“Basically when we lost [in the] CIF [Southern Section Division I playoffs] last year in the quarterfinals, it sent me down,” Linden said. “I was just like, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’
“Our team put so much mental stress [into defending the section championship]. Our coach [Jason Lynch], he’s a hard [coach]. He pushes us pretty hard, so it was like a mental breakdown.”
Lynch never allowed Linden to sink further.
The athlete wanted a break. Coach gave him a break, the winter break.
Three days into the holiday season, Linden figured it out. He’s far better at breaking records than taking a break.
“Right now,” Linden said if he wasn’t swimming, he might be at his “house eating, or doing nothing.”
Linden’s parents don’t have to worry about their son being lazy. John and Shari have seen Linden turn into a record-setter at Newport Harbor.
Linden helped the Sailors set two records last week in the 200-yard medley and 200 freestyle relay events at the Sunset League championships, where he also won the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley and shared the swimmer of the meet honor with Edison’s Tom Shields.
“I never thought I’d be compared with Tom Shields,” Linden said of the UC Berkeley-bound senior.
Next for Linden is chasing another school milestone, the 100 butterfly. Linden won the league event in 50.71 seconds, so close to the 1983 mark of 50.69 set by Newport Harbor’s Jon Ballack.
There is time to possibly surpass Ballack, as Linden will compete today at the CIF Southern Section Division I championships at 6 p.m. at Mt. San Antonio College, where Newport Harbor is in contention for its first section title since 2002.
The relays must come through again for the Sailors.
