Teammates, friends gather for watch party to cheer on Claire Curzan at the Olympics
Posted July 24, 2021 10:34 p.m. EDT
Raleigh, N.C. — Family, friends and teammates gathered on Saturday night to watch Cardinal Gibbons High School senior Claire Curzan.
Curzan finished tenth in the semifinals and did not advance to the finals.
Still, about 100 people gathered at Cardinal Gibbons' stadium to watch Curzan race.
The race that Curzan was swimming in did not air.
"We were really excited to watch her. Heat 1 was about to come up [and] I guess the interviews for the previous swim went a little bit longer than expected," said Jonah Turner, the head swimming coach at Cardinal Gibbons.
After the Olympics came back from commercial, Turner said that's when he realized Curzan's heat wouldn't be shown.
"It came back and we noticed it was on Heat 2. The two Americans, Claire and Torie, were both in Heat 1, so we realized what's going on? I checked the phone and I was able to see what she swam," recalled Turner.
Despite missing the finals, Turner said Curzan did a great job.
"She swam faster than she did this morning. her goal was to make the Olympic team and that's exactly what she did," he said. "She made us all so proud here at Gibbons, her family at TAC-Titans, her summer team. She's done an amazing job."
Despite not being able to see Curzan race and missing the finals, it was still a joyous moment at the watch party.
"[There's] nothing to be upset about. We're just welcoming her back with open arms," said Turner.
Turner said he's proud of what Curzan has accomplished.
"I was excited to see her score the Top 16 and then have an opportunity to try and make the Top 8, but again, I'm so proud of her. She swam better tonight. Some of the girls swam a bit faster," he added.
It's just the beginning for Curzan, according to Turner.
"In three years, she's got Paris [Olympics] coming up, and later in the week, there's the 400-meter relays and the 400-meter mixed medley relay, so coach's decision [but] she might have a shot to swim in one of those in prelims, so we'll see," said Turner.
Despite being unable to watch Curzan swim live, Turner said he'll still be sure to watch a replay of it.
"To see her swim against the elite competition ... it's just something really incredible. To watch it, even if it's delayed, it's important to me," he said.
Turner, who has been the coach at Gibbons for 20 years, added that Curzan is a special athlete.
"Claire has got a unique talent. You know, she's an elite athlete, but more importantly she's extremely humble," he said.
