The two weeks passed faster than anyone expected.

When Richard first announced the plan, most of the coaches thought he was insane. They whispered behind his back, complaining that it was impossible. They wondered how one man could identify the strengths and weaknesses of dozens of athletes in the entire country within a few days. Some even thought the list he handed out was random.

But the moment training started, their doubts began to crack.

By the end of day three, those cracks became shock.

And by the end of the first week, most of the coaches had swallowed their words.

***

Richard didn't raise his voice much. He wasn't dramatic. He simply observed, corrected, and pushed the athletes with a calm strictness that didn't allow argument.

Every athlete he selected had something special — raw speed, clean technique, insane potential, or an instinct in the water. And every athlete had a flaw. A flaw that held them back from reaching Olympic times.

Some flaws were small: slow turns, poor breathing patterns, weak finishes.

Some were major: inconsistent pacing, over-rotation, and lack of endurance.

Richard identified all of these within 72 hours, or more like Dayo identified them, and Richard formulated plans to solve them.

Many coaches were stunned. It normally took weeks, sometimes months, to figure out how a swimmer behaved under pressure. Some coaches didn't even see some flaws until competitions. But here, everything was laid out clearly.

The coaches also saw something else — Richard worked like a machine.

If an athlete wasn't practicing, he was in the office analyzing old race footage, researching their backgrounds, or talking to medical staff about their physical limits. He didn't brag. He didn't explain. He simply worked.

That attitude carried over to the entire coaching team.

By the end of the first week, most of them weren't even going home.

They slept in the national team facility like soldiers preparing for war.

And the athletes matched that energy.

Morning laps.

Technique drills.

Underwater work.

Endurance sets.

Video reviews.

Strength training.

Everyone was pushing. Everyone wanted to be one of the names chosen.

After all, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a second chance after not being chosen the first time. This alone made the athletes work like a well-oiled machine.

The Olympic Committee had already sent a notice that they would send officials to retest times in exactly two weeks. So the pressure was suffocating — but also motivating.

The athletes didn't want to embarrass the country.

The coaches didn't want to embarrass Richard.

It became a mission for everyone.

***

By the start of the second week, something crazy happened — the coaches had changed.

They used to look tired and annoyed. Now they looked tired and driven.

Their faces were pale from long hours, but their eyes were sharp. Anytime they saw Richard, they greeted him with respect. They followed his instructions without argument.

And Richard didn't relax either.

He kept the same tone and same discipline.

Strict.

Calm.

Precise.

He didn't praise unnecessarily, but he didn't insult anyone either. If he saw effort, he nodded. If he saw mistakes, he corrected them immediately.

The entire building was working like a well-structured military camp.

Even the athletes who didn't originally believe in the selection now understood why Richard had chosen them.

They improved.

Fast.

Some shaved off 0.5 seconds.

Some shaved off 1.2 seconds.

Some even shaved off 2 full seconds — an achievement that normally took months.

The atmosphere had shifted from doubt to excitement.

By the end of two weeks, everyone wanted to see the evaluation day.

Everyone wanted to know if their work would pay off.

***

The Evaluation Day came.

The Olympic Committee arrived early. Three officials stood near the pool with tablets and documentation. Blood and urine test kits were already prepared to prevent doping concerns. After all, the reason for this trial was because of doping, so the checks were extremely strict.

All selected athletes were present. Some looked nervous. Some whispered to themselves. One girl was pacing back and forth mumbling:

"I still can't believe I was called… I didn't even make the original trials…"

Another boy wiped his hands repeatedly on his shorts.

> "Man… I thought the email was a scam."

But they all stood tall. They had worked too hard to crumble now.

The coaches lined up behind their assigned swimmers, tired but proud. Some had eye bags so deep they looked like they hadn't slept in days — which was true.

Richard entered last.

The coaches straightened instantly, and the room quieted.

"Alright," he said simply. "Let's begin."

---

100 METERS FREESTYLE — EVALUATION

Seven swimmers were in the evaluation group. Dayo was in Lane 4.

He already knew his speed. He had tested it before. He didn't need to prove anything.

The whistle blew.

Like expected — Dayo finished first.

Three other swimmers behind him hit the Olympic Qualifying Time.

Two male athletes obtained the OQT time. One female athlete also hit the qualifying standard.

The Olympic officials nodded slowly, impressed.

Four qualifiers out of seven.

For a last-minute, two-week program, it was almost unbelievable.

---

200 METERS FREESTYLE — EVALUATION

Same energy.

Same focus.

Dayo was in Lane 3 this time.

The whistle blew.

He dominated again — smooth, powerful strokes, a clean finish.

He hit the OQT time by a comfortable margin.

Two more swimmers also hit the OQT.

The committee whispered to itself.

Coaches exchanged proud looks.

Richard only crossed his arms and nodded once.

---

OTHER EVENTS

Now it was time to see if the other events would follow the pattern.

100m Backstroke —

Three male swimmers hit OQT.

Two female swimmers hit OQT.

200m Backstroke —

Two swimmers hit OQT.

100m Butterfly —

One hit OQT.

The second was missed by 0.15 sec, but was still praised for drastic improvement.

200m Butterfly —

One hit OQT.

The second missed it by 0.22.

The committee still noted the progress.

400m Freestyle —

Two swimmers hit OQT.

The third was missed by a wide margin, understandable due to endurance issues.

Two events failed —

Richard expected this.

The U.S. had never been strong in those categories.

But overall…

More swimmers qualified for the Olympics in two weeks

than the U.S. swimming team had seen in almost ten years.

The officials were stunned.

One of them whispered:

> "This is unbelievable… but everything is legal. Their tests are clean, times are real."

Another nodded.

> "The U.S swimming. Team is back."

This is really madness, it felt like a cheat because under normal circumstances, after the drug scandal, the A team had been disqualified, the number of qualifiers should have reduced, instead it increased.

How ? was the question on everybody's mind

---

When the evaluations ended, the room was filled with a strange mix of exhaustion and pride. Some athletes hugged their coaches. A few cried quietly. The coaches looked like they had aged five years, but they were smiling.

Richard stood by the corner, arms folded.

For a moment, he allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.

Everything worked exactly as planned.

The head official approached him.

"Coach Richard… amazing work."

Richard simply nodded.

"Thank you. They earned it."

As the officials left, the coaches turned toward him, some clapping, some bowing their heads slightly out of respect.

For the first time, the national swimming facility felt alive again.

Two weeks ago, everyone doubted him.

Now, everyone believed in him.

And the path to the Olympics was finally open.

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