Feb. 29, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Washington, D.C. - Georgetown University junior Goran Bistric (Saugus, Calif./William S. Hart) speaks to his older brother, Igor, via phone on a daily basis. For the younger Bistric, it's not just an opportunity to keep in touch with his sibling in California, but to continue to learn from someone who knows the rigors of collegiate swimming.
Igor, a former UC-Santa Barbara swimmer, remains a coach to Goran, not allowing him to rest on his success and keeping him motivated from over 2,600 miles away.
"In terms of swimming he obviously knows my potential hasn't been reached, while everyone else is congratulating me, he's telling me that I can still get better," Bistric said. "He's my biggest fan and my biggest critic."
At last week's BIG EAST Championship, Goran became the first Georgetown swimmer since John Willey in 1999 to earn a medal, finishing fifth in the 200 backstroke in a time of 1:48.86, a school-record and the 96th fastest time in the United States this year. With all the California native has overcome, the congratulations are certainly in order, but the influence of his older brother makes it just as certain that he will not rest now.
"His next step is NCAA's and I know that's where he's thinking as well," Georgetown swimming and diving head coach Steve Cartwright said. "That's a realistic possibility for his senior year."
Entering his junior year the expectations for Bistric were not as high.
"One of the biggest goals we set before the season for Goran, it wasn't about strength or times, it was to stay healthy," admitted Cartwright. "That's the only thing on our minds that we wanted to achieve for him."
But that notion has been easier said than done for Bistric, who admitted that the last time he swam a full season completely healthy was during his sophomore year of high school. During his junior year of high school Bistric began experience pain in his ankle.
"I could barely walk and people kept telling me it was all in my head until finally my Mom said she would take me to get an MRI," Bistric remembered.
The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed torn ligaments and a fracture in his right ankle. Furthermore the overcompensating for the injury led to further problems down the road, including a broken left ankle.
His injury problems persisted after arriving on the Hilltop, but it never broke him. Despite the pain, he was still able to qualify for the BIG EAST Championships and set school records in the 100 and 200 backstroke during his freshman year. A strained patella tendon limited his time in the pool during his sophomore year, but again, he qualified for the BIG EAST Championships and broke his own school records in the 100 and 200 backstroke.
"Goran is one of the, if not the hardest working people on the team," Cartwright said. "We knew if he could stay healthy this season he was going to do some incredible things and he's absolutely done it."
During the Friday at the BIG EAST Championship, Bistric shattered his old mark in the 100 backstroke by close to a second, helping boost his confidence and setting the stage for his performance in the 200 backstroke.
In the preliminary round, Bistric finished eighth in a time of 1:49.98, becoming the first Hoya swimmer to break 1:50 in the event and qualify for the evening's final. In the evening, Bistric came back to swim a 1:48.86, finishing in fifth place to earn the Hoyas' first medal since 1999.
But even with his accomplishments, Bistric has been more concerned with the development of the team, helping motivate his teammates in the same way his older brother continues to motivate him.
"We're all brothers, we all take care of each other and look after one another," Bistric said. "We want to take this program to a new level. From where it was when I was a freshman to where it is now, especially now since we have a medalist, had swimmers make finals at BIG EAST, so many new school records. The mindset now is people are here to win and be a part of a team."
