Building Confidence: How Luca Urlando Conquered the World Championships
Some athletes splashed. Many let out screams of exhilaration. The thrill of victory filled the air at the recent World Championships in Singapore, as many of the world’s best swimmers displayed their emotions in triumph. None, however, spoke volumes like the celebration of Luca Urlando. There was no slapping the water. No sitting on the lane line. Just his fist raised in triumph, visibly fighting back a flood of emotions.
“It was such a long journey to get back to the point I felt I deserved to be at,” Urlando said in a recent interview with Swimming World. “To get something tangible was really just incredible.”
Urlando has had quite the journey over the past six years. The American has navigated being one of the sport’s young stars, while also dealing with a myriad of injuries and setbacks. But with a win in the 200 butterfly at the World Championships, Urlando has established himself in the upper echelon of the sport. More, in balancing the mental and physical hurdles thrown his way, he has become the swimmer he always dreamed of, albeit in a way he never felt was possible.
Blocking Out the Noise
“Swimming’s next star.” “The next Michael Phelps.” Luca Urlando heard it all when he arrived on the national scene as a 16-year-old sensation. Urlando took the swimming world by storm as a youngster, notably by shattering Phelps’ seemingly unbreakable 15-16 National Age Group record in the 200 fly. Urlando went 1:53.84 to lower Phelps’ mark of 1:53.93, a world record when it was set.
Like any teen swimmer, Urlando enjoyed the attention to an extent. But to the Northern Californian, the newfound popularity had its effects.
“I had so many things, like articles being written about me, that fed me confidence extrinsically when I was younger,” Urlando said with a laugh. “I was giving too much emphasis to uncontrollable factors, like how people view you, and what people say.”
Part of this was caused by how unnatural the spotlight felt to Urlando. He’d grown up introverted and now found himself at the center of the limelight.
“Coming from someone who is naturally shy, and then having people want to know you, I was like, ‘this feels so good,’” he said. “I had to realize that (person) was never quite who I was, that center of attention.”
It wasn’t until adversity hit Urlando, however, that he came upon this realization. Two serious shoulder injuries and the pandemic put the swimmer in a state of negativity, unlike he’d ever experienced.
“I think my mindset was way more on proving other people wrong, than proving myself right,” Urlando said. According to Urlando, even his great triumphs, like breaking the American record at NCAAs, felt less impactful due to his outlook. “I had proved to other people I could compete at that level,” he said. “But it wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be.”
Learning to “Be Luca”
After yet another injury set him back in 2022, Urlando knew it was time for a change. The University of Georgia standout shifted his focus toward seeking motivation within himself, instead of relying on others.
“It took 18 months, but I was able to feel confident in where my fuel came from,” Urlando said. “I’m trying to race myself every single day, because if I can do that, I won’t be distracted by what’s around me.”
The butterflyer uses a variety of techniques to ensure a proper mindset, starting with how he approaches practice in the pool.
“I think for the longest time, I’d approach training, and wait to feel amazing and have this great set,” he said. “But it’s really shifted to, ‘I’m gonna do what I can do right now, everything else will come later.’”
The new mindset has allowed Urlando to “live in the moment,” as he described it, letting him focus on each practice and set singularly. But it also allowed him to be himself, something he hadn’t felt in years.
Urlando returned to taking time for himself when needed, and he became comfortable with his introverted nature. “I realized it’s okay to be selfish sometimes,” said Urlando. “If I need time to not talk to anyone, to put in my headphones, I need to do it.”
Through finding space for himself, Urlando was able to grow into his happiest, fastest self.
“The more I try and emulate the best version of myself, the better athlete and person I’ll be,” Urlando said.
The Race of a Lifetime
As he approached the summer season, it was clear Urlando was in better mental shape than ever before. However, Urlando was well aware of the potential roadblocks ahead. As he sought a spot at the World Championships, the 200 butterfly featured a deep field.
“For me, it was just about finding ways to continue doing what made me successful,” Urlando said. “(I told myself), ‘just stick to the plan, and use the tools you’ve learned to get right back to where you want to be.’”
Urlando was able to do exactly that, in not only making the team, but eventually capturing the world title. In the final, Urlando raced to a time of 1:51.87 to comfortably claim gold. He attributed his consistency outside of the pool to his consistency in the pool as well.
“The biggest thing I’ve emphasized is maintaining and executing, my rhythm, my details, and everything that I know sets me up for success,” said Urlando.
Urlando acknowledged he hasn’t yet mastered the art of consistency. But through creating a happier, healthier self out of the pool, Urlando is at his most dangerous inside of it.
“That feeling (at Worlds) is something that when you’re in it, it’s amazing, and afterward, you just wanna chase more,” said Urlando. “My goal is to recreate it.”
