From the pool deck to the world stage

Meghan Kinney is done watching.

Now, she wants a turn to be in the spotlight.
Following a rich Olympic experience in Beijing last summer as the team's replacement athlete for the U.S. synchronized swimming team, Kinney is stepping to the forefront and preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

As a replacement athlete in Beijing, Kinney, a native of Mission Viejo, Calif., was required to know every single technical and free routine of every swimmer, an arduous task. She also had to be ready to step in should one of her teammates suffer an injury. 

"It was definitely hard just to watch," Kinney said during a telephone interview from Columbus, Ohio, where she is finishing her freshman year at Ohio State. "It was a whole different mindset. I was thrown into different patterns and you have to always think on your feet really fast. It was a good learning experience.