The eight Olympic medalists with UF ties with do the George Edmondson cheer in advance of Saturday's homecoming date against Vanderbilt.
Olympian 'Two Bits' Effort for Homecoming
Tuesday, October 5, 2021 | General, Football, Men's Swimming & Diving
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Consider this quote from Bobby Finke.
"It's one of the biggest honors I could imagine," he said. "It seems like all the others who have done it have accomplished so much and impacted so many people, so, yeah, I'm definitely excited about the opportunity."
Finke, the senior All-American and distance swimming standout for the Gators, is barely two months removed from winning two gold medals in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. And not just winning those golds, but providing some of the most riveting and inspiring moments of the entire COVID-delayed and fan-restricted Games last August.
The "honor" he referenced, however, has nothing to do with stepping onto the medal podium and hearing the National Anthem played for him — though he admits that was pretty cool, by the way. No, Finke is fired up this week because he and seven of his fellow University of Florida Olympians will take a tandem turn as honorary "Mr. Two Bits" before Saturday's noon home game when the 20th-ranked Gators (3-2, 2-2) take on Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-1) at Spurrier/Florida Field.
Bobby Finke raises a triumphant arm after the second of his two stunning comebacks that swept gold in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle distance events at the 2020 Summer Olympics at Tokyo in August.
Both Dressel, the two-time Olympian who won five of his seven career gold medals in Tokyo, and Holloway, the 2019 world champion in the high hurdles and silver medalist at Tokyo, will be repeat "Two Bits" performers, the first since the celebrity tradition began in 2013. Here's betting Dressel and Holloway will have no problem sharing the "Two Bits" spotlight with their fellow medalists.
Finke, though, pointed out something that will be very different about Saturday versus what his Olympic teammates experienced over the summer.
"There will be actual spectators in the stands," he said. "That'll be huge."
Pandemic restrictions on fans cost Finke what surely would have been a thunderous response for his two comebacks, both of them equally as improbable as the other, in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle events. In both races, Finke trailed after the final flip turn, in one case by a solid length. In the 1,500, Finke swam the final 50 meters in a blistering 25.78 seconds, which was faster than any competitor in the 200-meter finals, as well as a half-second faster than the 26.39 he posted in the final leg of the 800.
Finke came back to America and immediately was immersed in his new-found celebrity, starting with a visit to the pool in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he first took up the sport some 15 years ago.
"Took a lot of photos with the kids at the club," Finke said. "Now, I'm working on this [Name, Image and Likeness] stuff. It's come at a good time for me."
Indeed. Strike while you're hot, kid.
This weekend, though, he'll take a break and enjoy some of the perks of being an Olympic champion. The eight athletes who will join forces for the "Two Bits" cheer combined for 13 medals in Japan, including seven golds (a staggering five courtesy of Dressel, of course). One of them will need to assume the leadership mettle (pun intended) and get them choreographed for their performance for the 80,000 or so in the "Swamp."
"We might just figure it out as we go, which will be fine," Finke said. "Just to be out there and to do it with all those people — so many great athletes — it's going to be exciting. I'll be grateful just to be a part of it."
