"I was kind of nervous. I didn't want to be that girl who got the U.S. disqualified from the Olympics."

Beijing bling

Aggie Christine Marshall brought home fond memories and hardware from 2008 Beijing Olympics.

By: Brett Sebastian

Posted: 9/17/08

Senior swimmer Christine Marshall has another piece of hardware to go with her Aggie Ring - an Olympic medal. Marshall qualified for the Beijing Olympics in the 4x200 meter freestyle relay. She and her U.S. teammates took home the bronze behind Australia and China.

"It was really exciting," Marshall said. "It was my first international meet and I was really excited about swimming and representing my country. I tried not to put so much pressure on myself, but when you're swimming for USA you're expected to do well and be the best."

Marshall said the bronze medal is an accomplishment, but the most important aspect of her Olympic competition was the overall experience.

"The best thing about Beijing was just being there and swimming," Marshall said. "But going out after or just hanging out when not competing was a lot of fun too. Swimming with all of the elite athletes that everyone looks up to was cool. It's fun to be able to tell people Dara [Torres] was my suitemate or Christie [Magnuson] was my roommate, but they are just regular people like you and me."

Torres is the 41-year-old, 12-time medalist who began competing in the 1984 Summer Olympics. She won three silver medals in Beijing. Magnuson won silver in the 100-meter butterfly.

Marshall said the Olympic Village was accommodating.

"The best thing about the village was the breakfast," Marshall said. "They had everything you could imagine from around the world there. Everything was there for us, masseuse, chiropractors to pop your ribs back in place, the works."

During the Olympics, Marshall was one of several athletes who celebrated a birthday. Marshall turned 22 in Beijing.

"We all got Snickers bars, put a candle in the Snickers bar and that was my birthday cake" Marshall said. "I think my parents are getting me a real birthday cake when I go home though."

Marshall said she was surrounded by celebrities.

"I met Vince Vaughn, George Bush and George Bush Sr., Kobe [Bryant], LeBron [James], Jason Kidd and Chris Sr., Kobe [Bryant], LeBron [James], Jason Kidd and Chris Paul, and a bunch of cool people," Marshall said.

Marhsall also met Michael Phelps who broke Mark Spitz's Olympic record by winning eight gold medals in eight competitions.

"Phelps is a good guy," Marshall said. "He conducts himself well. He was eight for eight and is a superstar. He's making swimming look really good."

Marshall said, despite the accommodations and pageantry of the event, she was still a member of the U.S. National team and was in China to swim. It was hard for her to see the national team as her true team.

"The team environment here at A&M is more of a family," Marshall said. "U.S. swimming is more individual oriented. You can't make a team that fast and have the type of bond that we have. I'm used to saying there is my competition, Katie Hoff, now all of a sudden you're teammates. You raced against them and competed against them in trials; it just seems kind of forced."

The U.S. led the way with 12 gold medals and 31 medals total. Second place Australia had six gold and 20 medals total.

"It was awesome training with them," Marshall said. "I learned so much because they are the best athletes in the world. I learned to be smarter about my races, what to do, what not to do, how to act and how everything you do reflects on yourself."

On the day of the 4x200 race, the feeling of swimming on the world stage finally sunk in for Marshall.

"I was kind of nervous," Marshall said. "I had the slowest relay start ever. I didn't want to be that girl who got the U.S. disqualified from the Olympics."

Marshall did not get the U.S. disqualified and was the first Aggie swimmer to receive a medal.

"If you're going to be an Olympian you got to be cutthroat," Marshall said while reflecting on what it took to get to Beijing. "Everyone always talks about growing up to be an Olympian. But thinking about everything I had to go through, making up your mind and putting in the time, work, effort and heart. You've really got to put everything in."

At the end of the day, Marshall said the Beijing games helped transform her.

"I'm a lot more motivated," Marshall said. "I was thinking about quitting after my senior year, but now I want to keep swimming. Even though I lived in a hotel for two and a half months I love it and want to travel more. I want to go pro and do good representing Aggies and my family."