O’TOOLE: Hard to say how it will shake out. These guys aren’t going to put their all into it until the end. But oh, Flood is pulling ahead of Rogers. I don’t believe it!
DAVIS: Fourth turn. If you see the line, you can see that Flood and Rogers are both moving ahead of the world record set by Rogers last year. I don’t believe it. How great does Flood look?
O’TOOLE: It’s a remarkable story. I don’t believe it either.
DAVIS: Does this change the makeup of Team USA?
O’TOOLE: I think it might. I didn’t think Flood had a chance, but now…. Last turn! And here’s Rogers. And Flood. They’re neck and neck in the last stretch. Who knew Flood could do this anymore? Rogers is in the lead, but oh my God, Flood is gaining on him again! And it’s…. Flood wins the race! I don’t believe it!
DAVIS: Well, there you have it. Isaac Flood is headed to his fourth Olympics. And he looks thrilled….
Transcript from the TBC broadcast of USA Diving Olympic Trials
GREGORIUS: Timothy Swan will perform a back three-and-a-half pike, an incredibly difficult dive.
MICHAELS: He’s made quite a few headlines lately.
GREGORIUS: True, but not for his diving.
MICHAELS: Still, he’s one of the most beautiful divers in the world. He’s been doing well in international competition, but there’s a lot of competition, especially from the Chinese and Mexican divers.
GREGORIUS: Do you think he can repeat his gold medal from four years ago?
MICHAELS: Not sure. He really came out of nowhere to win that gold medal. No one expected him to even be in the running. He just had a great day. It remains to be seen if lightning can strike twice. But he’s my favorite of the American divers to do well in Madrid.
GREGORIUS: And he’s a favorite of the tabloids too.
MICHAELS: A very public breakup will do that.
GREGORIUS: Not to mention he’s one of the few out gay Olympians. That’s gotta be tough for him.
MICHAELS: Let’s watch him dive. And… beautiful! Just beautiful.
GREGORIUS: I only hope he can keep his personal life out of the news going into the Olympics. I’d hate to see that affect his performance. Otherwise, he’s guaranteed a spot on the team….
Chapter 1
August, five days before the Olympics
ISAAC HAD done this three times before, so it probably shouldn’t have surprised him that his room in the Olympic Village remained unfinished. It smelled of fresh paint and plaster, the bedding had been left in a haphazard pile on the bare mattress, and the bathroom had neither a shower curtain nor any paper products.
The previous Olympics had been this way too, although that building had also featured shoddy construction. Everything here at least seemed structurally sound. Just… not quite ready for people yet.
He sighed and dropped his luggage on the bed. As a senior member of the American team, he’d managed to score his own room, due to his need for quiet and focus or whatever bullshit Adam had fed the US Olympic Committee. Singles were rare; Luke had told him on the plane that his jealousy was intense because he’d be bunking with a wide-eyed nineteen-year-old new to international competition. Isaac had laughed.
But the joke was on him. This room was a shithole. Bare white walls, a single dresser that seemed to be made of particleboard, a thin mattress on a cheap frame, and the most bare-bones bathroom he’d ever seen. Although maybe the other rooms weren’t much better.
His phone chimed with a text from Adam: Pool time in 30 mins.
And that was another thing. He’d been in this godforsaken city all of an hour, and Adam wanted him in the pool already.
At least the location itself wasn’t so bad. Madrid boasted a certain Old World beauty as the host city. Isaac had never been here before; the only city in Spain he’d ever visited previously was Barcelona. This, at least, was not one of those countries with an authoritarian regime that didn’t care much for—or actively condemned—men such as himself who occasionally liked to be with men.
A headache blossomed behind his eyes. Probably dehydration.
He dug his water bottle out of his backpack and walked over to the bathroom sink, only there was no water when he turned the knob. Of fucking course.
The Aquatics Center would have showers, though. Isaac quickly moved stuff around in his bags, changed into warm-up pants and a T-shirt, and hoisted his duffel bag onto his shoulder.