AUBURN, Ala. - When Luis Martinez envisioned his experience in the 2020 Olympic Games, the image that came to mind was not quite what the real experience would come to be.
Unlike his Olympic debut in Rio in 2016, the Tokyo Games presented an unprecedented set of challenges, including the postponement of the games a full calendar year because of COVID-19. Like many others, Martinez had no choice but to adapt and push through.
While the stakes remained the same, the feel of the Olympics was very different for Martinez and the rest of the Olympians in Tokyo. That, however, did not change the drive and the goals he so clearly set many years ago. He wasn't satisfied with simply going for a second time. He wanted to make the podium, to bring a medal home.
"(Tokyo) was vastly different," Martinez said. "In Rio, I was extremely nervous. The first three days in Tokyo didn't even feel like the Olympics. It didn't feel like I was in the final until seconds before I was about to jump into the water. I think it was a combination of being excited and aware of my surroundings. It was still going to be the biggest meet of my life."
Though Martinez didn't win a medal in Tokyo, he became the first person from his home country of Guatemala to reach a final in any swimming event by qualifying for the men's 100-meter butterfly final. The former Auburn swimmer finished seventh-fastest in the world with a time of 51.09, a new personal best and just 0.35 seconds from third place.
"In the end, I was extremely happy with my results," Martinez said. "I was very overwhelmed with emotion, even though my goal was to win a medal. Regardless of the result, the Olympics are the pinnacle of the sport. That was probably the fastest field ever in the (100m) butterfly, so that was very gratifying.
"Competing on behalf of Guatemala was crazy. I was getting a lot of messages, calls and positivity sent to me, which I think was another reason I did well in the final. I knew I had a lot of support behind me, even if the spectators weren't there. It was an honor to be the first person from my country to get a second swim, and even more so a final."
Had the Olympics taken place on time a year ago, Martinez isn't so sure he would've had the same type of success. Because of COVID-19, he had to change the way he trained, the way he prepared, the way he viewed life. He believes the pandemic helped make him a better swimmer as well as a stronger, more well-rounded person.
"I gained a lot of perspective over the last year and a half," Martinez said. "I used to be very tough on myself and was always super stressed when it came to school and swimming. I realized I was making wrong decisions along the way because I was always so stressed.
"In reality, I was decent at both but not excellent at one. I truly wanted to be excellent, and I realized to do that I had to take a step back, relax and realize that there is more to life than what happens in the pool. When I took that step back, I became much better at swimming."
For Martinez, the success at the Olympics was also a credit to the support from his family and friends along with the help of his coaches, current Auburn assistant coach Gideon Louw – who accompanied Martinez to Tokyo – and former Auburn assistant Duncan Sherrard. The two worked with Martinez throughout the pandemic.
So what's next for the pride of Guatemala? In the immediate future, Martinez plans to take a couple of months off to heal his body from the rigorous training it takes to be an Olympic swimmer and focus on school. He's on track to earn a master's degree in January.
However, he hasn't ruled out a third Olympic Games. In the midst of everything else, Martinez wants to eventually begin training for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. But when he does, he knows he has to approach it with the same mindset that carried him through the last cycle.
"Swimming is one of those sports that if you do it halfway, you're going to get crushed," he said. "So if I feel like I'm not giving it 100 percent then there's no point."
If Martinez does become a three-time Olympian, he knows he'll have the support of the Auburn Family in Paris just like he did in Tokyo and Rio before that. The three-time NCAA All-American is grateful for his time at Auburn and proud to be an alum.
"It's a truly deep thank you to the Auburn Family," Martinez said. "Not only for supporting me but for supporting swimming. We truly cherish the good people and the good athletes to represent this university at the highest levels.
"The people in Auburn are different but in a good way. It's a special place"