By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam
SwimSwam sat down with Olympic champion Chris Guiliano to get his perspective on a whirlwind of a year. Guiliano discusses in detail the investigation that ultimately landed the Notre Dame men’s swimming a 1-year suspension as well as the ripple effects of that suspension, which saw Guiliano land in Texas under Bob Bowman.
- 0:00 Chris Guiliano Introduction
- 1:32 Adjusting to Texas
- 10:24 Going Through Investigation
- 15:55 Swimming at the Olympics
- 19:14 Reacting to 1-Year Suspension for Gambling, Culture Issues
- 29:42 Training After the Suspension
- 34:07 Deciding on Texas
- 38:54 Graduating with a Notre Dame Degree
- 41:25 Progressing to Olympic Champion
- 48:09 Moving Forward
after our conversation, Chris Guiliano emailed me with some additional thoughts he felt were important to this story:
First, I want to acknowledge the hardship that the men at Notre Dame are still facing. Months ago, in August or September, we were asked to write a statement regarding NCAA reinstatement. Those of us who did not place any bet on swimming received reinstatement pretty quickly. On the other hand, everybody else was put on hold. Weeks and weeks go by for them, hoping to hear back about their eligibility. Unfortunately, the process continued to drag along until a few weeks ago, when they were directed to resubmit their statement.
Swimming was a lifestyle and a time to escape everything else going on around them-it brought us all together every day. The suspended athletes were forced to find other activities to find joy in because there was no plan to allow these high-level athletes to get back in the water any time soon. After many discussions, and given the roster reductions that every team has been facing, it was determined that the program is moving on without any of these athletes.
After the investigation, the university presented us with their own view on several matters. Throughout the fall, most of the team met with the university’s Office of Community Standards (OCS) surrounding the culture. Team members had to contextualize everything about our culture to OCS. Respectfully, it would be difficult for any outsider to understand how people can communicate with each other, as many things were taken out of context. Additionally, the freshmen at the time had to testify on behalf of the accused individuals regarding their emotions about certain issues that OCS had, emphasizing that hazing was never an issue. The investigation by R&G also concluded that. These are my best friends, and I will continue to say that we promoted growth as students, athletes, and love for one another.
During one of my meetings with the administrators, I was informed that the NCAA viewed our actions as a Level III violation: the least severe breach of conduct. However, ND already made their own decision for what they thought was best in the future. Furthermore, we acknowledge that we were not perfect and made mistakes that put us in this mess.
I had been so accustomed to hanging out with my best friends for 20 hours a week, and it came to the point where I was rarely seeing them as an off-campus senior. In the fall, I felt very emotional about what I was doing during training. There were several practices where I broke down in tears, questioning the purpose behind swimming, as I often lacked motivation. For the first time ever, I felt trapped in a space where I felt the safest-a place where I could escape. After I made my decision to transfer to UT, much of that anguish had gone away, but I knew those around me were still affected.
I have been very impressed with how all of the boys have handled the situation. I am very optimistic about the future of the program because I have been able to witness the work ethic, talent, and care among the freshman boys.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Chris Guiliano Opens Up About Notre Dame Team Suspension, Move to Texas
