Indiana University Athletics
Miller Gaining Momentum Heading Into 2016
12/15/2015 9:47:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Cody Miller's mother began putting her son in the water when he was no more than a toddler. She grew up never learning how to swim and didn't want her son to do the same.
All told, it ended up being a pretty smart decision.
Miller, an Indiana graduate, won the 100 and 200 breaststroke events at the 2015 Duel in the Pool hosted by the IU Natatorium this past weekend, setting two American records in the process. The wins give Miller, 23, some much-needed momentum heading into an Olympic year with Olympic Trials just around the corner.
"Definitely some big moments," Miller said, reflecting on the weekend. "Weekends like this are huge. It's still kind of settling in."
Miller's weekend got off to a bit of a surprising start Friday in an event he wasn't even favored in among the Americans.
He won the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:02.33, barely edging world record-holder Daniel Gyurta of Hungary and shaving five-hundredths off of the previous American record set by Kevin Cordes two years ago at Glasgow, Scotland.
Beating Gyurta was a surreal moment, Miller said, because he grew up idolizing the defending Olympic champion. Miller used to study and emulate Gyurta in the pool when his competitive career was only beginning to take off as a teenager.
"You beat a guy who's been one of the best breaststrokers in the world for years," Miller said. "It meant a lot because he was pretty much my hero."
A good weekend only got better on Saturday when Miller set a second American record in as many days. He won the 100-meter breaststroke in 56.43, once again clipping the previous American record set by Cordes two years ago.
Miller has long stood out among the 200-meter breaststrokers, but he's begun to have just as much success in the 100, if not more. The latest win goes alongside his first national title in the 100-meter from a year ago.
"I try to train for both," Miller said. "I try not to think of myself as one or the other, but it's improving drastically."
The second win capped a rewarding weekend for Miller at a pool he considers home. He had more than enough fans there supporting him between his mother, fiancé and a few Indiana swimmers who made the drive up to Indianapolis to watch.
Miller still trains in Bloomington with his college coaches and the Indiana team. He's on his sixth year training at Indiana and doesn't have plans to stop any time soon.
"You don't want to change something that's working for you, right?" Miller said.
It's hard to question Miller's training when the results back him up.
"I wouldn't keep doing it if it wasn't working," he said. "I've had a lot of success there and I've improved every season."
Miller isn't taking much time to celebrate his Duel in the Pool wins. He leaves Wednesday to compete in Oklahoma City and plans to stay busy on the touring circuit between now and the summer's Olympic Trials.
The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro certainly weigh on his mind, but Miller said he isn't changing anything about his swimming routine between now and then. He said athletes too often try to do too much during an Olympic year and can sometimes beat themselves.
So he'll keep himself busy between training in Bloomington and touring the national swimming circuit.
And by the time the Olympic Trials do come, he said he'll be ready.
"When people ask me how I prepare and what I think about, well, I try to treat it like any other year," Miller said. "When that big year finally comes around, people all of a sudden become over-concerned with it, over-worried and try to do different things and stress out about it. I'm trying to just stick with what works well and focus on the little steps each meet. Just take it day by day."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Cody Miller's mother began putting her son in the water when he was no more than a toddler. She grew up never learning how to swim and didn't want her son to do the same.
All told, it ended up being a pretty smart decision.
Miller, an Indiana graduate, won the 100 and 200 breaststroke events at the 2015 Duel in the Pool hosted by the IU Natatorium this past weekend, setting two American records in the process. The wins give Miller, 23, some much-needed momentum heading into an Olympic year with Olympic Trials just around the corner.
"Definitely some big moments," Miller said, reflecting on the weekend. "Weekends like this are huge. It's still kind of settling in."
Miller's weekend got off to a bit of a surprising start Friday in an event he wasn't even favored in among the Americans.
He won the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:02.33, barely edging world record-holder Daniel Gyurta of Hungary and shaving five-hundredths off of the previous American record set by Kevin Cordes two years ago at Glasgow, Scotland.
Beating Gyurta was a surreal moment, Miller said, because he grew up idolizing the defending Olympic champion. Miller used to study and emulate Gyurta in the pool when his competitive career was only beginning to take off as a teenager.
"You beat a guy who's been one of the best breaststrokers in the world for years," Miller said. "It meant a lot because he was pretty much my hero."
A good weekend only got better on Saturday when Miller set a second American record in as many days. He won the 100-meter breaststroke in 56.43, once again clipping the previous American record set by Cordes two years ago.
Miller has long stood out among the 200-meter breaststrokers, but he's begun to have just as much success in the 100, if not more. The latest win goes alongside his first national title in the 100-meter from a year ago.
"I try to train for both," Miller said. "I try not to think of myself as one or the other, but it's improving drastically."
The second win capped a rewarding weekend for Miller at a pool he considers home. He had more than enough fans there supporting him between his mother, fiancé and a few Indiana swimmers who made the drive up to Indianapolis to watch.
Miller still trains in Bloomington with his college coaches and the Indiana team. He's on his sixth year training at Indiana and doesn't have plans to stop any time soon.
"You don't want to change something that's working for you, right?" Miller said.
It's hard to question Miller's training when the results back him up.
"I wouldn't keep doing it if it wasn't working," he said. "I've had a lot of success there and I've improved every season."
Miller isn't taking much time to celebrate his Duel in the Pool wins. He leaves Wednesday to compete in Oklahoma City and plans to stay busy on the touring circuit between now and the summer's Olympic Trials.
The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro certainly weigh on his mind, but Miller said he isn't changing anything about his swimming routine between now and then. He said athletes too often try to do too much during an Olympic year and can sometimes beat themselves.
So he'll keep himself busy between training in Bloomington and touring the national swimming circuit.
And by the time the Olympic Trials do come, he said he'll be ready.
"When people ask me how I prepare and what I think about, well, I try to treat it like any other year," Miller said. "When that big year finally comes around, people all of a sudden become over-concerned with it, over-worried and try to do different things and stress out about it. I'm trying to just stick with what works well and focus on the little steps each meet. Just take it day by day."
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