By Neil Schmidt
Enquirer staff writer

Nate Dusing taped an episode of While You Were Out for TLC, to air in August. The show's premise is that a homeowner gets his or her significant other - in this case, girlfriend Michelle Wickwire - out of the house for a couple days to do a surprise renovation.

An analogy could be made to the Covington Catholic graduate's swimming career. While casual sports fans were "out" - their attention to swimming waning between Olympic years - Dusing was busy stocking his trophy case.

Dusing's payoff could come this week.

Dusing, who four years ago shed inconsistency to snare the final spot on the Olympic team, returns to the Olympic Trials on Wednesday a polished and powerful performer.

THE DUSING FILE

Born: Nov. 25, 1978. Residence: Austin, Texas. Hometown: Villa Hills, Ky. Education: 1997 Covington Catholic graduate; 2002 University of Texas graduate (marketing). Olympic experience: 2000 silver medalist, 800-meter free relay. World championship medals: silver, 400 free relay (2003); silver, 800 free relay (2003); bronze, 800 free relay (2001). National titles: 200 free, 2002 (summer); 200 individual medley, 2002 (spring); 100 butterfly, 1997 (spring). College titles: 11-time NCAA champion (200 backstroke, 200 IM, nine relays) Notables: High scorer at 2002 spring nationals; 2001 NCAA swimmer of the year; 1997 national high school swimmer of the year; holds American records in 200-yard IM and 100-meter (short-course) butterfly; member of American-record 800-meter free relay and U.S. Open-record 400 free relay; member of gold-medal 400 medley relay at 1997 Pan Pacific Championships. Olympic Swim Trials When: Wednesday through July 14. Day sessions begin at noon, night sessions at 8 p.m. Where: Long Beach, Calif. TV: Ch. 5, 22 (live, 8-9 p.m. Friday and 8-9 p.m. Sunday; taped, 1-3 p.m. July 18). At stake: Top two finishers in each event qualify for Olympics. As many as four more from the 100- and 200-meter freestyle may also qualify.

Having raced in Sydney in a relay for preliminaries, Dusing can envision swimming three or four events in Athens and perhaps securing Olympic gold.

"This time around, I'm expected to be on the team," Dusing said. "The goals are increased. Being one of the top guys the last three years gives me a lot of confidence that I'll swim fast."

At the Trials, which begin Wednesday in Long Beach, Calif., Dusing is tied for second in a seeding for the 200-meter freestyle.

The top two finishers in each event qualify, and the first- through sixth-place finishers in the 100 and 200 free usually also qualify for corresponding relays.

Finishing, say, second in the 200 would bring Dusing the prestige of an individual Olympic swim, and with a good 100 swim he could make both the 400 and 800 free relays.

Dusing is seeded fourth in the 100 free. He's also entered in the 200 individual medley, seeded fifth.

Dusing has been a regular in the U.S. lineup for the 400 and 800 free relays, both of which claimed silver medals at the 2003 world championships.

"Nate can handle that (Olympic) pressure," national team director Everett Uchiyama said. "You're not talking about a rookie here. He's been a winner everywhere he's gone."

Since Sydney, Dusing, 25, has fulfilled the promise of one of Greater Cincinnati's finest swimming careers.

He began as a prep phenom, excelling in the 100 butterfly as he mastered the dolphin kick, which enabled him to stay underwater longer. He became the national high school swimmer of the year in 1997, winning a national title and two international medals to go along with his sixth ranking in the world in the 100 fly.

Then a 15-meter limit was imposed on dolphin kicks; Dusing used to go as far as 23 meters underwater. His world ranking in the 100 fly fell to 40th the next year.

Early in his college career, his progress slowed, swimming several strokes for the good of his Texas team. Freestyle emerged as a specialty, and at the 2000 Trials he grabbed sixth place in the 200 - with it, the final spot on the 800 free relay - by one-hundredth of a second. He got silver in Syndey but didn't get to compete in the finals.

Then Dusing took off.

He dominated the 2001 NCAA meet and was named college swimmer of the year. In 2002, at the Spring Nationals, he tied as the meet's high scorer. At the Summer Nationals in August that year, he won the 200 free in 1:47.08 - at the time, the fastest ever effort in a U.S. pool - and followed that the same month with four international medals in the Pan Pacific Championships.

Dusing didn't improve his times during 2003 and had a poor swim in placing eighth at Spring Nationals this year, but said the past year wasn't a setback and that he is ready to post his best times.

Michael Phelps, who has the American record of 1:45.99 in the 200 free, is heavily favored - though there's a slight chance he won't swim the event. Dusing and Klete Keller have gone 1:47.08 and could battle for second.

"It's a nice feeling to go as a team on a relay and represent your country. But to make an individual (Olympic) event, then you're also representing yourself. It'd be nice to do it for me this time," Dusing said.

Endorsements, plus grants and stipends from the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming, have enabled Dusing to train full-time in Austin, Texas. He is considering retiring after this year.

"I doubt I'll see myself going another four years," he said. "But I'm playing it by ear and enjoying this while I can."

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E-mail nschmidt@enquirer.com