A crowd of swimmers exits the pool and huddles around a girl brandishing a tattoo, staring in awe at the bright artwork on her skin.
Puddles start to form under their feet while the girl apologizes that her new ink "doesn't look as good as it should" due to the Vaseline that has been applied to protect it from exposure to chlorine.
The tattoo is, in fact, under a thick coat of grease. However, no apology is needed because this is not just a tattoo meant for looks, it's a symbol.
Katarina Simonovic made her Olympic debut this summer in Rio de Janeiro. The senior ASU swimmer competed in the 200 and 400-meter freestyle as her 14-year love affair with swimming finally paid off.
A modern tradition among Olympic athletes is to get a tattoo of the Olympic rings after their first games. Simonovic is not someone who wanted to shy away from that ritual.
— Kat Simonovic (@Kat_Simonovic) August 20, 2016
"I didn't want just the original rings because I wanted something else added to it, so I got the traditional olive wreath around it to represent a lot of different things," Simonovic said. "In the original games, they would place an olive wreath around each participant's head, and it was a big deal. It represented the growth it took to make it this far."
Simonovic said she wanted the tattoo on her forearm so she could see it every day.
A journalism major at ASU, Simonovic was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. Despite this, she represented Serbia in the Olympics.
Both of Simonovic's parents are from Serbia, giving the swimmer dual citizenship. The International Swimming Federation allows swimmers in this situation to pick which of the two countries they would like to represent.
Once a swimmer declares their decision, they cannot change it. Simonovic chose Serbia, then competed on its national team to seal the decision.
"I have felt myself grow over this summer," Simonovic said. "You gain an appreciation for the process it takes to get to this level."
Simonovic said she's excited for her senior year and is ready to soak up every last minute of it.
ASU assistant coach Dan Kesler accompanied the 21-year-old Simonovic to the Olympic qualifiers in Rome. He thinks Simonovic is ready for a great year despite new pressures of reaching new success.
"She's in such a good spot right now. I don't see anything getting in her way," Kesler said. "Everything is going perfectly for her unless there is some unforeseen obstacle in the future."
Kesler added that he thinks Simonovic is in the best shape of her adult life.
"She worked hard this summer, and she's coming into a season better than she ever has before," Kesler said.
Simonovic is not the only one on the ASU swimming team to make it to the Rio Olympics. Two of her teammates, seniors Richard Bohus and Anna Olasz, qualified as well.
Kesler said the coaches’ expectations for Simonovic this year are simply that she gives her best every day.
Simonovic is one of four captains on ASU’s swim team this year. With one of the biggest freshman classes the swim team has ever seen, her role of being a leader has heightened. Simonovic said one of her goals as captain is to bring her Olympic experience to the team and incorporate that in a fun way that builds a healthy culture.
James Scott, ASU swim team freshman, said he looks up to Simonovic as a swimmer and noted how inspiring she has been so far this season.
"She is not afraid to yell and motivate anyone, she's team captain and wants to see everyone putting in their best effort," Scott said. "Her mentality is incredible."
According to Simonovic, her swimming career will end after the 2017 World Championships in Budapest.
"I want to be able to start my professional career as a journalist," Simonovic said. "I don't want to do internships at 35 with a bunch of college students."
For now, Simonovic will continue her final season for the Sun Devils. ASU's first swim meet is Oct. 7 at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Complex in Tempe, Arizona.
Related Links:
Rio 2016 Blog: Kat Simonovic takes the Summer Olympics
ASU swim and dive breaks numerous school records, men defeat U of A
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