Puts shared that he is really excited about the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. “It will be my first Olympic Games since I missed the 2016 Olympics by 0.03 seconds,” he said.
Regarding his daily motivations, he said, “My motivation is to become better every single day and to reach my goal to swim fast at the Olympics.”
On being a swimmer in the digital age, he said, “It’s easy to record technique, see results, and to measure things. It makes training easier now we can film and record more things.”
He noted that at the moment, he isn’t using any technology for recovery purposes, he is relying on good food, rest, and physical therapy.
Puts noted that winning the 2016 World Championships (short course) in the 50 meter free is his proudest professional moment thus far in the sport of swimming. “It was so amazing, it was so unexpected,” he exclaimed. “I worked so hard to go there and try to win a medal but becoming a world champion is something special.”
He listed the freestyle as his personal favorite stroke in swimming. “Freestyle, it’s the fastest stroke and it’s just about how it makes me feel,” he explained.
For young and aspiring swimmers, he said, “Always listen to your heart and do what you like. If you don’t love what you do it’s going to be a long and hard road.”
On his definition of the word success, he responded, “Succes, for me, is more than just swimming fast and winning medals. Of course, that is the base but it’s also about helping other people, motivating them, and just about enjoying the journey. If all of these things apply I feel I have ‘real’ succes.”
For his supporters, he concluded, “I would like to thank everyone who ever supported me or cheered me on. But the people who help or helped me day in, day out i’m not able to thank them by words alone. My succes is also theirs, we are in this together.”
To learn more about world champion swimmer Jesse Puts, follow him on Instagram.
