Eli Dershwitz has recently come back from the 31st Olympiad in Rio de Janiero where he competed in what was his first Olympic Games, representing the United States in Male Saber Fencing. Being a club-mate and a good friend of mine – and as my friends will joke: a personal hero of mine – I had no qualms over using up my data to watch him fence live in Rio from the shoddy coach bus I was riding in Israel. Eli came into Rio ranked 10th in the world for his event, but unfortunately was knocked out the first round and ended up placing 19th. Being a friend and fellow fencer, I thought I’d ask the now-Harvard sophomore and Olympian from Sherborn, Massachusetts, a few questions about his Olympic experience.
Q: When did you decide you were going to go for the Olympics?
I decided I was going to train full time for the Olympics after the 2015 U20 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Winning the gold medal in the individual event, and becoming the first American male to ever win a world title in Saber really gave me a huge confidence boost that if I pushed myself in training for the next year and a half, I could make the 2016 United States Olympic Team.
Q: Were you confident you were going to make Rio? Or was your initial goal further down the line?
I was always confident that if I gave my absolute all to my training, and dedicated every aspect of my life to athletic improvement, that I would put myself in a good place to qualify. I never told myself "I have to qualify." I just told myself that all I can do was put everything I had into something that I loved to give me the greatest chance to succeed.
Q: What was the road to Rio like? Were you confident you were going to make it? Were you ever disheartened or scared?
I was definitely a little disheartened after the first few tournaments of Olympic Qualification. At the end of the previous season, I had some really good results when I was still training as a student athlete at Harvard, but the first few tournaments after I started training full time did not go so well. I was questioning whether taking time off was the right thing, or if my training regimen was actually making me a better overall athlete. But, with a few more tournaments, and a little more experience with managing my training, my results slowly started improving for the rest of the year of Olympic qualification.
Q: When did you finally know you were going Rio and what did it feel like to know you’d accomplished such a feat?
I knew I qualified after the grand prix in Seoul, South Korea in early April of this year. It was the first senior international tournament that I have ever medaled at, and coming home with that gold medal to end the Olympic Qualification season meant the world to me, as well as motivated me to keep working hard as the Olympics got closer and closer. It did feel amazing at the time, but I didn't dwell on the fact that I had qualified for too long, since I wanted to get back to work as soon as possible.
Q: What was the “processing” process like?
The team processing before the Olympics was amazing. Getting so much cool gear was awesome, but it was even better getting to go through the process with all my Olympic teammates from so many different sports. The energy just a few days before leaving for the Olympics was indescribable, and it felt amazing to be starting my Olympic journey with so many other energetic individuals who were ready to perform on the world stage.
Q: What did it feel like when you finally moved into the Olympic Village? With the poster with your face on it and the Rocky quote?
Moving into the Olympic village was a moment that really hit me hard. I was looking at all of these buildings and facilities that were going to house the world's best athletes for the next few weeks, and I just thought to myself, I deserve this. I worked so hard to get here, and now I am just going to enjoy the moment. The poster on my door was just some extra motivation to keep my focus for the week I was in the village before I competed.
Q: What were you thinking during the March of Nations?
The March of Nations was probably the most exciting few minutes of my life. Walking out of the tunnel and hearing how excited the crowd was filled me excitement. I was literally marching out with most of the world watching, thinking to myself about all the long hours that it took to get there, all the sacrifices, all the practices, all the healthy meals, all the people that ever doubted me and how it had all come together in this moment.
Q: Was there any particular athlete you were excited/nervous to see? (I saw your SnapStory with Michael Phelps and the entire Basketball team)
There wasn't any single athlete in particular I was overly excited to meet, but it was pretty cool meeting Michael Phelps, Jordan Burroughs, Justin Gaitlin, Allyson Felix, most of the USA Basketball team as well as a few other famous Olympians.
Q: Did you have any particular routine the night before your event? The morning of? Did it add or take away anything knowing you’re ranked 10th in the world, that you’re the youngest fencer in the top 25, and that this was your first Olympics?
I didn't do anything different for this tournament than I do for a regular World Cup or national tournament. I just tried to follow my normal routine to prepare myself as best as I could. Being the youngest fencer in the top 25, and being at my first Olympics definitely helped motivate me to just enjoy the moment, and not let the pressure get to me since I was very young compared to the rest of the crowd.
Q: What were you thinking during/after your bout with Van Holsbeke (BEL)?
I don't remember anything from during my bout with the Belgium since it was all a blurr and adrenaline rush, but immediately after I was obviously very disappointed with my performance. It did make me feel better being able to cheer for my teammate Daryl for the rest of the day and watch him make history with his historic silver medal finish.
Q: How was the rest of your Rio experience? What did you do on the days you didn’t have to compete (both before and after)?
The rest of my Rio trip was filled with hanging with friends and family, relaxing throughout the city, as well as exploring and visiting all of the exciting destinations that Rio has to offer.
Q: What was the most exciting Rio moment for you?
Most exciting rio moment would definitely be wakling out of the tunnel during the opening ceremonies knowing that all of my friends and family were watching from so many different corners of the globe.
Q: What were you most excited/anticipated for once you came home?
Once I came home I was most excited about going back to college and being able to be with friends 24/7 once again. Just being back on campus and always having things to do and friends to hang out with all the time was definitely something I missed while taking my year off from school to train full time.
Q: What are your future plans?
I will graduate from Harvard in 2019, hopefully win a few NCAA titles along the way and then the end goal is a Gold Medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Thank you and congrats to Eli, as well as the rest of Team USA, for qualifying to Rio and doing a spectacular job. To Eli in particular though: I can’t wait to fence you when Harvard and Brandeis go head-to-head; I’ll see you in Indianapolis.
