming: "We fly out in 8 days... "
Me: 😳 🫡 "Reporting for duty."
My swim at
@fina1908
Champions Series was the fastest I’ve gone in a while in season. And I got off the plane. 29 hours before the race. Tomorrow morning I fly to Knoxville for the TYR pro series. I land at 8p and race at 10:30a. As always, I’ll bring live updates.
The entire
@UofLswim_dive
contingent on the far side of the pool just went nuts when
@hartingz
got second. Now everyone line up to hug him. That was cool.
The secret isn’t having one good practice. But stringing them together like beads in a necklace. The more you string, the more you sting come Championship time.
There are those that are probably skeptical about my traveling and competing at the US Open these past 2 days (I probably would be haha) so I wanted to release a statement regarding my safety precautions to keep everyone safe:
It's with deep sorrow that I inform y'all that I'm scratching the 50 back because there's only 15mins in-between the 50back and 100 fly tonight. I'm happy to have made the B-final and will continue to grow as a 50 backstroker.
#statement
Excited to be swimming the 200 Fly, 200 IM, AND the 4x100 Mixed Free Relay at the FINA Championship Series in Indy! Come watch me smoke the 50 bk in the 2IM!
For those watching NCAAs, what y’all missed at the end of the 2medley relay was:
“Wow Louisville’s Mitch Whyte touches first giving the lead to Somov who only gives the lead to Nick who gives it to Haridi, clenching the program’s first ever national champion relay performance!”
Sucks for D3 and NAIA... they get their championship cancelled and D1 gets theirs. All comes down to money, not regard for athletes. If it’s safe for D1, then it should be safe for everyone. Classic NCAA, disappointing as ever.
Most of the time I swim about 6 miles/day... After reflecting on it all day, I’m proud to be able to have run 4 miles today. The furthest I’ve ever gone. The last 2 miles were faster than the first, and I don’t have shin splints yet!!
#progress
#Tokyo2020ne
Olympic medalists are being handed their medal on a platter instead of being put on them.. that is so infuriating to me. Covid isn’t even a valid reason with the situation in the stands, warmup pool, and village…No good.
Zach, how's your Olympic Trials experience going so far?
Well, I cut part of my finger off this morning, intentionally, with scissors this morning.. then super glued over my flesh wound. 🫡
Well I didn’t want to be the one to spill the beans… but WELCOME BACK to Zach’s Travel Tales!
Right off the bat, we’ve been delayed (until who knows when)… I think something was up with the plane??? But we’re hoping to fly out tomorrow.
#ZachsTravelTales
At this rate, here’s how I see the rest of 2020 going:
-Schools will get moved to online, and screw internationals.
-Football happening is laughable. And that will screw all collegiate athletes.
This can all be prevented with masks and social distancing. Your choice
Aaannnnnndddd welcome back to Traveling with Zach, for those new to the show, it normally doesn’t go smoothly. For those returning, you’re gonna get your money’s worth this time!
I’m off to finals in the 200 Fly here at World Championships! Red, white, and blue killing it in South Korea!
#FINAGwangju2019
@usaswimming
(📸: mike2swim) @ Gwangju, South Korea
Thanks for talking and announcing my team
@RowdyGaines
SIKE! 🤬🤬 (even after the race wow) we only led the whole relay start to finish.
#NationalChamps
FIRST NATTY CHAMP RELAY IN
@UofLswim_dive
HISTORY!! 🥳
I'm smoking today. I know that might upset some people, but I really think it's about what you smoke. Me, I'm smoking some pork butt and frankly I hope it turns out delicious.... Smoked meats are my favorite types of meats.
Aaron Shackel, the guy, that won the 400 free was on a Jr. National team trip (Jr Pan Pacs) where I was the National Team rep. So proud...see you in the 2 fly!
Wanna hear about my transition from college swimming? About The Dark Knight? Or my thoughts on World Champs?
If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then tune into
@USASwimming
Deck Pass Live tonight. 😉😎
Finished 6th at World Championships. I love racing the fastest flyers in the world... makes for a great day at the office.
#FINAGwangju2019
@usaswimming
(📸: mike2swim) @ Gwangju, South Korea
After executing some details a little better than this morning (and carrying the momentum of awesome swims from my team) I was able to drop .6 seconds off the prelim time and go an in season best.
#StraightOuttaChina
#TYRProSeries
Super happy with my performances this weekend especially under my less than ideal race conditions. Fun challenge I got to undertake. Great race to all the 2fly boys tonight.
Congratulations Nichole Harting for your commitment to throw the javelin and to continue your academic career at the University of South Alabama next year!! Keep working hard!
Incredibly proud of you!!!!
@BobJonesHigh
@hartingz
@BJHS_Track
My new daily routine is:
Practice
Lift
Breakfast w a tv show
30-1hr of video games (currently Halo 2)
30-1hr of board games
2hr nap
Practice
Dinner
Tv/Movie/Game
Man it’s great to be a pro swimmer. Love my job.
I can only imagine how many people I let down by scratching the 50 back this am. I'm sorry. The timeline estimated 12mins between the 6l50bk and 200 fly. I could not, in good conscience do that to myself hahahaha. Let's redo the order of events at the next timeline!
I know y’all be “busy” watching football all day but swing by ESPN 3 from 1pm- 3pm EST to check out the 1st European ISL meet. It won’t disappoint. I promise. 😁
One day you're winning gold medals at World Championships with Team USA, the next you're going through you're emails making sure your Buffalo Construction team has everything they need from you to be successful and
#BuildingBetter