“It feels amazing to be in New York, especially on the 50th tour stop, since I remember the first one,” Jones said about the “Make A Splash” initiative. “New York is home for me. I was born in the Bronx, and I grew up in New Jersey. It is nice to be back.”
Jones won a gold medal in 2008 at the Olympic Games in Beijing in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, as well as a gold medal in the 4×100 meter medley relay in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. While at the London Olympics, he also won two silver medals in the 50 meter freestyle and the 4×100 meter freestyle relay.
As part of Team USA, Jones holds the world record in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, which they set in 2008. “I am actually wearing the world record ring right now,” he said, pointing to the ring. He also serves as an ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation, where he is raising awareness on water safety and drowning prevention.
Each day, Jones is motivated by the goals that he sets for himself. “We are always motivated by our goals to move forward, and we are afraid of our failures of moving backward,” he said.
Jones’ advice for young and aspiring swimmers is to watch swimming videos on YouTube as much as they can. “Watch Michael Phelps and watch Katie Ledecky swim on YouTube and figure out why they are so fast,” he said. “Stay focused on your goals and keep pushing,” he added.
“Young swimmers have so much at their fingertips that us older swimmers didn’t have. Utilize all these things. There is so much more knowledge now than there was in the ’90s and the ’00s. You can be just as good as any of us, but please be better,” he elaborated.
On May 29, Jones will be a part of the “Make A Splash” Tour in Memphis, Tennessee, along with fellow Olympic medalists Elizabeth Beisel and Rowdy Gaines; moreover, on June 5, Jones will visit Corpus Christi, Texas, where he will be joined with fellow Olympians Josh Davis and Rowdy Gaines.
Digital transformation of aquatics
On the impact of technology in aquatics, Jones said, “I remember in 2008 my coach, David Marsh, taught me so much about technology and how to use science to be a better swimmer. I call him the ‘mad scientist.’ Technology and science have brought me to the level of an athlete that I am today. I couldn’t have done it without David.”
“I feel that technology is keeping swimmers in the sport longer. More importantly, technology is keeping the U.S. on top,” he said. “You can’t overlook YouTube. The young swimmers get to watch us swim every single day and mimic everything that we do. That helps them become better swimmers.”
In regard to biomechanical analysis for swimmers, technology has helped with analyzing velocities, hand position, and strokes, among other useful information.
Jones defined the word success as “controlling the controllables” for him. “I can control what I can eat and I can control my warm-ups,” he said. “I spent too much time on what the scoreboard said, while I should have spent more time on the process, and making sure that I did all of the things that I could control.”
To learn more about four-time Olympic medalist swimmer Cullen Jones, follow him on Twitter.
For more information on the USA Swimming Foundation, visit its official website and its Facebook page.
