Swimming: Reid opens up about Olympics omission

Will Johnston

Taranaki swimmer Zac Reid has opened up about missing out on the New Zealand Olympic team.

The squad for the 2024 installment, starting this week, was announced in April with Reid missing, despite attending the World Championships last year.

He needed to finish under 3:46.78 in the men’s 400m freestyle at the qualifying event but fell short with a time of 3.48. He chose to enter the 200m and 400m events after he earned the nod for the Tokyo Olympics in the 800m freestyle.

In a candid interview on The Most FM Sports Show on Saturday morning, Reid, 24, said missing out on the team was devastating.

“At the time, I was very emotional and overwhelmed,” he said. “I remember getting out of the pool and my old man was there, I embraced him and bawled my eyes out.

“But to know I gave it everything I could that day, there wasn’t much I could do.”

He picked himself up and supported his teammates as there were three days left in qualifications.

“I didn’t want to be that guy moping around and letting everyone down. My roommate qualified and I was happy for him.”

It had been a cruel period for Reid. He had to skip the 2022 Commonwealth Games after hip and labrum surgery, then suffered a bout of long Covid. He admits he’s dealing with more niggles.

It was a long recovery from his first surgery and had to bounce back from anxiety in the pool and remove any expectations of himself.

“It’s the fear of failure that stops you from giving it your all,” he said.  

Reid works closely with a sports psychologist and said part of being an athlete is being ok with failing but learning how to deal with it.

He’s not writing off the next 2028 Olympics either. He said the next 10 months are important for him to reset and stay fit and healthy.

Now back at home in New Plymouth after a 16-month stint in Wellington and Dunedin, Reid has a new focus. He was recently appointed as Fitzroy Surf Lifesaving Club’s head coach and is preparing for the upcoming summer.

It’s a move he’s relishing, calling home a “safety net.”

“I’m happy to be back here and to find myself outside of the pool, it’s cool that I have that here.”

Having fun outdoors and getting back to a club where he started swimming was a motivating factor in applying for the job.

He admits Fitzroy isn’t the strongest club in Taranaki but there’s a blank canvas to rebuild it.

“It’s not all about the performance side of things, it’s about the social side, having fun down at the beach and learning to be safe in the water.”

Reid said the club is looking to enter the Mount Monster endurance race at Mount Manganui in December.

“It will be a slog and grind at the start.”

He also wants to show young athletes there is a pathway from local pools to the Olympics.

“You can do it from here.”