Olympic Trials put on hold for Fox Chapel swimmer Skirboll

Zoe Skirboll finished an in-pool workout last Saturday at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill knowing it probably would be the last opportunity to swim for several weeks.

The Fox Chapel sophomore was in the midst of training for the USA Swimming Olympic Trials, still scheduled for June 21-28 in Omaha, Neb., when her options were put on hold as facilities all throughout the region were shuttered as part of the ongoing safety measures taken to combat the spread of the covid-19 virus.

Skirboll, who has qualified for the Trials in the 50-meter freestyle and 100 breaststroke, understands patience is necessary as the region, country and world deal with a situation far greater than sports.

“It’s frustrating being out of the pool for so long, but I certainly understand with what is going on throughout the country and the world,” she said. “Staying safe is the most important thing right now.”

The focus now for Skirboll is about two hours of what she calls “really intense” dryland training every day.

“With the dryland, I am confident I am keeping up my shape for whenever I am able to get back in the water,” she said. “Everyone is in the same position. It gives me confidence knowing that I am not the only one out of the pool. I just have to be prepared physically and mentally to swim at the Trials, whether that’s at the end of June or at a later time.”

Despite the global pandemic, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, set to begin July 24, are still on as scheduled.

“If the Olympics are on for the same dates, the swimming trials will have to go on,” said Jim Skirboll, Zoe’s father and coach with the Racer-X club team based out of Deer Lakes High School.

“The International Olympic Committee needs to make the first call. It’s tough because not too many people are swimming in this country right now. If there are some athletes training right now, it’s not a level playing field for everyone. It’s putting a lot of stress on coaches and swimmers, but we know we have to abide by what is going on right now with social distancing.

“Zoe’s doing as much as she can to stay in shape, but it’s still not the same as swimming.”

Skirboll was scheduled to go to a USA Swimming Eastern Zone long-course sectional meet in Buffalo on March 26-29 and was planning to attend a high-profile long-course meet in Mission Viejo, Calif., next month.

“Throughout the entire country there is a very real and intense effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus,” USA Swimming said in a statement. “As responsible leaders, we need to continue to take appropriate steps and ensure that every decision we make is one with a focus on the health and safety of our athletes, members, staff and volunteers.”

The next national long-course meet on the USA Swimming schedule that hasn’t already been postponed or canceled is in Indianapolis from May 6-9.

Skirboll last summer earned her qualifying marks in the 50 free (25.94 seconds) and 100 breast (1:10.46) and has worked to add additional events to her Trials portfolio.

She gained momentum with a season-best time in the 400 individual medley and fell just short of a couple of other season bests at an Allegheny Mountain Swimming Junior Olympic meet at Pitt’s Trees Pool on March 6-8.

“Zoe swam nine events. We didn’t rest her,” Jim Skirboll said. “She looked strong and confident.”

Skirboll said she also made strides a couple of weeks ago at an Olympic Trials long-course qualifier in Orlando, Fla., also attended by U.S. Olympians Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Lochte and Katie Ladecky, among others.

“She did pretty well there,” Jim Skirboll said. “She swam some off events to see if she could get some additional qualifying times.”

As a freshman, Skirboll won a WPIAL Class AAA championship in the 100-yard breaststroke and captured a state title in the 200 IM.

With her Olympic Trials training in full swing, she decided not to swim high school this year.

“I missed swimming for the high school team, but I felt it was just unfair to the team for me to sign up for that commitment and then miss the amount of days I knew was going to miss,” she said.

But Skirboll said she made sure to keep track of the Foxes swimmers, and said she was elated to see all of the individual and team accomplishments, including the WPIAL and PIAA 100 butterfly titles won by freshman Sophie Shao.

“I couldn’t have been prouder of all of them,” she said. “They represented Fox Chapel so well.”