The aquatic stadium in Paris was noisier than usual. The warm-up sessions for the preliminary rounds were underway, with swimmers moving in and out of the lanes like a restless tide. Countries were gathering, coaches were whispering strategy, and spectators were already filling early seats even though the main events were still a day away.

Dayo stood beside Coach Richard near one of the warm-up pools, both of them watching the chaos in silence for a moment.

Richard finally broke the quiet.

"So," he asked, "what do you think? What are your thoughts on the field?"

Dayo exhaled slowly and glanced around again. There were countless swimmers—some calm, some jittery, some already dripping from warm-ups. He could see the tall Australians on one side, the Japanese sprinters on the other, athletes from China, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, South Africa… the world was here.

"Well," Dayo said, thinking it through, "for 50 meters, I don't really have a threat. Maybe one or two fast guys, but nothing too crazy."

Richard nodded, already knowing that.

"For 100 meters… I have one or two strong competitors," Dayo continued. "They're sharp. I've seen their old races. Their starts and turns are tight. I'll probably have to focus more for that one."

"And the 200?" Richard asked.

"The 200 is the scary one," Dayo admitted honestly. His eyes scanned the crowd again. "There are a lot of monsters here. I'm seeing really good swimmers everywhere. Even people I didn't expect. It's like everyone saved their best for this Olympics."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "So… do you think you can win it?"

"There's a chance I won't," Dayo said calmly. "The 200 is too unpredictable. But there's also a chance I will. I'll just take it as it comes."

Richard respected that answer. Dayo wasn't bragging. He wasn't pretending. He was simply stating the truth. That was one thing the coach actually liked about him.

"And what about the team overall?" Richard asked.

"Oh, the U.S. is definitely taking medals," Dayo replied without hesitation.

Richard stared at him. "And how do you know that?"

Dayo scratched the back of his neck and forced a small smile. "Let's just say… I checked the numbers. We have more qualifying athletes than any other country this year. And most of them are strong. They aren't here just to participate. They're here to grab medals."

Richard chuckled. "You sound confident."

"Not confident," Dayo corrected. "Just realistic."

Richard shook his head lightly and patted Dayo's shoulder. "Alright. Warm up properly. Don't do anything risky."

"Got it."

---

Heats – Day One

Just like the national trials, the organizers made sure big names didn't clash early. The heats were structured to avoid early elimination of top swimmers.

50m.

100m.

200m.

Dayo stepped into each event calm and focused.

For the 50 meters, he barely pushed himself. One dive, clean strokes, smooth finish. He placed first with ease.

For the 100 meters, same thing—controlled pace, comfortable first place.

For the 200 meters, he pushed only as much as necessary. First place again.

There was nothing dramatic about it. He handled each heat like a training session. Swimming experts online would later call it "the quiet domination"—clean, silent, efficient.

---

Later That Evening

Dayo and Evan walked side by side toward their respective hotel rooms. Evan still looked a little overwhelmed; this was his first Olympics. And even though he qualified beautifully, the pressure was real.

Evan sighed. "Bro… how do you do it?"

"Do what?" Dayo asked, pulling off his hoodie.

"Three events," Evan replied. "Look at me. I'm doing only 50 meters and I feel like my head wants to explode. You're doing 50, 100, 200. How? Are you not tired? Do you not feel pressure?"

Dayo stretched his neck slightly. "Of course I feel pressure. But I don't think about it too much. I just take it one step at a time."

Evan nodded slowly, then leaned on the wall. "Just… be careful, man. If the events clash, you might have to give one up. You know how the Olympic committee is. They don't shift schedules for anyone."

Dayo nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm just hoping the schedules don't overlap. Worst-case scenario, I'll drop one."

Evan stared at him. "Drop one? You're competing for three medals. How do you even decide?"

Dayo smiled. "If it comes to that… I'll figure it out."

They both laughed softly.

"Alright," Evan said. "I'll see you tomorrow. Rest well."

"You too."

---

Back at the Hotel

Dayo stepped into his room, took a shower, and changed into simple clothes. Moments later, his phone vibrated.

Valery calling.

He answered, smiling lightly. "Valery, what's good?"

"It's been a while," she said, her tone warm. "Just checking in."

"Yeah, I've been busy. Everything okay on your end?"

"Everything's fine," she replied. "Just wanted to update you. One of our artists was selected to perform during the opening ceremony."

"Oh? Who?"

"Rex."

Dayo nodded. "Nice. He deserves it."

"Yeah," she said. "Wanted to tell you before the news spreads. And also… how's Paris? How's the Olympic atmosphere?"

"It's good," Dayo said. "Crowds are huge. Pressure is crazy. But everything is moving smoothly."

"And your events?" she pressed.

"So far so good," Dayo replied. "Heats were easy."

Valery exhaled in relief. "That's good. The company's stable too. All the artists are pulling their weight. No drama for now."

"That's rare," Dayo joked.

She laughed. "Exactly. Anyway, I won't keep you. Just wanted to check in."

"Thanks. Talk later."

"Sure. Take care."

The call ended.

---

Later That Night

Dayo lay on his bed staring at the dim ceiling. His body was relaxed, but his mind was working. He wasn't nervous, just preparing mentally.

Tomorrow would be the elimination races.

Then the semifinals.

Then the finals.

The main stage.

The biggest swimming event in the world.

Dayo closed his eyes and breathed deeply. No fear. No shaking. Just readiness. He had survived scandals, attacks, betrayals, fame, downfall, and rebirth. Swimming wasn't the hard part of his life. Not anymore.

This was just another challenge.

And he was ready.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.