This week should be a piece of cake for Emily Kukors.

She’s only swimming in five events. Granted, they are the biggest five events of her career. But the former Auburn swimmer, who just graduated, is used to competing in more than double that amount in about half the time.

So fatigue certainly won’t be a problem for the 26-time collegiate All-American when the week-long U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials begin today at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.

“Not at all,” said Kukors, who was a part of two national championship teams while at Auburn. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of a lot of relays at Auburn. At NCAAs the past two years, I swam 13 times in three days.

“And so the fact that I’m only swimming five events in the span of seven days is easy.”

Well, “easy” in the sense that she’s prepared — both physically and mentally. Kukors is one of 44 current, former and future Auburn swimmers competing for a chance to make the Olympics, which begin in Beijing in August.

Kukors will swim in six events this week — 100 butterfly, 400 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 200 IM, 200 butterfly and 100 freestyle. The only other Tiger to swim in that many events is Ava Ohlgren, who will be a junior next year at AU.

Kukors is ranked as the No. 9 seed in the 200 IM and the 10th seed in the 200 butterfly. Only the top two swimmers in each event will make the U.S. Olympic team, while the top four in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle will qualify to fill out the relay teams.

And while Kukors isn’t the favorite in any of her events, she’s confident in her ability to swim with the best the nation has to offer.

“This is my second time going to the Olympic Trials,” she said. “I think I’m the type of person who learns from everything. ... I’ve kind of been through a lot in four years since the last Trials. So, I think I’ve just got at better idea of what to expect.

“I’m more comfortable with the bigger names. ... These big names definitely are a force to be reckoned with, but I consider myself on the same playing field. So, I kind of go in with not as much culture shock or just awe-struck by some of these people because I consider myself to be one of them.”

And Kukors credits Auburn for that confidence and focus she’s received from being a part of one of the best swimming programs in the country.

“We have 26 (current) athletes going from Auburn,” she said. “And our entire women’s team made an Olympic Trial cut, which is awesome. It’s a huge accomplishment for our team. And that just carries over into the summer — that love, that respect. You train with these girls everyday.”

Which is important, says Kukors. Not only in the team aspect, but also on the competitive side.

“People have great club environments back home where they were raised, but it gets comfortable in this environment where you have everything you could ever possibly imagine here,” she said. “It’s not too crowded. You’re around people your age. When I go back home for Christmas and stuff, I’m racing 13-year-olds. It’s like ‘You’re 10 years younger than me.’ They have crowded lanes, and that kind of thing.

“Everything is just right in front of us (at Auburn). I can’t really complain with that.”

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