Sometimes it helps to have friends in high places.
Nic Fink, a Georgia alum, took home second place in the 100 meter breaststroke Sunday. It may have been the event of the Olympics so far, with the difference between the gold medal and fourth place being .08 seconds. Fink actually tied with Adam Peaty of Great Britain, finishing .02 seconds off the gold medal pace.
The silver medal was the first of Fink’s Olympic career. During a televised interview on NBC, the interviewer – fellow Georgia alum Maria Taylor – hesitated for a second before reaching for her phone and telling Fink she had a surprise for him.
The surprise caller via FaceTime? Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart.
“Go Dawgs! Silver medalist, I’m so pumped,” Smart said. “I was a breaststroker back in high school, I was pumped.”
“Wow, this is very cool,” said Fink, totally surprised by the call from Smart.
Taylor added that Fink hoped Smart would help him get some national championship tickets, with Smart quickly adding that the Georgia team had to get there first.
Fink also is set to become a father soon, which Smart also congratulated him on as well. Fink is married to Georgia alum Melanie Margalis, who won a gold medal in swimming at the 2016 Olympics.
“I’ve been blessed to have big moments on TV, but this will be something different entirely,” Fink said.
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