BY Linda Hass//Correspondent
One of Ariana Kukors' strengths in the IM is the backstroke, so
you'd think she would play that ace for all its worth. But you'd be
wrong. It may seem counter-intuitive, but she has learned that if
she beats it in the back, she can quickly deplete her energy for
the remaining strokes.
"It's tempting to go all out in your strong strokes, but my race
strategy is to maintain a steady tempo in the back," said
Kukors.
Her coach, Sean Hutchison, agreed.
"For Ariana, the backstroke is the key,” Hutchison said.
“If she uses her legs too much, not only does it deplete her
energy for the next stroke, it sets up her arm tempo so that it's
too slow for the next transition."
Resisting the temptation to over-do your strong stoke is a
common challenge for many IM specialists, he added.
Another important strategy for Kukors is to stay in her own lane
mentally and not be distracted by competitors' positions.
"I try to stay focused on my own race and not get caught up in
where everyone else is," she said.
While she has a general idea of competitors' locations, based on
peripheral vision, she does not allow herself to become preoccupied
with it.
Kukors has come a long way from the stroke of her original
preference: the 50 freestyle.
"There was not a lot of strategy to it," she said chuckling.
“I just went as fast as I could."
So why did she switch from the shortest, fastest sprint possible
to the individual medley, which requires finesse and power in four
strokes?
"I didn't choose it; it chose me," she said. "I found that I
could do it well, and I have grown to love it."
She also has grown to do it very well. Kukors finished 2007
ranked seventh in the world in the 400m IM and has qualified for
the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming in nine events,
including the 200m and 400m IM.
