He just signed with the Cali Condors in the ISL, where eight-time Olympic medalist Jason Lezak serves as the General Manager. “I am pretty excited,” he said. “I think it is going to be a lot of fun. I am excited to see where it takes the sport of swimming.”
Haas won two medals at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, for Team USA. He won the gold in the men’s
4×100 meter freestyle relay and the bronze in the men’s 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay. “That was good. It was a lot of fun. All around, I thought it was a good meet,” he said. “It was a good learning experience for next year,” he added.
Each day, Haas is motivated by the goals that he hasn’t reached yet. “That’s a big part of it. A lot of my motivation comes from my love for the sport. I enjoy what I do and it’s a lot of fun, to be honest,” he said.
In addition to his prowess as a freestyle swimmer, he considers the “butterfly as his second-best stroke.”
On the impact of technology on the sport of swimming, Haas said, “Technology is definitely an interesting thing. It’s a big part of swimming. There was a whole super-suit era back in 2009. I think the suits now are getting to be the best they can be under the current regulations. Caps and goggles are relatively similar to what they’ve been in the past.”
Haas shared that he uses such technology as NormaTec for recovery purposes. “I also use the massage guns,” he said.
For young and aspiring swimmers, Haas encouraged them to “listen to their coach.” “Keep trying and keep working hard. It is not going to be perfect all the time and keep pushing through it,” he said.
Haas praised the USA Swimming Foundation for the “awesome work” that they do. “It’s super important to know how to swim, even the very basics such as keeping yourself afloat,” he said. “Swimming is something that every young kid should learn. It’s a lifelong skill.”
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Haas won the gold medal for Team USA in the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay race, where he swam the fastest split in the final (1:44.14). “That gold medal didn’t sink in until afterward,” he admitted.
In the little spare time that he has, Haas enjoys relaxing and playing video games.
Haas defined success as follows: “If you try your hardest, did everything you could do and did your best, then regardless of the outcome that’s a success.”
For his fans and supporters, Haas expressed, “A huge thank you to everyone.” “It is awesome to know that people are behind you, even if they are cheering from the stands,” he said. “A massive thank you to everyone.”
To learn more about Olympic swimmer Townley Haas, follow him on Instagram.
