Commonly Asked Questions
I wish I could respond to all of your lovely messages regarding the blog but anonymous asks clutter up this blog—please e-mail or tweet me! And know that I read every single message so thank you :)
What does “heat” and “seeded” mean?
In big swim meets, there are more people competing in each event than are spaces in the pool. So swimmers will be separated into multiple heats to race against a smaller pool and those with the highest times from all of the heats will move onto the semifinals and soforth. Seeded is basically another way of saying “ranked”. If you’re seeded first in the race, you have the fastest time in the event out of all of your competitors.
What is a textile best?
Textile Best refers to the newer suits. During the Beijing era they used suits that were more rubber than fabric. Those suits were full bodied, and actually MADE the swimmer more buoyant in the water. They practically floated. Almost every World Record was eliminated during that time period because of the advanced technology that went into the suits. Suit wars began with each company making more and more hightech suits. Winning could come down to which suit you had access too. In 2010 they banned those suits, and everyone went back to fabric suits. Textile. So most of the WR’s made during the hightech suit era still stand. Now we’re looking for “textile best” which is the best time in a NON-hightech suit.
Why is your blog name NathanBDAdrian?
The BD isn’t his middle name (which is Garjun just FYI). BD stands for “Berkeley Dreamboat” which is one of his nicknames from Cal (read in an interview). Well deserved, right? ;)
At the Olympics, did Nathan give his mom the flowers first or the high-five first?
Nathan high-fived his mom and then threw her the bouquet. Fact: It was adorable.
Where are the cartoons on the blog from (and any other questions related to those cartoons)?
I did not draw them. They were reblogged and if you click to the post, there is a link to where it was originally reblogged from.
Is Nathan putting off medical school to train for the 2016 Olympics and will he return to Berkeley to train?
Yes and yes! He has committed to staying in Berkeley and continuing to train for Rio at Cal Aquatics as part of his endorsement contracts. He is most definitely training for the next Olympics although he will take a little time off after this one to have some fun. After 2 Olympics, Cal swimming, and a tough academic schedule, he is ready for a break
Have you ever met nathan in person?
YES :)
What qualities does Nathan look for in a girl?
I don’t know Nathan personally so I couldn’t tell you more than what I’ve read but from Girl’s Life: “I like spontaneity and intelligence in a girl. Nothing is more attractive to me than someone who has a good sense of who she is and can hold her own in a conversation.”
Is Nathan gay or in a relationship?
He’s always talked about liking girls in interviews but he, like most people, has never said explicitly that he’s straight. He has said that he’s single and nothing is known about his past relationships. Either way, whatever his sexual orientation or his relationship status, we’re going to continue supporting him! Because yeah—he’s good looking. But isn’t his amazing swimming more important than that?
Where can I watch the Olympics live or replays of the races?
If you missed the NBCOlympics.com or the BBC iPlayer livestreams, they usually post the videos on their websites after a few hours. Check periodically and I will try to get any embedded videos of the race onto the blog. If you’re in a country outside of the US, you can use a VPN to get to the NBC or BBC streams.
Does Nathan have a Facebook?
Yes, but he’s exceeded the number of people he can add on Facebook. Even if you add him, you’ll get a message from Facebook saying that his friend list is over capacity.
Where do you get your photos from?
Very deft Google searches.
Is he religious?
A submission stated that he used to go to go to a youth group but beyond that, I don’t know.
Do you know his political views?
He hasn’t stated anything on his political views.
Does Nathan speak Chinese?
No, his mother speaks Cantonese but he never went to Chinese school. He does want to learn how to speak Mandarin though!
Does Nathan have a fanmail address?
No :(
Does Nathan have a tatoo of the Olympic rings?
No.
What kind of car does he drive?
A Prius.
Is Nathan religious?
According to a follower, he’s Christian.
What do you know about his ex-girlfriends?
Absolutely nothing.
How much dead weight can he lift?
240 lbs.
For an actual Q&A he did recently, check this link out!
