Bacon, Torok set to compete in 2022 World Championships
June 20, 2022 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
Torok races 200 IM on Tuesday, Bacon competes in 200 Back on Thursday
BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider MADISON, Wis. — Phoebe Bacon and Dominik Torok have never met, which might sound strange since both are members of the Wisconsin swimming and diving program and both are competing in the FINA World Championships this week.
Except Bacon is prepping to enter her junior season with the Badgers and Torok is an incoming freshman recruit. Not only that, Bacon is from Chevy Chase, Maryland, and will compete for Team USA, while Torok is from Budapest, Hungary, which is hosting the event.
Wisconsin men's and women's coach Yuri Suguiyama chuckled at the notion that two of his student-athletes will connect for the first time while six time zones away from campus.
"I know they both knew to look out for one another," he said.
As the UW veteran, U.S. Olympian and NCAA champion, it's reasonable to assume Bacon will coordinate the meeting.Â
"Phoebe has never been shy about talking to anybody, so I don't think that'll be that much of a problem for her," Suguiyama said.
The World Championships represent the highest-profile competition outside of the Summer Olympics. The meet represents two different challenges for Bacon and Torok.
Bacon is looking to enhance her international resume after finishing fifth in the 200-meter backstroke in Tokyo Games in 2021.
"Talking with her and hearing the way she's been training, she's in a really good spot," Suguiyama said.
Bacon qualified for the World Championships by clocking a personal best time of 2 minutes, 05.08 seconds in the U.S. trials. Suguiyama said the experience Bacon gained in Japan should benefit her when the 200 back trials begin on Thursday, June 23.
"The world championship is important," he said. "It's exciting. It's the biggest non-Olympic meet in our sport. But I do think there's a little bit more of a comfort for her now in that, 'OK, I've been there. I know what it's like. I know what's going to be like to see the Australians and the Canadians and the Chinese. I know in an international meet it's going to be different.'"
Knowing the sights, sounds, rhythms of a high-profile event from her time in Japan means "one less thing that she'll have to have a focus on," Suguiyama said.
Torok, meanwhile, is gearing up for his first big assignment. He won a silver medal in the 200 butterfly in the 2019 European Junior Championships, "but this is certainly a step up for him," Suguiyama said.
"This is his first taste of senior level international competition. For him, it's going to be getting experience. It's going to be 'What does it feel like to race some of these guys? What is it like to be in this environment? What's it going to be like to breathe that air?'
"Any experience is going to be good experience. The next time he gets to this level, he's going to be well-versed in handling it."
Torok, who competed for the Ferencvarosi Torna Club, is coveted by the Badgers for his versatility. He's strong in all four strokes, but especially the butterfly and individual medley. He qualified in the IM and is scheduled to begin competing on Tuesday, June 21. Suguiyama said Torok's reputation for strong conditioning gives him a chance to stand out in any race.Â
"He's going to come here and make a big impact for us," Suguiyama said, "but that first (major meet) is always an adjustment for athletes."
Â
UWBadgers.com Insider MADISON, Wis. — Phoebe Bacon and Dominik Torok have never met, which might sound strange since both are members of the Wisconsin swimming and diving program and both are competing in the FINA World Championships this week.
Except Bacon is prepping to enter her junior season with the Badgers and Torok is an incoming freshman recruit. Not only that, Bacon is from Chevy Chase, Maryland, and will compete for Team USA, while Torok is from Budapest, Hungary, which is hosting the event.
Wisconsin men's and women's coach Yuri Suguiyama chuckled at the notion that two of his student-athletes will connect for the first time while six time zones away from campus.
"I know they both knew to look out for one another," he said.
As the UW veteran, U.S. Olympian and NCAA champion, it's reasonable to assume Bacon will coordinate the meeting.Â
"Phoebe has never been shy about talking to anybody, so I don't think that'll be that much of a problem for her," Suguiyama said.
The World Championships represent the highest-profile competition outside of the Summer Olympics. The meet represents two different challenges for Bacon and Torok.
Bacon is looking to enhance her international resume after finishing fifth in the 200-meter backstroke in Tokyo Games in 2021.
"Talking with her and hearing the way she's been training, she's in a really good spot," Suguiyama said.
Bacon qualified for the World Championships by clocking a personal best time of 2 minutes, 05.08 seconds in the U.S. trials. Suguiyama said the experience Bacon gained in Japan should benefit her when the 200 back trials begin on Thursday, June 23.
"The world championship is important," he said. "It's exciting. It's the biggest non-Olympic meet in our sport. But I do think there's a little bit more of a comfort for her now in that, 'OK, I've been there. I know what it's like. I know what's going to be like to see the Australians and the Canadians and the Chinese. I know in an international meet it's going to be different.'"
Knowing the sights, sounds, rhythms of a high-profile event from her time in Japan means "one less thing that she'll have to have a focus on," Suguiyama said.
Torok, meanwhile, is gearing up for his first big assignment. He won a silver medal in the 200 butterfly in the 2019 European Junior Championships, "but this is certainly a step up for him," Suguiyama said.
"This is his first taste of senior level international competition. For him, it's going to be getting experience. It's going to be 'What does it feel like to race some of these guys? What is it like to be in this environment? What's it going to be like to breathe that air?'
"Any experience is going to be good experience. The next time he gets to this level, he's going to be well-versed in handling it."
Torok, who competed for the Ferencvarosi Torna Club, is coveted by the Badgers for his versatility. He's strong in all four strokes, but especially the butterfly and individual medley. He qualified in the IM and is scheduled to begin competing on Tuesday, June 21. Suguiyama said Torok's reputation for strong conditioning gives him a chance to stand out in any race.Â
"He's going to come here and make a big impact for us," Suguiyama said, "but that first (major meet) is always an adjustment for athletes."
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Players Mentioned
Free / Back / IM
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