With several school records and an Olympic debut already under his belt, it’s safe to say that Georgia senior Luca Urlando is making a name for himself in the world of swimming.

Now that the collegiate swim and dive season is in full swing, the Sacramento, California, native discussed his Olympic experience and how it’s shaping his season thus far.

Q: What did Paris teach you about yourself and your athletic abilities?

A: It taught me that I still have a lot more to go in terms of mental preparation. Physically, the qualification process took a lot to get to that point, but there’s still always room to grow and new opportunities to learn.

Q: And how would you say you’ve applied that to your swimming so far this season?

A: I think being patient with myself. Thinking about the details and the little things that add up in big moments, in big races, I say that’s the biggest thing.

Q: I read that you had a pretty brutal shoulder injury sophomore year. How did it feel to make it to the Olympics after having so much adversity in the beginning?

A: Ah, a dream come true.
I mean, nothing can really compare to so many hours of work and dedication that, you know, was not really accounted for, but that outcome was what I desired.

Q: So, was the Olympics always your dream when you were a kid?

A: Yeah, without a doubt, yeah.

Q: What surprised you about your Olympic experience?

A: A lot of the things I imagined going into it — not that I was let down by any means — but, it was just completely different. Like, there were things that were similar; I knew all the countries that were gonna be there and that experience would be really cool. But you have no idea until you get there … I’m still kind of processing it right now.

Q: How do you think your perspective surrounding swimming has changed since the Games?

A: I’d say that it’s not as — it sounds kind of weird — but, it’s not as serious as I thought it was. It really is (just) swimming. You can’t think about it as life or death. You kind of have to think about it like, “Alright, I’m swimming this race and this race. I wanna have one or two things to think about specifically.” Instead of thinking like, “If I don’t do this, I’m screwed,” you know? Kind of take things one step at a time instead of trying to overwhelm yourself with all the different things that you need to do.

Q: How has the transition been from obviously super high-level competition at the Olympics back to college swim?

A: It’s still pretty high level. I swim against guys who are Olympic medalists, like from Florida or other universities — so different, but similar.

Q: I saw that your dad was an athlete here.
Did that have any effect on your college decision, or no?

A: Yes and no. I mean, it’s super cool that he went to school (here). My mom actually went here too, for her master’s degree, so I’ve always been a Georgia Bulldog, but I didn’t necessarily know that sports were so big here and that they had such a history of swimming until I started getting recruited in high school. It was nice that it fell into place, that it just worked out.

Q: So, you’ve set lots of records. I’ve seen the list. Do you have any specific goals for this swim season?

A: Just get my details right, and everything else will come.

Q: Alright, final question. Do you already have your eyes set on Los Angeles? Or are you just kind of focusing on the here and now?

A: I mean, definitely focusing on the here and now, but ultimately L.A. 2028 — that’s the goal. SoFi Stadium — it’s gonna be so awesome.

Alexis Johnson is a junior public relations major earning the sports media certificate.