Four gold medals in international competition sounds like a dream come true for any college athlete.
For one LSU swimmer, the medals and international competition experience are just the next step in achieving her Olympic-sized goals.
Junior Amanda Kendall returned to Baton Rouge on Monday after participating in the Pan American Games last week in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Pan-Am Games occur every four years in the year preceding the Summer Olympic Games and feature athletes from across the Americas.
In her first international meet, Kendall participated on three record-setting relay teams and swam in one individual event, the 100-meter freestyle, taking gold in all four races.
The Fairfax, Va., native’s performances put her in position to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic swim team and compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Kendall said making the Olympic team will depend on “who gets their hand on the wall in the top six” at the Olympic Trials this June and July. Her best 100-free time at the Pan-Am Games is listed as the seventh-fastest time in the current U.S. Swimming cycle.
Kendall missed three LSU meets while participating in the Pan-Am Games but will swim with her team in LSU’s meet against Alabama on Nov. 4.
Swimming Coach Dave Geyer said he’s proud of Kendall’s accomplishments in Mexico and is glad to have her back in Baton Rouge.
“We’re starting to look at the lineups for next week, and it has been nice to put her name in there a couple of times,” Geyer said. “That definitely helps our women’s lineup down the road.”
Geyer said Kendall will focus on preparing for the Southeastern Conference and NCAA Championships until the collegiate season ends, at which point she and her coaches will concentrate on the Olympic Trials.
“It’s certainly in the distance a little bit,” Geyer said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Kendall said while she was swimming with an American flag on her swim cap, she was also representing LSU and her Tiger teammates.
“It feels really awesome to bring [the medals] back here and show them to all of my teammates and just know that I was out there swimming fast for the U.S. and also for all of my teammates back home,” Kendall said.
During Kendall’s first swim in Mexico, the LSU swimming and diving squads were on the road in Florida for two dual meets. Geyer said it was exciting to watch how the team supported Kendall from afar.
“There wasn’t wireless in the hotel except for in the lobby, so it was neat because a lot of her teammates came down to the lobby and had their laptops up to watch the race,” Geyer said. “They were obviously happy for her.”
Kendall attributed her success in the Pan-Am Games to her coaches at LSU, including Geyer and assistant coach Lance Asti.
“I have all my faith in Lance,” Kendall said. “Whatever he tells me to do, I do it.”
Asti said Kendall’s continual progression into an elite swimmer is largely thanks to one thing in particular — commitment.
“She’s committed to her training and doesn’t question what we do,” Asti said. “She doesn’t just do it; she destroys it.”
Asti said Kendall has committed herself outside the pool and has focused on increasing her strength, which has served her well in competition.
“Commitment to nutrition, getting her sleep and the details that a lot of athletes neglect are a huge factor for her,” Asti said.
 
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Contact Scott Branson at [email protected]