By Colleen Kane
Enquirer staff writer

Pat Lunsford will reach the pinnacle of his career as a swimming official when he serves as one of two starters in the world at next month's Olympic swimming championships in Athens.

A former coach, athletics director and teacher of 29 years at Aiken High School, Lunsford began officiating swim meets when he couldn't find anybody else to staff a dual meet at Aiken. Thirty-five years later, Lunsford, 61, is a certified official at every level of swimming, including Ohio high schools, NCAA, USA Swimming, FINA (the international governing body of swimming) and even local summer leagues, such as the meet he was officiating Friday when he talked with the Enquirer.

His work - mostly volunteer - has sent him all over the world to train officials and to attend some of the most elite swimming events, including serving as a deck official at the 1996 Atlanta

Olympics. But no job has been quite this prestigious.

"It's basically a dream come true," Lunsford said.

Q: What will be your duties?

A: I'll either start all of the men's or all of the women's races, I don't know yet. (An Olympic official) wants me to start whichever races are first so the Greek official can see how it's supposed to be done, and I thought, "Gosh, no pressure there." As a starter you say, "Take your mark," and it will be said in English, so it's real easy for me, harder for the Greek starter.

Q: Any last-minute training?

A: Just self-preparation. I run clinics and tell starters, "Just make sure you stay active." I'm doing summer league championships now, 8-under and 10-under, where you get all kinds of looks. I'm using the age groups swimming here as preparation for the big guys.

Q: How often do you officiate?

A: Through all positions, I probably average 150-175 sessions per year.

Q: You were just a starter for the Olympic Trials?

A: Yes, there were six world records broken, and I was a starter for three of them (Michael Phelps, 400 IM; Brendan Hansen, 100 breast; Amanda Beard, 200 breast). It was exciting.

It was unbelievable. I was also the starter for the men's championship 50 freestyle, and there's always so much pressure on you in the 50s because their start is so important.

Q: Do you know our two local Olympic swimmers?

A: Dan Ketchum and Nate Dusing, sure do. In fact, at the Summer League Tri-County meet I'm at now, one of Dan Ketchum's records was just broken by Evan Lindenschmidt, a St. X swimmer.

Q: What's the best meet you've witnessed?

A: The men's NCAA Championship in Long Island this year. It was three days, and eight world records were set. That's just phenomenal. And of course the Atlanta Olympics were great. I also have to plug the Ohio high school state championships. That's a phenomenal meet.

It's one of the greatest in the country every year.

Q: Best race?

A: In the Summer Nationals (2002), Michael Phelps against Erik Vendt in the 400 IM. Both broke the world record held by Tom Dolan. They were only .2 of a second off each other, and Phelps races his first half strong, and Vendt races his second half strong. ... It was just hair-raising. (Phelps won.)

Q: Any special perks for being an official?

A: No, usually they give you a polo shirt, and we always joke, "Hey, that's a $1,500 polo shirt (after paying for airfare, hotel, etc.)." You just don't make money officiating. You do it for the love of the sport. ... But at the Olympics we get airfare, housing, a per diem pay and a uniform.