TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The number right now for Florida State athletes in the Olympics is nineteen. Five different sports and close to a dozen countries are represented in that number going to Rio.
Former Seminole swimmer Pavel Sankovich will swim for Belarus in the Games, and while competing in the Olympics is new ground for several athletes, for Sankovich, it's familiar territory. This trip will be his third, as he compete in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games before coming to Florida State in 2013.
"I just know my body a lot better," he said of his veteran status. "I know what I want to do before the meet, what I don't need to do, and how to prepare myself mentally. I get ready to race properly in a way that works for me."
Sankovitch quick to point out that being a veteran doesn't mean there aren't butterflies, as being nervous is a good thing.
"Every time it's a new experience because you can learn so much in swimming," he added. "Right now, I'm 26 and I have 19 years of experience in swimming, but every week I'm learning something new. It's a lot of stuff to discover."
Sankovitch will swim in the 100m fly in Rio.
