John Feinstein
John Feinstein, author of The Majors. This book pulls off that near impossible feat.

Book Description
Read about seven members (five medalists) on the U.S. Olympic team, including: Megan Quann, gold medalist, 100 breast, 400 medley relay, Kristy Kowal, silver medalist, 200 breast and Lindsay Benko, gold medalist, 4 x 200 relay, and three other Olympic Trials finalists and semi-finalists, including Kristine Quance-Julian and Keiko Price. Athletes at all levels and in all sports, as well as coaches, officials, and parents, will find inspiration in the stories of athletes trying to come back from a car accident, injury and pregnancy; athletes trying to step up to the elite level; and athletes trying to maintain their position at the top of the sport. Also included in the book is helpful information about technique and training, as well as discussions of current issues such as; high-tech swimwear, eating disorders, and performance-enhancing drugs.

About the Author
Lois Melina, a contributor to Swimming World, followed nine of the top female swimmers in the United States for more than a year leading up to the 2000 Olympic Trials, and continued their stories through the Olympic Trials. Of the nine swimmers, six qualified for the 2000 Olympic team, and of those, five won medals in Sydney.

SYNOPSIS

The top swimmers at the U.S. Olympic Trials all have talent, desire, determination, and years of hard work behind them. Only two in each event make the Olympic swim team. What makes the difference when the top eight finalists leave the blocks to go for those top two spots?

By a Fraction of a Second tells the stories of nine female swimmers, during the year-and-a-half leading up to the 2000 Olympic Trials. Representing different parts of the country and specializing in different events, they include American record holders, members of the 1999 Pan Am and Pan Pac championships teams, NCAA swimmers and members of the U.S. National A Team, including Kristy Kowal, Lindsay Benko, Kristine Quance-Julian, and Keiko Price.

Based on exclusive interviews with the swimmers and their coaches, By a Fraction of a Second tells the role confidence plays in winning -- and how easily it can be shattered. How success can sometimes be as hard to cope with as disappointment, and what motivates a swimmer day after day to try to become one of a handful of elite athletes who can call themselves Olympians.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

From John Feinstein, author of The Majors and A March to Madness:

It is almost impssible for a non-swimmer to understand what elite swimmers go through to reach the top of their sport. This book pulls off that near-impossible feat.  — John Feinstein

From the Foreword by Summers Sanders, 1992 Olympic gold medalist: