The SwimSwam Podcast

World Cup Queens Regan Smith & Kate Douglass Reflect on Superb Swims, Travels in Asia, & Friendship Nov 10, 2024

Cumulatively, over the 3 stops of the 2024 World Cup circuit, Kate Douglass and Regan Smith broke 5 worlds records, 11 American records, and earned over $330,000. And they did it all for the plot. Even though the duo planned to attend the World Cup together months in advance, neither had many expectations going into the series after taking substantial time out of the pool following the Olympic Games in Paris. Both Smith and Douglass' number one priority was enjoying their time together and rolling with whatever was thrown their way, which ended up being quite a lot. However, the Olympic champions took what came to them in stride, improving at each of the three stops and ending the series as the top two performers and money earners.

NC State's Erika Pelaez Breaks Down 1:43 2Free, 1:50 2Back, 46.7 Relay Split in NCAA Debut Nov 07, 2024

Freshman Erika Pelaez showed out in her first official dual meet with NC State last week against Arizona State. Not only did she win every event she participated in, but in her first individual race, the 200 free, she broke an NC State school record, clocking a 1:43.14. Pelaez shares her perspective on what has gone so well for her at NC State so far as well as what her summer was like competing for Team USA at the Jr Pan Pacific Championships in Australia.

World Cup, Texas vs Indiana, & WVU/Cincinatti Dual Meet Cancelled | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Nov 05, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we are discussing the World Cup, the Texas vs Indiana Dual Meet, and Michael Andrew training at Arizona State.

NC State Freshamn Leah Shackley on Swimming NCAA 'A' Cut in First College Dual Meet Oct 31, 2024

At the NC State-Arizona State dual meet last weekend, wolfpack freshman Leah Shackley won the 100 back in dominant fashion, touching in 50.40. This not only cleared the field by over .4 but it also earned her an Individual NCAA 'A' cut, making her one of four women to achieve that feat thus far this season. Shackley speaks on what has been going so well for her at NC State so far and how she has adjusted to the training in Raleigh.

2x Olympic Champion Tatjana Smith (Schoenmaker) Reflects on Legendary Career, Retirement Oct 29, 2024

Tatjana Smith (Schoenmaker) is a 4x Olympic medalist, 2x Olympic champion, and South Africa's most decorated Olympian in history. After winning gold and silver in Paris, Smith announced that she would retire from competitive swimming. Smith sat down with SwimSwam to share how her retirement came about and what it has been like for her so far. The breaststroke specialist gets raw about the highs and lows of stepping away from a sport that has been such a big part of her life for well over a decade.

Noe Ponti on 50 Fly World Record, Olympic Disappointment, and Winning Race Without Goggles Oct 25, 2024

After breaking the world record in the 50m butterfly (SCM), Noe Ponti sat down with SwimSwam to discuss his experience at the world cup so far. After placing 4th and 5th in the 100 and 200 butterfly at the Paris Olympics, Ponti took a long break from the pool before returning to training. At present, he is mentally relaxed and it seems to have an effect on him physically as well.

Not only did Ponti break the world record in the 50 fly in Shanghai, he also won the 100 fly in Shanghai and in Incheon, losing his goggles in the latter but still prevailing.

NCAA Rundown, 2026 Recruiting, and House v. NCAA | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Oct 24, 2024

Today on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we are discussing all things college swimming... plus Kate Douglass's world record in Incheon.

Malmsten Lane Lines' Long History of Olympic Support with COO Christian Malmsten Oct 23, 2024

Malmsten COO Christian Malmsten details his family's long history of support providing lane lines for Olympic swimming competitions going back to the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Malmsten supplies lane lines for the recent Pairs Olympic Games, and Malmsten will supply lane lines for the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Shanghai World Cup & Virgina-Florida SCM Dual Meet | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Oct 21, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we are discussing the ridiculous weekend of SCM racing that included the World Cup stop in Shanghai and the Virginia-Florida NCAA dual meet.

Coffee Talk with Zac Stubblety-Cook on Experience at 2024 Paris Olympics Oct 14, 2024

After breaking his neck 6 months before the competition and then contracting COVID during the competition, Zac Stubblety-Cook still walked away from the Paris Olympic Games with a silver medal in the 200 breast. The Australian breaststroke specialist takes us through his whirlwind Olympic saga, what kept his head level through all of it, and how he's running a coffee business on the side.

3rd Times the Charm for Paralympic Champion Tim Hodge as He Leaves Paris with Gold Oct 10, 2024

At the tender age of 15, Australia's Tim Hodge participated in his first Paralympic Games in Rio. 5 years later in Tokyo, he was chasing gold and came close, leaving Japan with 2 silver medals a 1 bronze. In Paris, after breaking a world record and becoming World champion in 2022 and 2023 in the 200 IM S9, Hodge finally touched the wall first, winning gold in his signature event. Speaking with SwimSwam, Hodge documents the work he put in and changes he made from 2021 to 2024. From switching coaches to racing the 400 free, it was all worth it for the Para athlete who is now on top of the world.

How Claire Weinstein Won Double Gold at the Jr OW World Champs 4 Weeks After Silver in Paris Oct 07, 2024

Claire Weinstein had a whirlwind summer that saw her win medals at both the Olympic Games and Jr Open Water World Championships. The new high school graduate takes us through dealing with sickness throughout the Olympic Trials and training camp, winning her first Olympic medal, and competing in (and winning) the 3k knockout sprint in Italy.

Olympic Champion Maggie MacNeil Reflects on Her EPIC Swimming Career Oct 03, 2024

In the span of 2 years (2021-2023), Maggie MacNeil won essentially every major title in swimming that she could: Olympic Champion, World Champion (LCM and SCM), NCAA Champion, Commonwealth Games Champion, Pan American Champion, and world record holder. Last week, following the 2024 Paris Olympics, MacNeil announced she was retiring from competitive swimming. Speaking on the SwimSwam Podcast, MacNeil said she was ready to pursue other things in life and knew even before the 2024 Paris Olympics that retirement was on the horizon for her. MacNeil will look to pursue law school starting in the fall of 2025, with potential internships abroad occupying her first 6 months of next year. Currently, she is working on a 6-week intensive LSAT course. Listen as the Canadian swim star reflects fondly on her time in the pool and dives into some of her favorite moments throughout the last 5 years.

World Cup, College Swimming, & WADA Fumble | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Oct 02, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the upcoming Shanghai World Cup, the NCAA landscape, and WADA losing over 2,000 drug tests.

Josh Liendo Carrying Momentum from Paris Podium into 2025 NCAA Season Sep 30, 2024

After coming off of a sensational NCAA season, Josh Liendo kept his momentum rolling in Paris, walking away with a silver medal in the 100 fly. The Canadian sprint star was also a part of a podium that featured 2 Canadians, himself and Ilya Kharun in the 100 fly, which is the first time that has happened since 1976. Liendo breaks down his performances in Paris, revealing how he approached his program from a mental and physical standpoint. He talks about technique in butterfly and freestyle and what changes he felt were integral to earning his spot on the podium. The Florida junior also previews the coming NCAA season, noting that we may see him competing in a 200 IM or 200 fly at a dual meet or mid-season competition.

Lani Pallister Shares Detailed Account of Getting COVID and Winning Gold in Paris Sep 26, 2024

On the eve of the 2024 Australian Short Course Nationals, Olympic champion Lani Pallister was kind enough to sit down with SwimSwam and discuss her last 8 weeks of swimming and life. Pallister admitted that she pushed through the urge to take a break from training after Paris to prepare to compete in the Surf Lifesaving as well as Short Course World Championships (via AUS short course nats). On Day 1 in Adelaide, Pallister hit a lifetime best in the 200 free (1:52.73) to win the event.

After 20 minutes of talking short course swimming, potato sack racing, and the weather in Australia, Pallister dives into her experience in Paris. After qualifying for 3 individual events, Pallister ended up dropping 2 of them. Her coach, MIchael Bohl, advised dropping the 400 free to conserve her energy for the 800/1500 frees, then she contracted COVID, which led her to drop the 1500 free a few days later.

Pallister bounced back in time for the 4x200 free relay, where she swam prelims, earned a spot in finals, and swam a key leg in the final to help Australia earn their first gold in the event since 2008.

Todd DeSorbo Reflects on Time as US Olympic Head Coach, Preview 2025 Virginia NCAA Season Sep 25, 2024

Todd DeSorbo is fresh off serving as Team USA's head women's coach for swimming at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The UVA head coach reflects on training camp, the Olympic Village, and the Games themselves, happy with the overall performance of the team and himself. DeSorbo also discusses the NCAA realm, including how he's navigating recruiting in the new NIL landscape and what the Virginia team has in store for this fall.

How Sprint Star Florent Manaudou Medaled in the 50 Free at 4 Different Olympic Games Sep 23, 2024

Florent Manaudou has medaled in the last 4 Olympic 50 Freestyles, winning gold in 2012, silver in 2016 and 2020, and now bronze at his home Olympics in Paris. It hasn't been an easy path for the sprint legend though. Florent starts by speaking honestly about his emotional highs and lows coming off of the Olympics. He is already back in the pool training with the goal of competing at the 2024 Short Course World Championships and ultimately the 2026 European Championships in Paris. He goes on to recount his 2023-24 season leading up to the Paris Olympics. Manaudou admits he had been miserable for much of his career, only focusing on the outcome of his performances and diving into a depression when they didn't go his way. This year, Manaudou took more ownership of his swimming, doing what he wanted in and out of the pool to keep his body and brain healthy and happy.

How Mollie O'Callaghan Transitioned from Sprint Backstroker to 200 Free Olympic Champion Sep 19, 2024

After only swimming in relay prelims at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Mollie O'Callaghan has been on an absolute warpath on the international swim stage since, capping it off by winning individual gold in the 200 free and relay gold in the 4x100 and 4x200 free relays in Paris. Just before Tokyo in 2019, O'Callaghan had considered herself primarily a backstroke swimmer who swam sprint freestyle. But as she's progressed under coach Dean Boxall, she's dipped her toes more and more into mid-distance freestyle training and racing. That was highlighted last year at the 2023 World Championships, where she won a world title in the event and broke a 14-year-old world record. Listen to how O'Callaghan reflects on her progression in the pool over the last 5 years and her experience in Paris.

Katharine Berkoff on Bronze in Paris, Backstroke Starts, and Getting Olympic Rings Tattoo with Dad Sep 18, 2024

Katharine Berkoff secured her spot in Olympic history by contributing to a USA 2-3 finish in the women's 100 back, earning a bronze medal with her third-place finish. The 25x NCAA All-American also earned Olympic gold as a member of the 400 medley relay prelims team. For Katharine, making her first Olympic team was a generational accomplishment, as her father, David Berkoff, was not only her inspiration growing up but also an Olympic swimmer in his own right. After the Paris Games, father and daughter got the Olympic rings tattooed on them.

Carson Foster Loving New-Look Bowman Texas Training Group Coming Off Olympic Success in Paris Sep 17, 2024

Carson Foster finished his summer as a first-time Olympian and a 2x Olympic medalist. Returning to Austin this fall, Foster is going through a ton of change. His longtime coaches at Texas, Eddie Reese and Wyatt Collins, are now replaced by Bob Bowman and his staff. In his personal life, Foster just married his longtime partner, Meredith, and is now living with her. SwimSwam spoke with the world champion about his whirlwind summer and all the changes he's adapting to now in Austin.

Torri Huske on Winning Gold, Relay Starts, and The Public Under-appreciating Silver/Bronze Sep 16, 2024

Torri Huske finished 4th in the 100 fly at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. A year later, she won the world title in the same event. At the next year's world championships after taking on an extreme course load at Stanford, still managed a bronze in the event. And finally, in Paris, Huske topped the podium once again... plus much, much more. It's no exaggeration to say the Paris Olympics was Torri's best international competition to date. Not only did she score gold in the 100 fly (55.5), but she also won silver in the 100 free (52.5) and as a part of the 400 free relay (52.0) as well as gold in the mixed 400 medley relay (Free, 51.8) and 400 medley relay (Free, 52.4). Huske breaks down the training she did leading into the Games, how her less-than-ideal experience last summer helped her learn moving into this year, and what she did to improve her relay starts.

Lydia Jacoby Looking Forward to Opportunities Presented by Going Pro, Focusing on LCM Sep 15, 2024

Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby recently announced her decision to forego her remaining 2 years of NCAA eligibility and transition to being a professional athlete. Jacoby will continue to pursue her degree in fashion at Texas and for the time being, train in Austin. However, this will allow her more flexibility to travel, rest in the fall, and compete in events like the World Cup and Pro Swim series. Jacoby openly discusses her decision in addition to her summer of travel, going to New York Fashion Week, and what her swimming might look like moving forward.

How Sweden's Antonio Lutula Helped Guide Sarah Sjostrom to 50/100 Free Gold in Paris Sep 13, 2024

Antonio Lutula has been the head coach at the Swedish National Centre in Stockholm since January 2022 and has already accomplished what many coaches wait a lifetime for. He led sprinting superstar Sarah Sjostrom to Olympic gold in both the 50 and 100 freestyle in Paris, her first Olympic titles in both events. Lutula discusses what coaching at the National Centre is like, why Sarah Sjostrom has been so consistent in racing, and what were the keys to winning gold in Paris.

Despite Surprise Bowman Departure, 2x Bronze Medalist Ilya Kharun is Thriving at Arizona State Sep 12, 2024

Fresh off of leading Arizona State to its first NCAA team title in program history, Bob Bowman announced he would be leaving to head up the swim and dive program at Texas. A number of athletes left Arizona State following this announcement, either to follow Bob Bowman to Austin or pursue their swimming at other programs. One athlete who had trained under Bowman and was expected to follow him (from the outside) was freshman Ilya Kharun. The Canadian national had seen vast improvement under Bowman in just one year, capping his season with an NCAA title in the 200 fly. However, having built a life and community in Tempe already, Kharun opted to stay and train under newly named head coach and ASU alum Herbie Behm. It seemed to work for the rising sophomore, as he qualified for his first Canadian Olympic team and left Paris with 2 bronze medals in the 100 and 200 fly. In this podcast, Kharun discusses his decision to stay at ASU, what training with coach Behm has been like, and how he managed his event load in Paris and wound up on the podium twice.

Hunter Armstrong Describes Overcoming Losing Loved Ones & Depression to Win Gold in Paris Sep 10, 2024

Hunter Armstrong was one of the more surprising narratives from Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games. While the former world record holder in the 50 back narrowly missed the final of the 100 back, his freestyle seemed to more than make up for it. He split 46.7 to help the men win the 400 free relay then was given anchor duty on the 400 medley relay, where he split 47.1 and touched for 2nd. In this discussion, Amrstrong doesn't hold back about a number of topics. He's describes losing his grandfather (Cancer), primary coach (Matt Bowe, moved from Cal to Michigan), and girlfriend (break up) all in the span of 8 months and the depression that sent him into. This caused Armstrong to routinely miss practice and not be at his best in training during the spring of 2024. Armstrong also speaks on wanting to be on the 800 free relay in Paris, being afraid of racing backstroke, and being a volunteer swim teacher for special needs children. This is a can't miss discussion with one of Team USA's best athletes.

Ben Proud Breaks Down Intricacies of Sprinting, Winning Olympic Silver in the 50 Free Sep 09, 2024

Ben Proud had won every accolade out there in the 50m free: LCM World title, SCM world title, Commonwealth champion, European champion. But in Paris, he finally earned an individual Olympic medal, touching second for silver. Ironically, it came at a point in his career when he wasn't focused on the result of the race.

After Tokyo, Proud almost stepped away from swimming entirely. He knew something about his approach to swimming had to change and it did in 2022. In the last two years, Proud has loved swimming and now feels he can continue on for at least through the end of 2025.

Hubi Kos Explains How Training with Bob Bowman Made the Olympics Easy Sep 04, 2024

In just 12 months, Hubi Kos became a world champion, NCAA champion, European champion, and finally Olympic champion, taking gold in Paris in the men's 200 back. With Leon Marchand as his training partner and Bob Bowman as his coach, Kos has made great strides in the pool over the last 18 months since he's lived in the US. Kos explains that Bowman obviously knows how to train athletes bodies but what really sets him apart is how he prepares his athletes mentally. Because of the rigorous challenges Bowman puts his athletes through on a daily basis in practice, Kos says it makes navigating the Olympic Games feel easy.

The Bachelorette's Thomas Nguyen Discusses Discusses Experience with Reality TV, Pro Swimming Sep 03, 2024

Thomas Nguyen is best known now for being a contestant on the 21st season of The Bachelorette. But before that, he was an NCAA DII All-American for Florida Southern and trained with SwimAtlanta in hopes of representing Vietnam in the 2016 Olympic Games. Listen to what Nguyen has to say about his experience in the dating and swimming pools over the last few years.

Siobhan Haughey on Being a Hong Kong Icon, Partnership with Chanel, & Uncertain Future in Swim Sep 02, 2024

Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey showed out in Paris, winning bronze medals in the 100 and 200 freestyles, both of which were the fastest fields in history. That put Haughey's overall Olympic medal count at 4 (after winning double silver in Tokyo), making her the most decorated Olympian in Hong Kong's history. The world champion and NCAA All-American joined the SwimSwam podcast to discuss her experience in Paris, her iconic partnership with Chanel, and having no real training base but still staying at the top of her game.

A Constraints-Led Approach to Swimming with Andrew Sheaff Aug 31, 2024

"It’s extremely challenging to help swimmers develop skills that win races. It’s overwhelming trying to teach skills to each and every athlete, particularly when it seems like no one is listening. And everything that’s learned seems to disappear once it’s time to start training, or when it really counts in championship races that matter. The solution isn’t to get better at what you’re doing. You don’t need new drills, you don’t need new cues, and you don’t need an expensive video system. You need a different approach." Listen to how coach Andrew Sheaff is changing how he looks at teaching and learning for both swimmers and coaches.

10x Olympic Medalist Caeleb Dressel Unpacks His Paris Olympic Games Aug 30, 2024

10-time Olympic swimming medalist Caeleb Dressel is happy to be back on his Florida farm after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. His results were mixed. He knows that. He knows he fought hard, and he didn't exactly have the Olympic Games he wanted. At a minimum, he's just glad he did it, went to Paris, because there were two moments when he thought he might not go at all. Dressel thought a repeat of the 2022 World Championship would happen, when he abruptly left in the middle of the competition. After making The U.S. Olympic Team at the U.S. Olympic Trials, in the middle of the meet, Dressel considered pulling out. Mentally he was battling---at war in his head. His wife, parents, and therapist were all there, all supporting him. So, he pushed on. After the U.S. Olympic Trials, Dressel considered pulling out again. He wondered if it would be better to give other, up and coming swimmers a shot at the Olympic stage. Dressel battled these thoughts. At one point, he considered only swimming the Olympic relays. It all made sense in his head. We now know Dressel completed his Olympic schedule, and in this podcast he gives a beat-by-beat account of what he experiences. It's real, raw, and courageously vulnerable.

Sprint Queen Sarah Sjostrom Breaks Down 50/100 Free OLYMPIC SWEEP Aug 29, 2024

Sarah Sjostrom dreamt of winning Olympic gold in the 100 free. Literally. She had a dream about herself winning a gold medal in the 100 free. Then did it. Sjostrom, the world record holder in both the 50 and 100 freestyle, had achieved everything in the sport there is to achieve in both events outside of individual Olympic titles in both. Coming into the Paris Olympics, Sjostrom herself wasn't even sure that she was going to swim the 100 free. But once Paris kicked off, the Swedish sprint star ended up competing in both and it paid off for her as the world saw her crowned Olympic champion twice in her two signature events.

Kate Douglass Reminisces on First Olympic Gold Medal, Looks Forward to SCM Racing in Fall Aug 28, 2024

Heading into 2024, Kate Douglass had pretty much everything one could have on a swimming resume: NCAA champion, American record holder, and world champion. In Paris last month, she added Olympic champion to that list. When the competition was over, Douglass walked away from the 2024 Olympic Games with 4 medals, 2 from Team USA relays (gold, silver) and two individually from the 200 breast (gold) and 200 IM (silver). Listen to Douglass' experience in Paris and her plans for swimming moving into the fall with short course meters on the horizon.

Olympic Champion Regan Smith Opens Up About Mindset Shift That Saved Her Swimming Career Aug 27, 2024

Heading into the 2024, Regan Smith had been one Olympics, won 3 medals there, won 9 world championship medals, won an NCAA title, and set 3 world records. But none of it was enough to make Smith feel good about her accomplishments in the pool. Since the 2022 season, Smith has been slowly working on changing how she views her swimming and the success that comes with it. For much of her career, she would enter a race and feel immense pressure to win, to the point that she would derail herself before she even hit the water. Heading into her races in Paris, she was able to see herself as a fan might, as pure entertainment, and with that came the freedom to swim her own race. Regan walked away from Paris with 3 silver medals in her individual events and 2 gold medals as a part of Team USA relays. Listen to the growth Smith has made as she describes taking control of her swimming and having pride in her accomplishments.

4x Olympic Swimming Medalist Gretchen Walsh Unpacks Her First Olympic Games Experience In Paris Aug 25, 2024

Gretchen Walsh barely missed making the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team in Tokyo, but she made up for it at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, winning four medals. Gretchen had a lot of naysayers from outside of the United States. Swim fans knew she was great based on her 2024 NCAA DI Championships performance, clearly the greatest in history. Many critics felt her yards (NCAAs) to meters (Olympic pool distance) talent would not convert. Gretchen proved her critics wrong with a fantastic Olympic debut. Gretchen takes SwimSwam's Gold Medal Mel Stewart through each of her races, and she looks ahead to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

SwimSwam Talks to "The Muffin Man" of Paris: Norway's Henrik Christiansen Aug 24, 2024

Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen came into his 3rd Olympic Games looking for memories in the pool but left with much, much more. After going viral during the Games on TikTok for a video featuring one of the Village's chocolate muffins, Christiansen ran with it and soon became known as the Olympic Muffin Man.

Listen to what inspires Christiansen both in and out of the pool (aside from muffins) and how he's feeling after the whirlwind experience of his 3rd Olympics.

Kaylee McKeown Gives Candid Look into 5-Medal Paris Performance, Struggles with Confidence Aug 23, 2024

At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Kaylee McKeown became the first woman to ever win back-to-back Olympic titles in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. She also became Australia's most successful individual medalist with 4 golds. And surprisingly, she's just as human as the rest of us. From how she reflects on Paris, you wouldn't immediately realize her success there. McKeown is a high achiever and constantly pushing herself to great heights, which she admits can sometimes be a downfall and lead to low self-confidence. The backstroking legend is candid about how she handled herself throughout the meet, even when fatigue set in the later stage of competition and she earned a bronze medal in the 200 IM because of a DQ.

Rebel with a Cause: How Cam McEvoy Rejected Traditional Swim Training and Won Olympic Gold Aug 22, 2024

After his 3rd Olympics in 2021, Cam McEvoy was burnt out with swimming and retired, thinking that was it for his swimming career. After 2 years of studying high performance within weight lifting, track, and cycling, McEvoy wondered if principles from each sport could be applied to swimming. The sprint star decided to give swimming one last chance, but he was going to do it on his terms. When he proposed his training plan to many coaches, many turned him away. But once he found Tim Lane through fellow Australian swimmer Bobby Hurley, the pieces fell into place. Over the next year and a half, it was trial and error while McEvoy and Lane completely revamped what swim training could look like. Cam was barely counting yardage with many workouts not cracking 1,000 meters. But he was putting in work and the results came, with Cam registering more sub-22 50m freestyles in that year than he had in his entire 13-year career combined. Listen to what "The Professor" of swimming says about how we train in swimming and what worked for him in his pursuit of Olympic gold.

5x Olympic Champion Ryan Murphy Unpacks His Experience in Paris Aug 20, 2024

9-time Olympic medalist Ryan Murphy unpacks the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Murphy takes us inside the Olympic Trials to the Olympic Games process, sharing insights, stressors, and the mood as Team USA worked through the grueling 9-day event. Murphy details his 100 back, mix medley leadoff, and the 4x100 medley leadoff. Murphy also digs into the 200 back where the 2016 Olympic champion under-swam the semi-final costing him a lane in the Olympic final.

How Bob Bowman Guided Leon Marchand to 4 GOLD MEDALS at the Paris Olympics Aug 19, 2024

French Swimmer Leon Marchand won 4 Gold Medals at the Paris Olympics, going a perfect 4-for-4 in his individual events. Marchand was coached by Bob Bowman leading into the Olympics, the same man who helped Michael Phelps win 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Bowman takes us into the Olympic Games and shares behind-the-scenes stories of what made Leon's accomplishment so great in Paris.

10k Silver Medalist Moesha Johnson on Going Viral in TikTok, Swimming in Seine River Aug 18, 2024

After missing Olympic qualification for Tokyo in the pool, Moesha Johnson decided to dip her toes into open water racing. In 2 short years she became a world champion, and one year after that she won her first Olympic medal, a silver in the 10k. From strategizing how to race in the Seine River to going viral in TikTok during the Games, Johnson recalls her experience in Paris in full.

What's it Like Being a Photographer at the Olympics? Aug 17, 2024

SwimSwam photographer extraordinaire Jack Spitser has documented swimming at the highest level for years and is just coming off of his biggest competition yet: the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Spitser recalls the ups and downs of travel, work/life balance (aka all work and no life), and navigating unexpected road bumps during an Olympics Games. Between having bed bugs and photographing 10+ sports over the course of two weeks, Jack gives his full perspective on his time in Paris.

Notre Dame Men's Swimming Team Suspended 1 Year for GAMBLING Aug 15, 2024

The Notre Dame men’s swimming program has been suspended for a minimum of one academic year after an investigation into potential gambling. The men’s swimming and diving programs are coming off their best combined finish at NCAAs in school history as they were 10th at the 2024 NCAA Championships.

Just after U.S. Olympic Trials in June, the school announced that the law firm, Ropes & Gray LLP to conduct an external review after “potential issues with the culture” of the team. Sources have told SwimSwam that the investigation has been ongoing at least since January and authorities were allegedly monitoring activity during US Olympic Trials.

The review found that gambling was an occurrence for most of the team members that were set to return for this upcoming season. Swimmers place “over/under” lines on swims at meets. One former member of the team says they even took wagers on “how many women would cry after their races.” In addition to betting on swimming, some of the athletes participated in betting on other sports such as the NCAA March Madness tournaments.

Olympic Champion Dan Wiffen Breaks Down Epic Win in 800 Free Aug 15, 2024

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Dan Wiffen became the first Irish swimmer to win a gold medal in swimming since 1996. After winning double distance gold at the 2024 World Championships earlier this year, the Loughborough resident swam a gutsy race in the 800 free and came out on top ahead of USA's defending champion, Bobby Finke. Wiffen explains the mindset that helped him achieve this feat and how he celebrated afterward. The distance specialist also debriefs his first (and last) foray into open water after competing in the 10k race in the Seine River.

Olympic Champion, World Record Holder Bobby Finke Wants More Distance Swimming Events Aug 14, 2024

Bobby Finke walked away from the Paris Olympic Games as the back-to-back champion in the 1500 free, the world record holder in the same event, and USA's only individual male gold medalist in swimming. The distance phenom walks us through his experience in Paris, from the bittersweet feeling of earning silver in the 800 to topping the podium on the last day of competition. Finke also shows his fun side, admitting just how bad his "off" practices can get and reflecting on his limited relay experience as a distance swimmer. He proposed having a mixed 4x50 free relay in which you can only participate in if you swam a distance event at the Olympics.

Alex Shackell on Winning Olympic Gold in Paris 1 Week Before Starting Senior Year of High School Aug 13, 2024

17-year-old Alex Shackell just finished what has been, in her words, the best month of her life. This whirlwind started when she made the US Olympic team alongside her brother, Aaron, in their hometown of Indianapolis. After experiencing training camp in beautiful Croatia with Team USA, Shackell headed to Paris, where she made her first individual Olympic final and swam on two relays that earned her gold and silver medals. Once the Games concluded, Shackell returned home to spend time with family, be around her friends, and relax for a week before embarking on her next big chapter: senior year of high school.

9x Olympic Medalist Kyle Chalmers Debriefs Paris Olympic Games, Looking Toward LA28 Aug 12, 2024

Kyle Chalmers is an Olympic champion and after Paris, a 9x Olympic medalist, winning two silvers and a bronze at these most recent games. The Australian swimming legend logged a 47.xx (flat start and relays) seven times throughout the 9-day meet, with his only 100 free swim not in that category coming in his prelims 100 free, where he was 48.0.

Chalmers was kind enough to take some time out of his engagement celebration in Norway to chat about the highs and lows of his experience in Paris. Coming into his 3rd Olympics, Chalmers was dealing with injury and had to change coaches and training locations 4 months prior. Despite this, he is still walking away with his 3rd individual medal in the 100 free, a historic feat.

2024 Olympic Review - Women's Edition | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Aug 09, 2024

The 2024 Olympic Games are officially over (in the pool) so let's talk about it. We dissect the best of's from the women's swimming competition in Paris.

2024 Olympic Review - Men's Edition | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Aug 07, 2024

The 2024 Olympic Games are officially over (in the pool) so let's talk about it. We dissect the best of's from the men's swimming competition in Paris.

2024 Olympic Games - Day 9 Finals Watch Party LIVE Aug 04, 2024

Listen to the Olympics with SwimSwam! Join us for the last day of swimming competition in Paris as we react live to the women's 50 free, men's 1500 free, and both 4x100 medley relays. Gold Medal Mel and Coleman Hodges are joined by PhD Wyatt Hodges (Coleman's brother).

2024 Olympic Games - Day 8 Finals Watch Party LIVE Aug 03, 2024

Listen to the Olympics with SwimSwam! Day 8 gave us a lot of great races and ended in a world record. Coleman Hodges and Gold Medal Mel Stewart react live and are joined by Olympic champion Craig Oppel.

2024 Olympic Games - Day 7 Finals Watch Party LIVE Aug 03, 2024

Listen to the Olympics with SwimSwam! Day 7 saw 3 exciting races and even more guests on today's broadcast. Dive with Olympic champions Maya DiRado, Matt Grevers, Gary Hall Jr., Tom Jager, and Craig Oppel.

2024 Olympic Games - Day 6 Finals Watch Party LIVE Aug 01, 2024

Listen to the Olympics with SwimSwam! We talk through every race in Day 6 of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Join hosts Coleman Hodges and Mel Stewart along with today's guests, Milo Cavic, Clark Burckle, and Tyler Fenwick.

2024 Olympic Games - Day 5 Finals Watch Party LIVE Jul 31, 2024

Listen in as SwimSwam reacts live to Leon's big double of the 200 Fly/200 Breast plus the men's and women's 100 freestyle. Mel and Coleman are joined today by Olympians Clark Burckle and Matt Biondi.

2024 Olympic Games - Day 4 Finals Watch Party LIVE Jul 30, 2024

Listen along with SwimSwam as we talk through Kaylee Mckeown vs Regan Smith in the women's 100 back, Bobby Finke trying to defend Olympic gold in the 800 Free, and every other race of Day 4 finals. We are joined by special guests Nathan Adrian and Kaitlin Sandeno!

2024 Olympic Games - Day 3 Finals (David Popovici 200 Free, Titmus + O'Callaghan Battle Jul 29, 2024

Listen along as SwimSwam (plus special guests) watch Day 3 of Olympic Swimming, featuring David Popovici in the Men's 200 Free and World record holder Ariarne Titmus battling Aussie teammate and world champion Mollie O'Callaghan in the women's 200 free.

2024 Olympic Games - Day 2 Finals Watch Party LIVE Jul 28, 2024

SwimSwam CEO Mel Stewart and Video Guru Coleman Hodges watch Day 2 finals of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris along with Olympic champion Breeja Larson.

2024 Olympic Games - Day 1 Finals Watch Party LIVE Jul 27, 2024

Listen to SwimSwam CEO Mel Stewart and Video Guru Coleman Hodges along with Olympic legends Jason Lezak and Kelsi Dahlia as they watch Day 1 finals of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

2024 SwimSwam Event-By-Event Olympic Preview: Day 7-9 Jul 26, 2024

Welcome to the complete, no-holds-barred SwimSwam event-by-event Olympic preview. Join Coleman, Sophie, and Laura as we go through the entire Olympic schedule and dissect each final. This episode is part 3 of 3, discussing Day 7-9 in Paris.

2024 SwimSwam Event-By-Event Olympic Preview: Day 4-6 Jul 25, 2024

Welcome to the complete, no-holds-barred SwimSwam event-by-event Olympic preview. Join Coleman, Yanyan, Sophie, and Laura as we go through the entire Olympic schedule and dissect each final. This episode is part 2 of 3, discussing Day 4-6 in Paris.

2024 SwimSwam Event-By-Event Olympic Preview: Day 1-3 Jul 24, 2024

Welcome to the complete, no-holds-barred SwimSwam event-by-event Olympic preview. Join Coleman, Yanyan, Sophie, and Laura as we go through the entire Olympic schedule and dissect each final. This episode is part 1 of 3, discussing Day 1-3 in Paris.

Developing Olympians: Mike Parratto on Coaching Regan Smith Jul 23, 2024

Coming into July 2024, Regan Smith was a world record-holder, 2x Olympian, and favored to medal in all 3 of her individual events in Paris. So SwimSwam sat down with the world champion's coach from ages 13-19, Mike Parratto, to discuss her rise to the top of the world stage. Parratto shares what he saw in Smith as a 10, 11, and 12-year-old all the way up to making her first Olympic team in 2021. The head coach of Riptide Swim Club emphasized that Smith was very dedicated to what she was doing even as a brand new 13-year-old swimmer in his group, which played a big part in the success that was to follow.

2020 Olympic Medalist Bella Sims Unpacks What Happened At The 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Jul 23, 2024

2020 Olympic medalist, Bella Sims, experienced something all swimmers do, a challenging meet. Hers was, of course, a consequential one--the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Many fans expected a strong performance in Indy after Sims' lights-out NCAA Championships this past spring. Spoiler alert! Sims was not sick and did not miss her taper at Olympic Trials. From her perspective, and her Sandpipers' club coach, Ron Aitken, the reason was very specific. Sims unpacks it all in this podcast, talks about her competition ahead at this week's SPEEDO SUMMER NATIONALS, and she charts her future.

Paralympic Medalist Ahalya Lettenberger Sets Her Sights On Paris And Beyond Jul 22, 2024

2020 Tokyo Paralympic silver medalist and Speedo Athlete, Ahalya Lettenberger, heads to Paris to compete at the 2024 Paralympics in the 400m freestyle and the 100m breaststroke. The Rice University graduate, who recently turned pro this past spring, continues to train under coach Seth Huston. Ahalya unpacks her expectations in this podcast, her views on the growth of Paralympic swimming, and her future goals to build a better world for all people, disabled and able-bodied, through her educational focus on design. Right after Paris, Ahalya jets off to the U.K. to fulfill her obligations as a Marshall Scholar recipient, and change the world by studying Disability, Design and Innovation.

Head Coach Rohan Taylor on Aussie Relay Lineups: "I'm the final sign off" Jul 19, 2024

Rohan Taylor, head coach for the Australian Olympic team, spoke with the media during the final leg of the AUS staging camp in Chartres. Taylor spoke on several topics, including the lengthy process the coaching staff will go through to assemble their relay orders.

Ariarne Titmus on Racing Ledecky in 800 Free: "I'm gonna put my best foot forward" Jul 18, 2024

At Olympic training camp in France, Ariarne Titmus spoke with the media about a myriad of topics heading into the Paris Games. Titmus is coming to Paris as the defending Olympic champion in both the 200 and 400 freestyles, both of which she holds the world record in and #1 rank worldwide this season. Titmus also won a silver medal in the 800 free at the last Olympics and looks to put her best foot forward again in that race, saying that her training has indicated better results than what she's been able to post.

Cam McEvoy Previews Paris: "Hitting some PBs... Swimming as fast as I ever have in training" Jul 17, 2024

Cam McEvoy spoke to the press in France during the last leg of the Australian Olympic prep camp. McEvoy notably skipped the first leg of the camp to stay home in Australia and continue his training there, which seems to have paid off for the sprint specialist. The 4x Olympian notes that he has been hitting PBs in training and swimming the fastest he ever has in practice. Audio courtesy of Swimming Australia.

Developing Olympians: Sergio Lopez on Coaching Ryan Murphy & Caeleb Dressel Jul 16, 2024

Sergio Lopez has built up programs everywhere he's been a head coach. Currently, he's the head coach at Virginia Tech, but he also won a conference title while captaining the West Virginia program. His most legendary stop, though, may have been being the head coach at the Bolles School Sharks, where he coached Olympic champions Ryan Murphy, Caeleb Dressel, and Joseph Schooling, who were all in high school at the time. Listen to Sergio think back to coaching Murphy and Dressel and what he recalls about what he learned as a coach by working with such immense talents.

SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN LIVE | Olympic Entry Deep Dive Jul 15, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we dissect the 2024 Olympic Games entry list.

SwimSwam's 2024 Olympic Games Fantasy Draft Jul 13, 2024

As is tradition at this point, the big meet of the summer is upon us and your favorite SwimSwam GMs are back in their drafting chairs. SwimSwam is proud to present the 2024 Olympic Games Fantasy Draft.

World Record Holder Cesar Cielo Previews Men's Olympic Sprint Events in Paris Jul 11, 2024

Olympic champion and current world record holder in the 50 freestyle Cesar Cielo joined SwimSwam to preview the men's sprint events heading into the 2024 Olympic Games. Cielo dissects the difference that has sprouted in recent years between the 50 and 100 freestyles while hoping to see historic times in both. The Brazilian native will be in Paris for the opening ceremonies of the Games and then travel to Rio to help the Brazilian broadcast team for the entirety of their Olympic coverage.

Developing Olympians: Nashville Aquatic Club's Doug Wharam on Coaching the Walsh Sisters Jul 10, 2024

Doug Wharam is the associate head coach and senior coordinator for the Nashville Aquatic Club in Nashville, Tennessee. This means that Wharam met Alex and Gretchen Walsh when they were 13 and 11 years old and coached them through high school. Wharam shares heart-warming anecdotes about how different the two were as sisters and how they developed in the pool.

Three Kings: Race, Class And The Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Launched The Modern Olympic Age Jul 09, 2024

Today's guest on the SwimSwam Podcast is the author of "Three Kings: Race, Class And The Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Launched The Modern Olympic Age", Todd Balf. The acclaimed author discusses his inspiration behind this new swim story and the impact it has on the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN LIVE | European Jrs, Olympic Defending Champions, and Sjostrom 50y Free Jul 08, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the 2024 European Jr Championships, which male is most likely to defend his gold medal in Paris, and what Sarah Sjostrom would go in a 50y free.

Michael Brinegar Shares Perspective on 4-Year Suspension for Blood Doping Jul 03, 2024

On June 22, 2024, SwimSwam reported that 2020 Olympian Michael Brinegar would not be competing in the 1500m Free prelims of the 2024 US Olympic Trials after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)’s allegations of blood doping during a three month period in 2022. This means that Brinegar is facing a four-year ban. Hear Brinegar's side of this 2-year process and the effect it has had on this athlete who still claims his innocence in the situation.

Brian Benzing's Journey from Being a 4-Sport Athlete in High School to NCAA All-American Jul 02, 2024

Brian Benzing is an NCAA All-American for Towson in the 100 Breast, placing 2nd at the 2024 NCAA Championships in 50.59. After his first two years of high school in Maryland where he played Lacrosse, Basketball, soccer, and swam, Benzing's family moved to Norway where he spent the next 3 years and continued swimming while gradually stepping away from the other sports. Benzing ultimately returned to Maryland and attended college at Towson University, where he made huge improvements in the pool. Listen to Benzing's journey and the lessons he learned along the way.

Todd DeSorbo Pre-Olympic Training Camp FULL Press Conference Jul 01, 2024

On Monday, Todd DeSorbo sat down with the press to answer questions ahead of the 2024 US Olympic Team training camp that starts in Cary, North Carolina and will move to Croatia ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris. DeSorbo discusses the selection of the Olympic team coaching staff, UVA swimmers that made the Olympic team, and much more.

SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN LIVE | 2024 US Olympic Trials Review Jun 24, 2024

Join Coleman Hodges, David Clossey (aka The Swim Scribe), and NCAA Champ Brendan Burns as we do a deep dive into the 2024 US Olympic Trials.

Malmsten Swimming Lane Lines On The Road To The Olympics Jun 14, 2024

Thanks to @malmstenab3682 and the CEO of Malmsten Inc, Mikael Orn for this inside look into the company and team that has provided swimming's lane lines for the last ten Olympic Games! Malmsten has very deep roots in swimming. Tommy and Margareta Malmsten founded the Swedish company in 1974. Tommy, a former competitive swimmer and national Swedish coach, combined his love of swimming with his skills as an engineer to develop top-notch gear for the swimming community. Malmsten wanted to remain true to its roots, maintaining a family-oriented atmosphere while providing superior products for competitive swimmers. Mikael Orn swam for Tommy and went on to win an Olympic bronze medal at the 1984 Games in LA. Mikael - or Mike - heads up Malmsten Inc. which services the Americas, and Mike will be on the team that preps and supplies lane lines for the 2028 Olympic Games in LA.

COMPLETE Event-By-Event 2024 US Olympic Trials Preview | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Jun 13, 2024

Join us as we go down the psych sheet, event by event, and choose our picks for who will make the 2024 US Olympic team in Indianapolis.

Kensey McMahon Gives Candid Perspective on 4-Year Ban for Positive Doping Test Jun 12, 2024

https://youtu.be/k2vojNuX1Oc

Kensey McMahon is an NCAA Champion from 2023 and a world championship medalist. On June 4, 2024, it was reported that McMahon had received a 4-year suspension by USADA after testing positive for a banned substance (Vadadustat).

Kensey came on the SwimSwam podcast to give her perspective not only on the positive test and verdict itself but also on the process of trying to investigate this situation. McMahon speaks to the 2+ decades she's put into swimming, the recent doping scandal involving 23 Chinese athletes, and getting an invitation to compete in the Enhanced Games.

Jeremy Bagshaw Qualifies for 1st Olympic Team at 5th Trials While Finishing Med School Jun 11, 2024

Jeremy Bagshaw had accomplished a lot in his 20+ year career in swimming. NCAA Champion at Cal Berkeley. Commonwealth and Pan American Games medalist. Multiple-time world championships qualifier. But one thing that had eluded him (4 times, going back to 2008) was qualifying for Canada's Olympic team.

Last month at the Canadian Trials, in what would have been his final race as a competitive swimmer, Bagshaw finished 4th in the 200 free, securing his spot on the Olympic team for the first time. Bagshaw had also just completed medical school in Ireland.

Listen to what the 32-year-old has to say about perseverance and challenging himself to strive for more in and out of the pool. Bagshaw turned his lifestyle of medical school and competitive swimming into a game for himself, always wanting to win the day whether in class or at training. In the end, it worked out well for Dr. Bagshaw, who will be competing in Paris next month.

Olympic Champion Missy Franklin Discusses Life Lessons in Swim Ahead of 2024 Olympic Trials Jun 10, 2024

Missy Franklin was a 5x Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the pool. Now outside of it, Franklin is having just as much success. She's a parent (3-year-old daughter, Caitlin, with her husband Hayes Johnson), a member of the media (hosts the podcast Unfiltered Waters with fellow Olympian Katie Hoff), and an ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation. In this episode, we discuss the upcoming Olympic Trials with Franklin, who will be in Indianapolis with the USA Swimming Foundation and as media. Trials are the most stressful environment in swimming and if you are there for more than a couple days, you ride the emotional roller coaster of someone chasing the Olympic dream whether you want to or not. Missy does a great job putting this into words and expressing her excitement at how the team looks to be shaping up as Trials loom. Outside of swimming, Missy has also been heavily focused on working with Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. to raise awareness of autosomal dominant kidney disease (ADPKD). Readers can learn more on DiveIntoADPKD.com.

Betsy Mitchell: More Than Medals, Lessons from An Olympian Jun 07, 2024

Olympic Champion Betsy Mitchell is a renaissance woman in the sports world, a 2-time Olympian, gold medalist, 7-time NCAA champion, former college swimming coach, and the current Athletic Director of Cal Tech. Betsy's roots run deep in sport, which is why she's co-authored her first book with Ann Worthington, MORE THAN MEDALS, Lessons From An Olympian. I say "her first book" because a follow-up will be coming soon. Betsy's forthcoming in this conversation, bringing wisdom and perspective to the topic of youth and college sports, which, right now, is a very chaotic and rapidly changing environment of lawsuits and rule changes. I hope you enjoy it.

Grand Challenge, Mare Nostrum, and AUS Trials on the Horizon | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Jun 06, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss a myriad of eye-catching swims over the last two weeks as many countries' Olympic Trials draw near.

What We Can Learn From Sprinting a 50 Free Every Day for 100 Days May 27, 2024

Sam Hoekstra was an NCAA All-American for Louisville, graduating in 2013. Since then, Hoekstra has stayed close to the sport via coaching club and doing clinics for Fitter and Faster. Hoekstra wasn't swimming regularly, though, and certainly not sprinting regularly. However, after the idea of sprinting a 50 free for 100 days straight was presented to him, Hoekstra decided to give it a go. His first 50 was 22.2 (25-yard pool). After the first week, he switched from a brief to wearing a tech suit. He didn't do any in-pool warm-up or warm-down before or after the 50 sprint, but he did do a dryland warmup routine for safety and injury prevention. He didn't do any other form of exercise outside of this during the 100 days. On day 100, Hoekstra swam his fastest 50 of the entire experiment, 20.4. Listen to what Hoekstra learned during this process as well as what he will now carry over into his workout routine moving forward.

Blaire Anderson Talks Building on Aggie Legacy, UT-A&M Rivalry, and Vision as Director of Swimming May 25, 2024

Blaire Anderson was recently named Director of Swimming & Diving at Texas A&M University, marking a big turning point in Aggie swimming history. With coaches Steve Bultman and Jay Holmes stepping down after their combined 60+ years at the helm of the respective women's and men's programs, Anderson looks to build upon the legacy that is already palpable in College Station. Anderson has already hired 3 coaches for her staff and is looking forward to continuing to build the network of people she trusts around her. The former UVA Associate Head Coach is excited at the potential that she sees for the Aggies moving from two separate programs into a combined one.

Virginia Media Day: Walsh Sisters, Todd DeSorbo, Kate Douglass, Jack Aikins May 24, 2024

University of Virginia swimming hosted a media day for a number of their top athletes and coaches. Listen to Alex and Gretchen Walsh, Todd DeSorbo, Kate Douglass, and Jack Aikins field questions from the national media before the upcoming US Olympic Trials next month in Indianapolis.

Ben Loorz Speaks for First Time as Head Coach of Arizona May 23, 2024

SwimSwam's Coleman Hodges sat down with Ben Loorz, the new head coach of swimming & diving at the University of Arizona. Loorz breaks down why this was the right move for both him and his family at this time as well as how he plans to start carrying out his vision for UofA in these first few weeks. Loorz is coming from UNLV, where he was the head coach for 8 seasons and produced NCAA qualifiers in all of them.

Canadian Trials, US Meets, and Paris Podium Predictions | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN May 20, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the Canadian Olympic Trials, the Mid-May flurry of meets in the US, and if any of the swims this past weekend moved the needle on the Paris Podiums.

Ohio State Head Coach Bill Dorenkott Covers 33 Years In College Swimming May 18, 2024

Joining us today, we have a man in his 33rd year of coaching college swimming, 28 of those years as head coach. He is a 4-time Big Ten Coach of Year. Today we have The Ohio State Director of Swimming & Diving, William "Bill" Dorenkott.

Chase Kalisz Breaks Down Grueling Bob Bowman IM Sets at OTC Training Camp May 15, 2024

Chase Kalisz is a 2x Olympian and the reigning Olympic champion in the 400 IM. He's gearing up for his 4th Olympic Trials, which are just one month away, with a training camp in Colorado Springs. His coach there, Bob Bowman, has thrown some pretty gnarly sets at him throughout the last couple weeks, which Kalisz explains. The former Georgia Bulldog also speaks about recovery away from practice, his mentality heading into his 4th Olympic Trials, and the importance of his sponsors heading into Indianapolis.

Reviewing the Last 2 Weeks of International Swimming & USA May Meets | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN May 14, 2024

This week in the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the Brazilian Olympic Trials, the Sydney Open, and the upcoming May Meets in the USA

The Walsh Sisters Go Behind The Scenes of Their Sporti Collab, Star Spangled Summer Collection May 10, 2024

Olympic medalist and World Champion Alex Walsh and NCAA swimming superstar Gretchen Walsh, take us behind the scenes of their latest SPORTI collab, the Star Spangled Summer Collection. The collection is inspired by Americana vibes as a nod to the country’s, and the sister’s, collective spirit going into the 2024 Olympic Summer. Coming off of UVA's 2024 NCAA Championship Team Title, the Walsh Sister dove right into their SPORTI photo capture for this collection. They only took a few days off. They did the photo shoot and launched their STAR SPANGLED SUMMER COLLECTION May 8th. A lot had to happen to make this collection a success. We talk about that process, and we look ahead to the Olympic summer and the Walsh Sister's goals in the pool. Notably, Alex unpacks her decision to take a 5th year UVA...and she was on the fence about doing it. The Walsh Sisters cover a lot of ground in this podcast. We hope you like it!

Matt Leach Explains Why Iowa State Was the Best Decision for His Coaching Path and Family May 09, 2024

Matt Leach was recently announced as the new head coach for Iowa State Swimming and Diving. This surprised many as Leach had massive success at his last stop, Washington State, and most likely could have landed a job at a more traditional powerhouse. However, Leach explains that his first priority is family and his wife's parents live nearby. He also dives into his coaching journey and why building a team into a family is much more fulfilling to him than having the status of coaching at a Top-10 swimming program.

Giving Context to Ahmed Hafnaoui Skipping 2024 Paris Olympic Games May 07, 2024

Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 400 freestyle, will not be competing at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. According to Africa Aquatics, this news was revealed by Tunisian Olympic Committee head Mehrez Bousyan on a televised sports program and had also been confirmed by Hafnaoui himself.

Kyle Chalmers Discusses Move to St. Andrews with Ash Delaney, Australian Open, and Ankle Surgery May 06, 2024

Olympic and world champion Kyle Chalmers just had one of the best in-season meets of his career last month at the Australian Open, going lifetime bests in the 50 free (21.9) and 50 fly (23.1) as well as a 47.6 in the 100 free. This is coming on the heels of moving clubs to train with Ash Delaney at St. Andrews on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Summer's Trials Lineup, High School Entry Fiasco, & NCAA Shuffle | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN May 02, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Summer McIntosh's potential lineup for the 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials, a high school swim team getting locked out of their section meet, and the major moves that have happened so far in the NCAA off-season.

Should Swimmers be Allowed to Swim in the Same Lane During a Race? Apr 30, 2024

During the 2024 Polish Swimming Championships (which qualify swimmers for the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer), a swimmer in the Women's 200 IM final ended up in the wrong lane halfway through the race and ended up getting disqualified for it. We discuss how this happened, why it was a DQ, and what questions this raises about the rules for this race.

Behind the Scenes of the Chinese Doping Scandal Apr 26, 2024

SwimSwam Co-Founders Braden Keith (Editor-in-Chief) and Mel Stewart (CEO) sit down to divulge how the story of 23 Chinese swimmers testing positive and walking away unscathed unfolded over the weekend and what it means moving forward.

Stewart and Keith discuss USADA's role in breaking this story, what WADA's independent investigation could bring to light, and the plausibility that this was actually caused by a contaminated kitchen vs intentional doping.

James Guy on Chinese Doping Scandal: "It opens the door to so many other things" Apr 24, 2024

2x Olympic Champion and now 3x British Olympian James Guy spoke with SwimSwam after it came to light over the weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for TMZ in January of 2021. Early in the week, Guy had tweeted "Ban them all and never compete again" and expressed similar frustration today, namely in WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) for allowing such a situation to occur.

THE FULL STORY | 23 Chinese Swimmers Fail Drug Test, Still Compete in Tokyo Olympics Apr 22, 2024

On Friday, April 19, sources told SwimSwam that the gold-medal-winning Chinese women's 800 Free Relay from the Tokyo Olympics would be disqualified and that the silver-medal USA women's team would be bumped up to gold. The next morning, the Herald Sun reported that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for TMZ in January of 2021 at a training camp, just a few months before the Tokyo Olympic Games. Many of those athletes went on to win medals in Tokyo. No one had heard about this until now.

Brendan Burns Reflects on Swimming Career, Repeating as NCAA Champion Apr 18, 2024

Brendan Burns is coming off of a career NCAA performance where he not only defended his NCAA title in the 100 back but also made 3 NCAA A finals for the first time. Burns reflects on his time as an Indiana Hoosier and what's next for him in and out of the pool.

San Antonio Pro Swim, the Canadian Open, and Marchand Goes Pro | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Apr 16, 2024

Today on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the myriad of high-level meets that occurred last week, including the Pro Swim in San Antonio, the Canadian Open, and South African Trials.

Daniel Roy Talks Swimming Comeback, Swimming #7 200 Breast in the World Apr 08, 2024

Daniel Roy was a 5 time All-American at Stanford, where he holds the team record in the 200 breast. He was the 2017 Junior World Champion in the 200 breast. In mid-March at the Federal Way Sectionals, just two and a half months into his comeback, he dropped at 2:09.57 which places his 7th in the world in the 200 breast this year.

Bob Bowman Introduced as Director of Swimming & Diving at Texas (FULL Press Conference) Apr 02, 2024

Bob Bowman was officially introduced as the Director of Swimming & Diving at the University of Texas on Tuesday, giving a press conference in the UT Football stadium. Listen to what Bowman has learned throughout his time at NBAC, ASU, and Michigan that he will carry with him to Texas and how he plans to balance training his pros in Tempe with his new responsibilities in Austin.

How Arizona State Swimming Went From Being Cut in 2008 to Winning a NCAA Team Title in 2024 Mar 31, 2024

In 2008, Arizona State cut the swimming program, but it was saved and maintained by a grassroots fundraising effort by students, coaches, and alumni. In 2015, ASU hired Bob Bowman to revitalize the program. And now, 9 years later, the ASU men have won their first NCAA team title in program history.

Did Leon Marchand Hold Back in the 400 IM Final? Mar 30, 2024

Leon Marchand defended his NCAA title in the 400 IM tonight, although he was over 3 seconds slower in the event than he was last year. This was just one night after he DEMOLISHED the NCAA record in the 500 freestyle. What was going on there?

Trying to Make Sense of Leon Marchand's 4:02.31 500 Free Mar 29, 2024

Leon Marchand demolished the US Open and NCAA record in the 500 freestyle, swimming a 4:02.31. For context, the NCAA record had been lowered by a total of 2.6 seconds in the last 29 years. Marchand just lowered it by 3.9 seconds.

Night 1 Recap of the 2024 Men's NCAA Swimming Championships Mar 28, 2024

It's only night 1 of the 2024 Men's NCAA Swimming Championships and only 2 relays were swum... but 4 NCAA records were broken.

Predicting Which Records Will be Broken at the 2024 Men's NCAA Champs Mar 26, 2024

Going event by event, we dissect which records have the most and least probability of being broken this weekend at the 2024 Men's NCAA Championships in Indianapolis.

Did Gretchen Walsh Just Swim The Best NCAA Performance in History? Mar 25, 2024

Virginia junior Gretchen Walsh just went 7-for-7 at the NCAA Swimming Championships, breaking NCAA records in all 3 of her individual events, swimming on 4 winning relays, and helping UVA to a team title. Is this the best swimming performance EVER at an NCAA Championships? We pulled some of the other historically great performances from NCAAs (from the 2000s) to compare them to Gretchen's meet.

Russell Mark Discusses Update to ASCA Video Library, Learning from Coaches Worldwide Mar 20, 2024

Russell Mark is an internationally recognized stroke analyst and swimming guru, aiding athletes worldwide to be their best in the pool. Mark has spent the last year and a half as a staff member of ASCA compiling an extensive video library of swimming techniques and drills. This library can be used by coaches and athletes to perfect swimming in both practice and racing. Listen as Mark goes in-depth on what he's learned through his time with ASCA and putting together this library.

Women's NCAA Preview, New South Wales Champs, and Regan Smith in the NCAA | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Mar 19, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we preview the 2024 Women's NCAA Championships, review the New South Wales Championships, and predict if Regan Smith will rejoin the NCAA.

Erika Fairweather Looks to Catch New Eyes in Swimming with New Zealand's First LCM World Title Mar 15, 2024

20-year-old Erika Fairweather won her first world title in Doha last month, touching first in the 400 free while also winning medals in the 200 and 800 free. The Kiwi swim star reflects on her experience in Doha and tells us about her training environment in New Zealand and how she's approaching the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

NCAA Psych Sheets, Men's Pac-12s, and the Westmont Pro Swim | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Mar 13, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the 2024 Men's NCAA Pre-Scratch Psych Sheets, Men's Pac-12 Championships, and the Pro Swim Series stop in Westmont.

Emma Weyant Unpacks Her Sporti Collab, Riviera Reverie Swim & Activewear Collection Mar 12, 2024

Sporti, in collaboration with Olympic Silver Medalist swimmer, and 2024 Paris hopeful, Emma Weyant, is proud to announce the launch of their Riviera Reverie swim and activewear collection. Inspired by the timeless elegance of the French Riviera, this collection offers an array of training swimsuits, activewear, and swim caps designed to blend performance with style, inspired by one of Emma’s favorite destinations that she has traveled to.

A Deep Dive into the Men's 50 Free Controversy at the Westmont Pro Swim Mar 11, 2024

As it turns out, Caeleb Dressel’s block malfunction in the 50 free A Final in Westmont was just the beginning of the errors that would occur during this race. When the swimmers finished the race and looked up at the scoreboard, as did the rest oof the venue, the scoreboard was black.

Turns out, the timing system had failed to activate. In that case, Per the USA Swimming Rulebook, backup stopwatches (operated by human timers) determine the finish order and times of the event. The results were announced over the loudspeaker, with Jack Alexy placing 3rd (21.90), Santo Condorelli placing 2nd (21.87) and Caeleb Dressel placing 1st (21.84). This was a surprise to many on deck because, at first glance, it had looked like Alexy had won in a close race with Dressel.

When you go back and look at the finish, it looks plausible (to me) that either Dressel or Alexy could have won, with Condorelli touching right after both of them. It seems that the results from the touchpads may have been different than the results garnered from the stopwatches, but alas, we will never know.

The fun didn’t stop there, however. Swimmers in the A Final were offered a time trial for a chance to improve their time. Times swum in this time trial would not count towards the official results of the race but they would count for official times. This ‘re-swim’ was contested at the conclusion of the A and B finals. Notably, Jack Alexy swam a 21.86, .04 faster than his official result. Caeleb Dressel and Santo Condorelli did not participate in the re-swim.

See USA Swimming’s statement on the matter below:

During the final of the Men’s 50m freestyle, the automatic timing system failed to activate. As outlined in the USA Swimming Rulebook, backup stopwatches determine the finish order and times when a timing system fails. The finish order and times from the final are official. However, swimmers in the final were offered the opportunity to swim the event again as a time trial at the end of the session for a chance to improve their times. Certification of the times swum in the time trial is pending review by World Aquatics (AQUA).

How Underwater Training Helped Claire Curzan Flourish in Long Course at the 2024 World Champs Mar 06, 2024

At the 2024 Doha World Champs, Claire Curzan became just the 3rd athlete (Qin Haiyang and Kaylee McKeown) to sweep all 3 individual events of one stroke at a LCM world championships. Curzan shares her thoughts on the meet and gives insights into how she's been training at her new home in Charlottesville. The soon-to-be sophomore said she's been doing more aerobic free to build a base for her 200 back and a lot of underwater work, which serves her well in finishing her LCM races.

Defining the Differences Between Healthy and Unhealthy Coaching Mar 05, 2024

Athlete-coach relationships are an integral part of youth sports and often numerous lives, including the athlete, their parents, and the coach. But where is the line between healthy coaching and unhealthy coaching? When is it "tough coaching" and when is it abuse? SwimSwam sat down with Kathryn McClain, MSW, MBA, Program and Partnerships director at We Ride Together, a nonprofit organization created to cast light upon the endemic issue of sexual abuse in youth and amateur sports. Kathryn discusses the key differences between healthy and unhealthy coaching and how coaches can change their mindset, language, and actions to better serve the athlete in the short and long term.

World Champion Finlay Knox Wins 200 IM World Title With Crooked Ceiling for Backstroke Mar 04, 2024

Finlay Knox won his first world title, and Canada men's first since 2007, at the Doha World Championships in the 200 IM. We saw many backstrokers in Doha hitting the lane line during their races and Knox explained that the ceiling wasn't straight, so the competitors swimming backstrokes were not always swimming in a straight line. Knox explains that he got lucky by landing in lane 7 for the final, where a pillar was straight across the ceiling to follow during the backstroke leg of the 200 IM.

Braden Holloway Assesses ACC Performances After Winning Week for Wolfpack Mar 02, 2024

NC State's men won their 3rd straight ACC title (and 9th in 10 years) last week in Greensboro. Head coach Braden Holloway gives his thoughts on both the men's and women's teams and their performances at the conference championships.

Todd DeSorbo Analyzes Virginia Women's and Men's Teams After ACC Championships Mar 01, 2024

The University of Virginia women won their 5th straight (and 20th overall) ACC team title this past week in Greensboro while the UVA men placed 5th. Head coach Todd DeSorbo shares his thoughts on how his team performed overall at the conference championship.

Owen Lloyd, Ross Dant Give Full Account of 1,650 DQ at ACCs Feb 29, 2024

NC State’s Owen Lloyd touched the wall in 14:37.04 in the 1,650 free, ostensibly winning the ACC title. In celebration of his victory, Lloyd mounted the lane rope, eventually falling into the lane of his teammate and the runner-up Ross Dant, who was two seconds behind. While Dant, who was stroke-for-stroke with Lloyd for most the race, had finished his swim before Lloyd fell into his lane, some swimmers of the heat had not (Jordan Yanchev in lane 8 was about 50 seconds back). Lloyd was declared disqualified after the completion of the race. “Interfered with another swimmer” was the official declaration on the results as the reason for the disqualification. Dant, who finished in 14:39.34, was declared the winner. Owen Lloyd and Ross Dant joined SwimSwam to give their full perspective on the matter.

Indiana Head Coach Ray Looze Relives Small Moments That Led to Winning Big Ten Title by .5 Points Feb 28, 2024

The Indiana women's swim team upset the 4-time defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes last week to win the Big Ten Championships. The 4-day meet came down to the last event, the 400 free relay, where Indiana touched 2nd and Ohio State touched 3rd, netting Indiana the victory by .5 points. Indiana head coach Ray Looze spoke to SwimSwam and reflected on everything that went into the win, emphasizing that they just wanted a chance to win the meet when it got to the last event.

High School Senior Piper Enge Walking Away From Doha World Champs with a LOT of Confidence Feb 27, 2024

Piper Enge is a junior national champion, high school senior, Texas commit, and now world championships finalist. After placing 18th in the 100 breast prelims at the 2024 World Champs in Doha, Enge was determined to make it out of prelims in the 50 breast. The Seattle native discusses how she not only accomplished that goal but made it all the way to the final and gained a lot of confidence through the process.

SCSC Head Coach Kevin Zacher Discusses the International Swim Center Closing Indefinitely Feb 26, 2024

The George F. Haines International Swim Center closed indefinitely last month, due to safety concerns around the facility. The ISC is home to the Santa Clara Aquamaids, Santa Clara Diving, and the world-famous Santa Clara Swim Club. Third-year SCSC Head Coach, Kevin Zacher, has been on USA Swimming’s National and/or Junior National coaching roster since 2012. He has led Junior National and Junior Select camps, been part of two international USA Swimming staffs, and developed international-level talents like Ryan Hoffer and Taylor Ruck. Kevin is the guest on the SwimSwam podcast to talk about the challenges facing the Santa Clara Swim Club without the use of the ISC. He talks about how they got to this point, what they’re doing to fix it, and how he keeps a level head for himself and his team during this tough time.

Katja Dedekind on Chasing 3rd Paralympics, Why Swimmers are Adrenaline Junkies Feb 25, 2024

Katja Dedekind is a 2x Paralympian, 2x Para world champion, and Para Commonwealth Games champion. Competing in the S13 (visually impaired) classification, Katja has racked up numerous accolades over her career which started when she was just 15. Dedekind discusses having a pro career, choosing swimming over goalball, and why swimmers are adrenaline junkies.

Gretchen Walsh Reflects on 19.9 Relay Split, 50 Free/100 Fly NCAA Records Feb 23, 2024

Gretchen Walsh is having a heck of a week in Greensboro. She has become the first woman to swim under 20 seconds in a 50 free (19.95 on a relay), broken NCAA records in the 50 free (20.57) and 100 fly (48.25), and went a best time of 1:40.2 in the 200 free (#3 performer all-time). On her morning off, Gretchen was kind enough to sit down with SwimSwam and analyze her historic swims so far at the 2024 ACC Championships.

After Breaking American Record, Kate Douglass May Not Swim the 50 Free at Olympic Trials Feb 23, 2024

At the 2024 World Championships in Doha, Kate Douglass swam a 23.91 50 free, good for silver behind world record holder Sarah Sjostrom. That broke the previous American record held by Simone Manuel.

Douglass explains that getting through Sarah Sjostrom to reach the top of the podium is an obstacle that many have tried and few have succeeded. She has been training for the 200 IM and she is the reigning world champion in it, so she feels more confident in focusing on that event (that does overlap with the 50 free at the Olympic Trials and the Olympic Games).

Dan Wiffen Shares Distance Swimming Secrets That Led to Double World Titles Feb 22, 2024

Dan Wiffen won Ireland's first (and second) world championship medals ever last week in Doha, earning double gold in the 800 and 1500 freestyles. Wiffen takes us through his entire process at the meet and after hearing it, you can see how dialed into distance swimming he really is. For example, in the 1500 prelim, after seeing Florian Wellbrock throw down a quick 14:48, Wiffen knew he only had to swim around 14:54 to make the final. Knowing those around him would be sticking with him, Wiffen paced his race accordingly to see if he could lure any swimmers into accidentally swimming too slow to make the final. Greg Paltrinieri, the 2022 world champion in the event, did just that, swimming right next to Wiffen and ultimately placing 9th in the prelim, missing the final.

World Champs Review & Conference Champs Previews | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Feb 20, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we look back at the 2024 World Championships in Doha and look ahead to this week's Power 5 conference Championships, including SEC Champs, ACC Champs, and women's Big 10 Champs.

James Guy Finding Success By Training More Than He Ever Has at Age 28 Feb 17, 2024

James Guy is finding success after making the move back to Millfield, making his way onto an international 200 free podium last December for the first time since 2016. We caught up with James Guy to discuss his thoughts on the Doha World Champs, looking ahead to Paris, and finding success by training more than he ever has.

Nathan Adrian Explains Why the 100 Free World Record Will KEEP Getting Broken Feb 14, 2024

In light of Pan Zhanle's surprise 100 Free world record (46.80) at the 2024 World Championships, we spoke with Olympic Champion Nathan Adrian to get his insight. Adrian wasn't surprised that Cesar Cielo's mark stood since 2009 but now we've seen two men break it in just 1.5 years, saying that once athletes see what is possible their bar is automatically set higher, meaning their ceiling is as well.

2024 World Championships Preview | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Feb 08, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we bring you a comprehensive preview of the most exciting events at the 2024 World Championships in Doha.

After Having It All, Zac Stubblety-Cook is Hungry for More, with Eyes on WR in Paris Jan 30, 2024

In just 12 months from July 2021 to July 2022, Zac Stubblety-Cook became Olympic Champion, World Champion, Commonwealth Games Champion, and world record-holder in the 200 Breast. One year later, he settled for silver at the 2023 World Champs and saw his world record get broken in that same race by Qin Haiyang. Stubblety-Cook sat down with SwimSwam and spoke about struggling to find motivation after achieving every possible goal he had. The Aussie is now in the full swing of Olympic training with a new fire heading into the Aussie Trials and Paris. And at the end of the podcast, we discuss one of his other passions: coffee.

Olympian Bella Sims Takes Us Behind The Scenes Of Her New Speedo Partnership Jan 29, 2024

Bella Sims' star is rising fast on her march toward the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. The Olympic silver medalist and World Championships gold medalist takes us behind of the scenes of her new partnership with Speedo, the world's most renowned brand in the sport of swimming. (Speedo has been a SwimSwam partner since 2013.)

The FASTEST Weekend in College Dual Meet History | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Jan 23, 2024

This past weekend saw many of the fastest times EVER swum outside of a championship meet (and a couple times that were just the fastest ever, period). Between the Stanford/ASU and Cal/ASU duals on the men's side and the UVA/NC State/UNC Triple Dual on the women's side, they made for an insanely fast January weekend. So here's some food for thought: Who will have the better NCAAs: Leon Marchand or Gretchen Walsh? Are the ASU men still the favorite to win the NCAA Championships? Should NCAA swim meets be allowed to end in a tie?

2024 Olympic Coaches Anthony Nesty, Todd DeSorbo on Prepping for an Olympic Year Jan 22, 2024

The leadup to the US Olympic Trials has many ripple effects nationwide. Some student-athletes in the NCAA take Olympic redshirt seasons, many athletes switch training bases, and numerous college and high school programs start training and racing more in a 50-meter pool, the format that the Olympics are held in. We asked the 2024 Olympic swimming head coaches, Todd DeSorbo and Anthony Nesty, how they prepare their athletes for this unique event that comes just once every 4 years.

Paralympic Medalist Ahalya Lettenberger on Journey Through Swimming, Signing with Speedo Jan 17, 2024

22-year-old Paralympic medalist Ahalya Lettenberger is Speedo's newest athlete. We got to sit down with the recent Rice University grad and discuss her journey through swimming, from the beginning when she was a child through her now budding pro career with Speedo. Ahalya has big plans for the future as she looks not only toward the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris but also working on two master's degrees in the United Kingdom starting this fall.

NCAA & Knoxville Recap, Phelps & Lochte Rivalry | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Jan 15, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we recap the Knoxville Pro Swim and major NCAA dual meets and discuss the best moment from Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte's epic duals.

Knoxville PSS, Mewen Tomac, & NCAA Projections | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Jan 09, 2024

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the Knoxville Pro Swim, French record-holder Mewen Tomac committing to Cal for 2024-25, and the projected scores for the men's and women's 2024 NCAA Championships.

Arena Social Media Manager & Alaskan Airlines Passenger Emma Vu Reflects on Emergency Landing Jan 09, 2024

Emma Vu is the social media manager for swimsuit brand Arena as well as a club swim coach in her home of Portland, Oregon. Vu swam in college at the University of La Verne and grew up swimming for much of her youth. She was also on the Alaskan Airlines flight on Friday evening that had a door-sized hole ripped out of it while in the air and had to make an emergency landing. Vu recounts the event on the plane as well as how swimming played a role throughout her whole experience that weekend.

What Can Hosting a Swim Practice Specifically for Parents Add to Your Swim Team? Jan 01, 2024

What would it be like to host a swim practice not for the athletes you normally coach (who probably range from ages 6-18), but for their parents? SwimSwam sat down with Dory Halbe of Nation's Capitol Swim Club who, before the pandemic, would host an annual Parent swim practice. This not only allowed the parents of the NCAP athletes to see what their athlete is going through on a day-to-day basis (or at least give them an idea), but it was also a great bonding opportunity for many of them.

Former Princeton Swimmer Elaina Gu Describes Trying out for the WWE Dec 28, 2023

Since finishing her swimming career at Princeton, Elaina Gu has embraced fitness on dry land. After living abroad in Africa and exploring different types of weight lifting, Gu decided to compete in bodybuilding. She started an Instagram to showcase her progress, which caught the attention of a WWE scout, who encouraged Elaina to participate in their last tryout of 2023.

200 Free Aussie Ace Max Giuliani Recaps 2023 Season, Going from 1:50 to 1:44 Dec 26, 2023

Tasmania's Maximillion Giuliani has been on a hot streak in 2023, making a name for himself as one of Australia's best 200 freestyles in history. We spoke to the 19-year-old about his big move to the Mainland and how it's allowed him to make drops from 1:50 down to 1:44 in just one year.

World Champion Gabrielle Rose on Qualifying for Olympic Trials at Age 46 Dec 22, 2023

Gabrielle Rose racked up a lot of accolades before retiring at age 22: 11-12 national age group record holder, 22x NCAA All-American for Stanford, and 2x Olympian for Brazil in 1996 and USA in 2000. Then after hanging up her suit for less than a year, she returned to the pool and ignited her pro career while training under Dave Salo. This netted her 2x LCM world titles and 3x SCM world silver medals along the way to the 2004 Olympic Trials, where she just missed the team after being diagnosed with mono just weeks before. Two decades later, Rose has qualified for another Olympic Trials at age 46 and is once again training with Dave Salo (as well as her primary coach, Scott Hubbard). Rose explains training and recovering as an older athlete, goal setting, and why she is still racing 20 years after her last experience at Olympic Trials.

Claire Weinstein on 4:29 500 Free Coming off of Racing a 10K in Portugal, Committing to Cal Dec 21, 2023

World Champion Claire Weinstein has had a monster year, from winning her first national title (200 free) to training trips in California, Florida, and Colorado, to competing in Japan, Germany, Greece, and Portugal. All at the tender age of 16. Most recently, Weinstein threw down a trio of best times (scy) at the Huntington Beach Sectionals, including 1:43.7 200 free, 4:29.3 500 free, and 9:17 1000 free.

Thomas Heilman & Maximus Williamson Reflect on Winter Jr Champs, Virginia Commitment Dec 19, 2023

Thomas Heilman (16yo) and Maximus Williamson (17yo) are the top-2 swimming recruits in the class of 2025. They both just had monster performances at the Winter Jr Championships, where Heilman broke 15-16 National Age Group records in the 200 free, 200 IM, and 200 Fly while Williamson broke 17-18 NAGs in the 200 free and 200 IM. We discussed all of their swims from the Jr Championships as well as how they both ended up choosing Virginia for their continued swimming and education.

The Distance Revolution, AUS & China’s Big Swims, and Practice Times | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Dec 18, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the distance revolution, Australia and China's speed in the long course pool, and how we should be timing practice swims.

Smack Swim: How To Follow Your Swim Passion Into A Business Dec 14, 2023

Lynne's kind of famous in our sport as the Founder and CEO of Smack Swim. Lynne's been an ad partner with SwimSwam forever, so we talk a lot about swim businesses, but I always knew there was more to her story. Today I got it in this podcast. Lynne grew up swimming, swam in college, then launched a hard-driving career on Wall Street, but something was missing. Lynne wanted to do what she loved, and she missed and loved swimming. So, she started an aquatic team dealer company and ran it for years. Lynne learned the aquatic retail market as a team dealer, and she wanted to do more--to be creative. That's when the idea came to design a goggle strap that would be the most comfortable strap you could wear. Anyone who swims hours on end, week in and week out, understands this. Lynne got a patent on her design and Smack Swim Strap born. Now she's taken the innovation to swimsuits with her Smack Swim Strap (see below). I love entrepreneurs, especially entrepreneurs that focus their energies in swimming. I hope you enjoy this conversation, and if you have a great swim business idea, maybe this talk will inspire you to act on it.

Short Course European Champs, Winter Jrs, and US Open | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Dec 11, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the Short Course European Championships, both East and West Winter Jr Championships, and the US Open that occurred last week.

Mid-Season Recap, US Open, and 2024 Doha World Champs | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Nov 28, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we recap the first week of mid-season invites, preview the *stacked* US Open this weekend, and discuss how the 2024 World Championships in Doha are shaping up.

A Candid Conversation with Griffith University’s Michael Bohl on Chasing Greatness Nov 23, 2023

Michael Bohl is the head coach at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. He's led Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon, and Stephanie Rice (among many, many others) to immense Olympic success. SwimSwam sat down with 'Bohly' and had a long conversation a out his coaching style, philosophy, and mindset heading into an Olympic season.

How to Solve the Sports Parent Problem Nov 21, 2023

If you've been around athletics at all, then you've probably encountered sports parents. They can be supportive, they can be intense, and sometimes they can even be problematic. Culture coach JP Nerbun has spent years developing what he calls the"Sports Parent Solution". Listen in as he gives us a look at what this solution looks like and how he aims to bridge the gap between coaches and sports parents. JP Nerbun's newest book, The Sports Parent Solution, is available here: https://www.tocculture.com/thesportsparentsolution

Olympic Champion Ryan Murphy Unpacks The New Speedo Fastskin Tech Swimsuits With Space Tech Coating Nov 16, 2023

4-time Olympic medalist Ryan Murphy said, “Speedo’s latest LZR Intent 2.0 suit feels super quick and looks great! I feel comfortable when wearing the suit, it allows me to feel lighter and ride higher on the water when swimming. The legacy of Speedo Fastskin speaks for itself, and I have no doubt many new records will be broken in 2024 and beyond.” The new era of speed has arrived with Fastskin LZR Pure Valor. Quick. Agile. Adaptable. Equipped with Lamoral Space Tech coating, it repels water like no other. The featherweight feel and meticulously layered fabric offers unmatched flexibility. Reinforced leg seams give you balanced compression for maximum power in every stroke. Swim to win in the new Fastskin LZR Pure Valor, the next generation of fast.

NCAA Mid-Season Meet Week Madness | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Nov 13, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we preview the upcoming Mid-Season Meet Week Madness as well as discuss last week's news in swimming.

Bob Bowman & Herbie Behm Discuss How Team Dynamic has Impacted Early Season Speed Nov 03, 2023

Arizona State has been having a heck of a season so far and it's barely November. In dual meets against Georgia and NC State, where both teams were wearing technical racing suits, ASU's men came away with decisive wins while their women showed a lot of promise. The ASU pro group also raced during these dual meets, one notable race coming in the form of Regan Smith breaking the American record in the 200y fly. ASU head coach Bob Bowman and associate head coach Herbie Behm sat down with SwimSwam to discuss completely changing the training group structure after the departure of Rachel Stratton-Mills to Northwestern and how that has affected the team culture.

UNC Associate Head Coach Dr. Jack Brown Takes us Through ”The Six Questions” of High Performance Oct 31, 2023

As a swimmer, Dr. Jack Brown was a 10x NCAA All-American, Pac-10 Champion, and Olympic Trials finalist. He also struggled with pre-race anxiety throughout his career. As a coach and sports psychologist, he's spent the last several years creating a system to help athletes of all ages develop a healthy relationship with their goals. This system is laid out in Dr. Brown's book, the Six Questions. In today's discussion, Dr. Brown lays out how he made this system, how he's seen it work for the teams he's worked with, and UNC's outlook for the 2023-24 swim season. Learn more about Dr. Brown and the Six Questions here: https://www.docbrownperformance.com/

Virginia vs Texas, 25 Repeat Races, and Sun Yang’s Chances at the Olympics | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Oct 30, 2023

This morning, we discuss the highly touted UVA v UT dual, the ASU and Marek Petrusewicz 25 Battles, and China changing the date of their Olympic Trials.

Eva Fabian and Yakov Toumarkin Discuss Life In Israel Since Hamas’ Attack Oct 7th Oct 26, 2023

Joining the SwimSwam podcast today we have Eva Fabian, an American-Israeli Open Open World Champion, and we have Yakov Toumarkin, an Israeli Olympian and backstroke specialist.

We ask them to join us in the aftermath of the brutal attack by Hamas on Israel October 7th. Eva and Yakov are on the ground in Israel and have a unique point of view and context to share.

In this conversation today, I share my opinions. They are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SwimSwam or other SwimSwam contributors.

UVA Class of 2025, McKeown & Qin DOMINATE, & Regan’s 2Fly Record | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Oct 23, 2023

This morning on the SwimSwam breakdown, we discuss Virginia's MASSIVE men's Class of 2025, the conclusion of the World Cup circuit, and Regan Smith's new American record

Dressel is BACK, NCAA Season Heating Up, World Cup, & Pan Ams | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Oct 19, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Caeleb Dressel's in-season swims, the World Cup stop in Athens, and the upcoming Pan American Games.

Olympian Ryan Lochte and Olympic Coach Mark Schubert unpack International Age Group Championships Oct 16, 2023

Today on the SwimSwam Podcast, 12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte updates SwimSwam on the 2024 International Age Group Championships. He's joined by Olympic Coach Mark Schubert and ISCA CEO Doug Fonder. The International Age Group Championships has partnered with Panam Aquatics, the governing body for multiple swimming-based disciplines across of the Americas.

How Olympic Trials Qualifier Riley Spitser Transitioned from Athlete to Musician Oct 07, 2023

Riley Spitser was an All-Conference swimmer and multiple school record-holder at San Jose State University as well as a 2016 US Olympic Trials qualifier. After her four years of NCAA swimming, she didn't feel like she was done swimming, so she trained with a few other recent grads and a group of high schoolers at a local club team while working part-time jobs, making ends meet while chasing her athletic dreams. After a year of this, Spitser felt ready to move on from her lifelong pursuit of sport.

Over time, she found other outlets to pursue in the creative field, namely singing and music. Her 2nd single, "A Shadowy Place" (Riley Rex on Spotify) was written during a time of anxiety and uncertainty. The track is out now with an accompanying Alice in Wodnerland-inspired video, filmed with the help of Riley's brother Jack (who happens to be SwimSwam's chief photographer).

Howard University Head Swim Coach Nic Askew Previews ”Battle of the Burr II” Oct 06, 2023

Nic Askew and Howard University made history last year when they hosted Battle of the Burr, the dual meet with crosstown rival Georgetown that sold out (2,000 tickets sold) and was coined 'the Party with a Purpose'. Howard is back this year to host "Battle of the Burr II", with DJs, fanfare, and guest coaches including Olympic medalists Cullen Jones and Maritza Correia. Askew discusses what the Battle of the Burr means to his team, noting the level of excitement and competition that the event produces. He also delves into the team's first conference championship title last year and how he has guided the team moving into this season.

Georgetown Head Coach Jack Leavitt Explains Impact of Battle of the Burr Oct 05, 2023

Georgetown is gearing up for "Battle of the Burr II", a dual meet with fellow Washington DC college Howard University. HU is the only HBCU in the country that supports a swim and dive team and has been since 2016. Last year, the first edition of Battle of the Burr featured DJs, special guests, and sold 2,000 tickets. Georgetown head coach Jack Leavitt praises Howard head coach Nic Askew's vision, turning a dual meet into a fan-friendly "party with a purpose". This year, Howard will bring in honorary coaches Cullen Jones (Olympic champion) and Maritza Correia (Olympic silver medalist) while Georgetown will have honorary coaches Kyle Williams and Kamal Carter, the CEO and President of "A Long Talk", an anti-racism movement.

Virginia Math Professor Ken Ono Teaching Class on Swimming Optimization to Olympians Sep 30, 2023

Ken Ono is the STEM Advisor and a math professor at the University of Virginia. He has worked with the UVA swim team for a number of years, analyzing the minutiae of stroke technique to optimize performance. This has taken form in an independent study, a course that is cross-listed in Data Science, Math, and Statistics, titled Learning Methods for Elite Swimming Analysis. Jerry Lu, a UVA technical performance consultant who has worked with Ono for years, assists with the analysis of the course.

We get the perspective of Ono, Lu, and two of the course's students: world champions and Olympic medalists Kate Douglass and Claire Curzan.

Asian Games, College Hazing, and Eddie Reese’s Replacement | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Sep 27, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the 2023 Asian Games, if college hazing is a problem, and who will replace Eddie Reese after he retires in 2024.

12x World Deaf Champion Carli Cronk Living Life Without Limits Sep 26, 2023

17-Year-Old Carli Cronk had a historic summer, breaking the record for most medals ever won at a World Deaf Swimming Championships with 15 in the 6-day meet, 12 of them being gold. This major accomplishment followed Cronk's Deaflympic debut, where she won 12 medals, all of them gold. Cronk gives insight into her massive schedule as well as what's next for her: swimming for the University of Notre Dame.

Bret Lundgaard Doesn’t Want to Leave ”Any stone unturned” as New Head Coach of Kentucky Sep 21, 2023

Bret Lundgaard was named the new head coach of Kentucky Swimming and Diving on July 24, 2023. We caught up with the new leader of the wildcats to see how his stint in Lexington has gone so far. Lundgaard has put an emphasis on establishing a base of trust by getting to know the team and not rushing into heavy training too fast. He discusses his coaching staff, the town of Lexington, and holding open tryouts in an attempt to leave no stone unturned.

James Guy Makes Return to Millfield, Will Train with World Champ Matt Richards Sep 20, 2023

SwimSwam caught up with 2023 World Champion James Guy, who recently announced his departure from long-time training home Bath National Centre. Guy, not happy with his individual results since the Tokyo Olympics, decided a change in stimuli was what would be best for his career.

This has taken him back to his old stomping grounds of Millfield, although the people around him are very different. He will be under the guidance of performance coach Ryan Livingstone and Director of Swimming Euan Dale, whereas at his last stint in Millfield he was training with Jol Finck. Millfield is also the (relatively) new home of Matt Richards, who won gold in the 200 free and teamed with Guy, Tom Dean, and Duncan Scott to win gold in the 800 free relay at the 2023 World Championships.

Guy expresses his gratitude for his time at Bath and excitement for what is to come during his time in Millfield. He also gives his perspective on his recent engagement and best friend Adam Peaty's renewed outlook on swimming.

How Jay Litherland Produces Triiipss Music And Trains For The Paris Olympics Sep 19, 2023

Olympic silver medalist Jay Litherland is busy. Last year he moved to Arizona to train with coach Bob Bowman and the biggest pro swimming group on earth, and he's one third of TRIIIPSS, the rap group with his triplet brothers. In this podcast Jay shares insight into his training, staring down in practice daily what could be most the 400 IM Olympic final next summer. It's intense! And Jay's loving producing music with his brothers, TRIIIPSS, racking up thousands of streams on Spotify. Expect a TRIIIPSS EP to drop soon, end of September or early October.

5x Medalist Leah Hayes Reflects on 2023 World Jr Championships Sep 18, 2023

SwimSwam caught up with Leah Hayes, the versatile high schooler who won 3 gold medals and 5 total at the 2023 World Jr Championships in Netanya, Israel. Hayes describes how she transitioned from World Champ Trials, the in between, and ultimately to World Jrs. The 2022 World Championship bronze medalist admitted she was disappointed in not having qualified for the (senior) world championships team but had also made plans for both scenarios (making the worlds team and making the world jrs team) coming out of the world trials.

LEN U23 Champion Emma Sticklen on Breaking Through This Summer in the Long Course Pool Aug 31, 2023

SwimSwam sat down with Emma Sticklen, the LEN U23 Champion in the 200 fly. Sticklen got a ton of championship LCM racing in this summer, competing at the US Trials in Indianapolis, the US Pro Championships in Irvine, and the LEN U23 Championships in Dublin. The Texas All-American walks us through what she gained from each competition as well as what has made the training environment so special in Austin this year.

Dissecting Kate Douglass’s 6-Medal Performance at the 2023 World Championships Aug 29, 2023

SwimSwam caught up with Kate Douglass, the 2023 world champion in the women's 200 IM who took home a whopping 6 medals from Fukuoka. Douglass is about to start her master's degree in statistics at UVA while gearing up for the 2024 Olympic Trials. Douglass reflects on her huge event lineup in Japan, including taking on the 200 IM Semi-final 10 minutes before anchoring the women's 400 free relay and swimming the 200 breast and 100 free back-to-back through prelims, semis, and finals.

Torri Huske Talks Mixed Medley Relay, 100 Fly, and Learning Experiences From 2023 Worlds Aug 27, 2023

We talked with American Record holder Torri about her preparations, performances, and post-meet reflections from the 2023 World Championships. Although she wasn’t happy with the way she swam at Worlds, she doesn’t believe that one bad meet defines who she is as a swimmer (a sentiment that was also echoed by her coach, Greg Meehan) and is even more motivated headed into the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She believes that Worlds is a learning experience for her, and looks forward to her upcoming Olympic redshirt year. As I said to her on camera, I really appreciate Huske’s willingness to be interviewed about performances that she wasn’t satisfied with—she gave really good insight about a difficult subject. Timestamps: •0:00 Intro •0:36 Nationals and Nationals Prep •3:42 Training Camp •7:52 100 fly/4×100 free relay prelims double •10:08 100 fly final •12:06 Mixed Medley Relay •14:19 Bouncing Back From Difficulties •17:02 50 Fly and Women’s Medley Relay •18:21 Overall Worlds Reflection •20:33 Olympic Redshirt Year •26:41 200 IM •28:35 Mental Game

How Jack Alexy Became America’s Top Male Sprinter Aug 24, 2023

We sat down with Jack Alexy, the man who won silver medals in the 50 and 100 free individually as well as gold, silver, and bronze as a part of Team USA relays at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Alexy discusses the changes he made this season that led to improvement in his racing, including staying late to workouts to spend more time in the water and changing his mindset toward practice.

Jess Book Discusses His Team’s Success and the Coach Who Started it All, Jim Steen Aug 23, 2023

Book discusses the achievements of the Kenyon College Swim and Dive Team, what makes them so unique, and delves into the foundational role played by Jim Steen, the coach behind his success.

Shayna Jack on World Records, Racing Katie Ledecky, & Partnership with Dean Boxall Aug 22, 2023

SwimSwam sat down with Shayna Jack, the Australian sprint star who was part of 3 world record relays at the 2023 World Championships and split 51+ in a 100 free more than any other competitor at the meet (4). Jack discusses what makes the training environment at St. Peters Western under Dean Boxall so electric, the culture Australia has developed in women's sprinting, and her strategy for racing Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh in the 200 free.

Caeleb Dressel Unpacks His Journey Back to Swimming Since the 2022 World Champs Aug 19, 2023

7-time Olympic gold medalist and Team Speedo athlete Caeleb Dressel talked with SwimSwam for nearly an hour, detailing his journey back to the sport since his abrupt departure from the 2022 World Championships in Budapest. Caeleb’s plain-spoken, funny, and he does channel vulnerability as strength in this interview. Coming off a big Speedo international photo shoot with all of his Team Speedo peers from allover the world, Caeleb was in good spirits and ready to talk on this topic.

This post was possible thanks to SwimSwam partner, Speedo. We are aware Speedo has a big 2024 reveal coming, which was the reason for the big Speedo International photo shoot, but Speedo has not confirm the dates of the announcement yet.

Thomas Heilman Unpacks His First World Championships Performance and Gold Medal Aug 17, 2023

Thomas Heilman captured fans attention December of 2021 as a 14 year old, breaking 14 National Age Group Records over 11 days at three different swimming meets. 18 months later, and only 16 years, Thomas became the youngest member of Team USA's World Championship squad, making it in two events, 100 and 200 meter butterfly -- breaking Michael Phelps' 2001 200 butterfly National Age Group Record in the process. At 2023 World Championships Heilman shaved more time off his 200 butterfly PB. He made the World Champs final and tied for 4th touching the wall in an astounding 1:53.82 -- the fastest time for any U.S. male under the age of 18.

World Champion Hubi Kos Breaks Down ”the Bowman Effect” Aug 16, 2023

Hubi Kos of Hungary surprised many when he touched first in the men's 200 backstroke at the 2023 World Championships. The World Jr Record holder in the 200 IM recently moved to Tempe, Arizona in December to train with Bob Bowman at Arizona State, the famed coach of Michael Phelps. Kos describes how training in the training environment that Bowman has created in Tempe helped him get to the top of the podium in Fukuoka, Japan.

Sam Short Talks Distance Training, Going Out Fast in Races, and Becoming a World Champion Aug 14, 2023

Sam Short won a medal of every color at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, earning gold in the 400 free, silver in the 800 free, and bronze in the 1500 free. SwimSwam sat down with the distance ace to discuss his meet and season.

Kaylee McKeown Discusses Her World Champs DQ, Regan Smith, And Cate Campbell’s Comment Aug 10, 2023

Three-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Kaylee McKeown sat down for a lengthy conversation after sweeping the 50, 100 and 200 meter backstroke at the 2023 World Championships. Kaylee is a rare type of pro swimmer when it comes to managing media--one to watch and learn from. Graciously she did the interview despite a slight cold, and I thoroughly enjoyed the talk because everything was on the table to discuss. Kaylee's simply so grounded in her confidence and humility, she just spoke plainly across a lot of topics.

Full Debrief with Kyle Chalmers of the 2023 World Championships Aug 09, 2023

We had a full sitdown with Kyle Chalmers, the 2023 world champion in the 100 free, 400 free relay, and mixed 400 free relay.

How Moving to a Smaller Club Helped Matt Richards Become a World Champion Aug 07, 2023

SwimSwam caught up with Matt Richards, the unexpected world champion in the 200 freestyle in Fukuoka. To be fair, Richards had a sensational season leading up to world champs and looked prime to medal. Richards explains what the X-factors were throughout his season, from switching clubs to race strategy, that all lined up when it mattered most.

Aussie Olympic Legend ”US, Stop Being Sore Losers” EXPLAINED Aug 02, 2023

Olympic Champion Gold Medal Mel Stewart and Coleman Hodges have an open and honest conversation about the comments Cate Campbell recently made on an Australian morning talk show.

Claire Curzan announces transfer to Virginia from Stanford, will take Olympic redshirt in 2023-24 Aug 01, 2023

After just one season at Stanford University, NCAA champion Claire Curzan is transferring to the University of Virginia, where she’ll be eligible for the three-time defending champion Cavaliers next fall after an Olympic redshirt year.

Ryan Murphy Debriefs World Champs After Beginning and Ending Meet On Top Jul 31, 2023

At the conclusion of the 2023 World Championships, SwimSwam sat down with Team USA men’s co-captain Ryan Murphy, who’s leaving Fukuoka with 2 golds, 1 silver, and 1 bronze. Murphy discusses what it takes to get through an 8-day meet like this as well as how he’s been able to maintain his podium status in the 100 and 200 back for the last 7 years.

2023 World Championships: Day 8 Finals SwimSwam LIVE Jul 30, 2023

Join Olympic gold medalist Mel Stewart, SwimSwam host Coleman Hodges, and our rotating cast of special guests as we watch and react live to Day 8 of the World Championship finals! Today we are joined by 5x Olympic gold medalist Josh Davis, SMU Women's head coach Ozzie Quevedo, and Auburn Associate head coach Vlad Polyakov.

2023 World Championships: Day 7Finals SwimSwam LIVE Jul 29, 2023

Join Olympic gold medalist Mel Stewart, SwimSwam host Coleman Hodges, and our rotating cast of special guests as we watch and react live to Day 7 of the World Championship finals!

Carson Foster and Luke Hobson Reflect on ”Up and Down” World Championships Jul 29, 2023

After helping Team USA to a silver medal finish in the 800 free relay, Texas teammates Carson Foster and Luke Hobson gave perspective on their time in Fukuoka. Both athletes swam more races than they ever had at a senior international meet, with Foster swimming 3 individual events plus this relay and Hobson swimming the 200 free individually plus the relay.

2023 World Championships: Day 6 Finals SwimSwam LIVE Jul 28, 2023

Join Olympic gold medalist Mel Stewart, SwimSwam host Coleman Hodges, and our rotating cast of special guests as we watch and react live to Day 6 of the World Championship finals! Today we have 5x Olympic gold medalist Josh David and Virginia associate head coach Tyler Fenwick.

Alex Shackell, Bella Sims Explain Why Poker Chips Motivated Them in 800 Free Relay Jul 28, 2023

We got to sit down with Bella Sims and Alex Shackell after their silver medal performance in the women's 800 free relay tonight. For Shackell, today was her first and last day of competition, swimming prelims and finals of the relay. She was surprised to be put on the anchor but didn't question her coaches decision and made the most of the opportunity. For Sims, this was her 3rd time in 3 years swimming on this relay, but the first time at a major international meet that she had other individual events to focus on.

2023 World Championships: Day 5 Finals SwimSwam LIVE Jul 27, 2023

Join Olympic gold medalist Mel Stewart, SwimSwam host Coleman Hodges, and our rotating cast of special guests as we watch and react live to Day 5 of the World Championship finals! Today we have 5x Olympic gold medalist Josh David, new Cal associate head coach Josh Huger, and Virginia associate head coach Tyler Fenwick.

2023 World Championships: Day 4 Finals SwimSwam LIVE Jul 26, 2023

Join Olympic gold medalist Mel Stewart, SwimSwam host Coleman Hodges, and our rotating cast of special guests as we watch and react live to Day 4 of the World Championship finals! Today we have five time Olympic gold medalist Josh Davis, UVA associate head of coach Tyler Fenwick, and Will Glass, University of Texas NCAA All-American and volunteer swimming coach.

2023 World Championships: Day 3 Finals SwimSwam LIVE Jul 25, 2023

Join Mel, Coleman, Annie Lazor, David Berkoff, and Josh Davis as we watch and react live to Day 3 Finals of the World Championship!

2023 World Championships: Day 2 Finals SwimSwam LIVE Jul 25, 2023

Join Mel, Coleman, and Josh Davis as we watch and react live to Day 2 of the World Championship finals!

2023 World Championships: Day 1 Finals SwimSwam LIVE Jul 24, 2023

Listen as Mel, Coleman, and our rotating cast of special guests as we watch and react live to the 2023 World Championship finals.

SwimSwam 2023 World Championships Preview - Men Jul 18, 2023

Join Coleman and YanYan as they dive into a comprehensive event-by-event preview of the 2023 World Championships on the men’s side. Come ready with questions and predictions!

SwimSwam 2023 World Championships Preview - Women Jul 13, 2023

Join Coleman and YanYan as they dive into a comprehensive event-by-event preview of the 2023 World Championships on the women’s side.

Getting to Know NBC Sports’ Sideline Reporter at the 2023 World Champs, Kira K. Dixon Jul 11, 2023

We sat down with Kira K. Dixon, who in simple terms, interviewed every US athlete right after they made the 2023 world championships team for NBC. Kira gives us her perspective on reporting for swimming vs golf (her normal day-to-day), winning Miss America, and the lifestyle of working in media.

DQs, 50s of Stroke, and Youth Movement at 2023 US Trials | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Jul 03, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the top stories from the 2023 US World Champ Trials, including selection priority, DQs, and the very young men's and women's teams.

Caeleb Dressel Talks to Press for First Time Since 2022 Worlds Jul 03, 2023

After a year of silence, 7x Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel spoke to the press at his second swim meet since the 2022 World Championships. Although he didn’t share his reason for departing early from Budapest last summer, Dressel was candid about the fact that he needed time away and took it. He said he was conflicted by his performances in Indianapolis, on the one hand not being thrilled to be so far away from his personal bests, but on the other hand proud of his results for where he was at and the year he has had.

Matt Bowe on ”Dream come true” Hire as Head Coach of Michigan Swimming & Diving Jun 27, 2023

Matt Bowe was just named as head swim coach of the University of Michigan, a storied program both at the Olympic and NCAA level. Bowe, a native of Great Britain, coached in Michigan (Eastern Michigan University) as his first coaching role in the United States and had fond memories of the area. The Cal associate reveals that even though he had promised Cal head coach Dave Durden 2 years, it was with the caveat that if the Micigan head coaching vacancy opened, Bowe would pursue it.

Coleman Stewart Breaks Down Transition from Swimming to Duke Assistant Coach Jun 26, 2023

We sat down with Coleman Stewart, the NCAA champion and world record holder who recently retired as a swimmer and started his college coaching career at Duke University. Stewart discusses why he ultimately decided to hang up his goggles and what motivated him to pick up the stopwatch. We also address the ongoing conversation of elite swimmers getting offered positions at DI Power-5 schools without* prior coaching experience. Stewart explains what he feels any elite swimmer (and himself in particular) brings to the coaching table that you don't learn anywhere else.

*Stewart has coached on a club and summer league level and run swim clinics, as mentioned in the podcast.

2023 US World Championship Trials: Event-by-Event Predictions - Men’s Edition Jun 23, 2023

Watch as SwimSwam goes day-by-day through the entire 2023 US World Champ Trials schedule on the men's side and analyzes each event and who we think will qualify in Indianapolis for the World Champs team.

2023 US World Championship Trials: Event-by-Event Predictions - Women’s Edition Jun 23, 2023

Watch as SwimSwam goes day-by-day through the entire 2023 US World Champ Trials schedule and analyzes each event and who we think will qualify in Indianapolis for the World Champs team.

Shaine Casas Back To The 90s Sporti Swim Collection Behind The Scenes Jun 22, 2023

Eleven-time World Championship medalist Shaine Casas unpacks his new Sporti release, his Back To The 90s Sporti Swim Collection. Less than a week out from 2023 U.S. World Champ Trials, the collection dropped. Most of the work was done well in advance, capturing the media at Shaine's training-hub in Austin, Texas. The collection's big, the biggest on record for an elite male swimmer with nearly 30 products offered for men and women in sizes from youth to adult XL.

Erica Sullivan on Pride Month, Team Speedo, and 50 Skins as a Distance Swimmer Jun 21, 2023

We sat down with Olympic medalist, Speedo Athlete, and openly gay swimmer Erica Sullivan. In honor of pride month, Sullivan delves into her story of finding her identity as a human and athlete. Sullivan is open and honest about her experiences and advises others with similar struggles to do the same, noting that not living authentically makes the journey of self-discovery even harder. We also discuss Sullivan's training leading up to the 2023 US World Champ team trials, including what a Texas taper looks like for the distance ace.

AUS & French Trials, Skipping World Champs, & Elite Swimmers as Coaches | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Jun 20, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the Australian and French Trials, multiple South Africans skipping 2023 World Championships, and Elite Swimmers transitioning to DI coaching roles.

Bryan Christiansen on Rebuilding Quincy University Swimming & Diving Program Jun 02, 2023

Bryan Christiansen is the Head Coach at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois. The University added Men’s and Women’s swimming in 2021 and ’22-’23 was their first season competing. This is the second time that Quincy has started a swimming program. In 2015, they added Women’s swimming but cut it in 2017 due to budget issues. Bryan seems confident that won’t happen again. Including men this time is a big reason why. The support seems to be in place with scholarships, a full coaching staff, and enough budget for things like power towers and a training trip.

But how does a college program start? In this podcast, Bryan takes us through the year of coaching before he started coaching. Most of that year was spent recruiting and building a roster. Luckily, he has some experience with transitioning a program. Bryan came from Frostburg State University in Maryland. During his time there, the program transitioned from DII to DII. That experience gave him some patience in this first season at Quincy.

That first season went well for the program. You could almost say it went better than expected. Freshman Wyatt Walsh dropped 6 seconds in his 400 IM and 4 in his 200 IM, down to times that would have qualified for DII NCAAs. The only problem was that the first-year program fell two swimmers short of the required roster number to send an athlete to NCAAs. A tough lesson but in their very first season, it was a sign that things are going in the right direction.

The program appears to be in a great place heading into season number two.

What Is The 2023 Age Group International Championships? Jun 01, 2023

Today on the SwimSwam Podcast, 12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte and International Age Group Championships founder Brian Wilson unpack the details behind this event. The International Age Group Championships has partnered with Pan Am Aquatics, the governing body for multiple swimming-based disciplines across of the Americas.

Torri Huske Talks Mission Viejo PSS and Balancing Stanford Academics with Swim May 30, 2023

SwimSwam sat down with world champion Torri Huske after the Mission Viejo Pro Swim Series Finale, where she won 2 events (and swam a 3rd) on the last night of the meet. Huske, who is usually swimming doubles and triples at bigger meets like world championships, sees this type of racing as a good learning experience and preparation. The Stanford sophomore doesn't just stay busy in the pool though. Taking on a daunting course lode this quarter, she tells how she is able to balance being great both in the water and classroom.

Anna Peplowski Discusses Long Course Freestyle Progression, Indiana Training May 29, 2023

We sat down with Indiana sophomore Anna Peplowski, who is on a roll in this long course season. She's gone from a PB of 1:59 to 1:58.4 (then 1:58.0 that night) in April at the Westmont Pro Swim to 1:57.0 just a couple weeks ago at the Indy Cup. Peplowski breaks down her relationship with long course and what's made the difference these past few months.

Louisville Freshman Sprint Duo Discuss Albiero Secret Sauce & Dynamic Team Culture May 25, 2023

We sat down with Julia Dennis and Ella Welch, two Louisville freshmen who both made huge contributions to the Cardinal sprints this season. Dennis and Welch traded ownership of the Louisville freshman records in the 50 and 100 freestyles all year, with both finishing the season faster than Cardinal legends Mallory Comerford and Kelsi Worrell (Dahlia) were as freshmen. The two discuss adapting to college life, sprint training at Louisville, and the culture head coach Aruther Albiero has established revolving around performing at NCAA Championships.

Why 5-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Nathan Adrian Likes The FINIS Smart Goggle May 23, 2023

Nathan Adrian, 5-time Olympic champion and the co-founder of AC Swim Club, has a lot of swim fans wondering if he's fully retired. Nathan has the talent to be competitive on the world stage, and he's clearly prioritizing training. Whether he's focused on training because he heads AC Swim Club or because the Olympic pool is calling him remains a bit of a mystery. Right now he's enjoying the Olympic glow in retirement and fatherhood, and he's found some swim-tech he loves, the FINIS Smart Goggle. In this podcast Nathan breaks down what he likes about the FINIS Smart Goggle and why.

The Walsh Sisters Take Us Behind The Scenes of Their Second Sporti Swim Collection May 22, 2023

On this SwimSwam podcast, we talk with Olympic medalist, World Champion, and NCAA Champion, Alex Walsh and USA National Champion, NCAA Champion, and NCAA Record holder, Gretchen Walsh. The Walsh Sisters are back with their second Sporti Swim Collection. Following the NCAA NIL policy change, the Walsh sisters were the first collegiate swim athletes in history to team up with a nationally recognized swim brand for a co-branded collection. This second collection comes on the heels of the sisters’ continued accomplishments in the sport. Inspired by the vibrant glamour and mid-century design of Palm Springs alongside the stunning golden hours of Joshua Tree, the Sporti x Alex & Gretchen Walsh ‘Palm Springs Swim Collection’ transforms every training session into a pool party - all set in the heart of Southern California’s desert paradise.

Claire Curzan Breaks Down Olympic Redshirt, Team USA Relay Camp, & First NCAAs May 19, 2023

We sat down with Claire Curzan to catch up on her last couple of months. She recently announced that she'll take an Olympic redshirt next year (along with Stanford and USA teammate Torri Huske) and attended the Team USA relay camp in Austin. She also takes us through her first NCAA Championships with the Cardinal.

Atlanta Classic, Mare Nostrum, Sydney Open, & Mission Viejo PSS | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN May 18, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the Atlanta Classic, the first half of the Mare Nostrum Tour, and the Sydney Open

Ryan Murphy Talks Mission Pro Swim, World Champ Trials, and National Water Safety Month May 17, 2023

Six-time Olympic medalist and Speedo Athlete Ryan Murphy headlines USA Swimming's Mission Pro Swim this weekend. In this podcast Murphy unpacks his training so far, and he's more than ready for taper-time ahead of the 2023 U.S. World Championship Trials (aka 2023 Phillips 66' National Championships). As a pro the season's been long, 10 months without a full taper. Murphy feels he's done a lot more base-work than he did ahead of last year's World Champs where he dropped a 51.97 100 back (silver) and a 1:54.52 200 back (gold). May is National Water Safety Month, and as a Speedo, Goldfish, and USA Swimming Foundation Ambassador, the lifesaving skill of swimming is top of mind for Murphy. In this podcast Murphy brings a fresh perspective to the mission, and, based on this conversation, he'll clearly be an actively engaged advocate for lean-to-swim long after he retires. Many thanks to our partner Speedo for making this conversation possible.

How Can Your Swim Team’s Lane Lines Be Sustainable For the Environment? May 16, 2023

On the SwimSwam Podcast today is an elite swimming peer. Our careers fell over the same years when he represented New Zealand at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, 1991 World Champs, 1991 Pan Pacific Champs, and the 1992 Olympic Games. Today we have Simon Percy, Vice President of Malmsten INC.

Ingrid Wilm on The Realities of Being A Professional Swimmer May 13, 2023

We chatted with Canadian national teamer Ingrid Wilm to discuss her years-long journey at one of Canada's top backstrokers. Wilm discussed what it was like training through the pandemic, why she nearly had to stop swimming altogether, and what it took to win a national title in the 100 backstroke at the 2023 Canada Trials.

Atlanta Classic, Chinese Trials, & The Best Summer Meets | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN May 12, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we preview the Atlanta Classic, recap the Chinese World Trials, and discuss what summer meet is the most desirable for Americans.

How Loyola Head Coach Kevin Mann Balances Coaching and Producing in Hollywood May 11, 2023

We sat down with Kevin Mann, the head coach of Loyola High School, days before the end of his season AKA the CIF State Championships. Mann has been coaching at Loyola for 23 years and puts an emphasis on team culture, even with standouts on his team like Rex Maurer. After losing the Southern Section meet to Santa Margherita by 3 points, Mann looks to lead his team to a back-to-back state title this weekend. Mann also discusses the work-life balance between coaching during the CA high school season (February-May) and being a producer in Hollywood, having just wrapped on shooting a film Tuesday that stars Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis.

Rex Maurer Breaks Down Flu, Nat’l HS Record, and the Upcoming CIF Championships May 10, 2023

Just days before his last CIF Championships (and high school meet) ever, Loyola senior Rex Maurer sat down with SwimSwam to give an insider's look at his last two weeks. Last Friday at the CIF-SS champs, after contracting the flu and being bed-ridden for 2+ days, Maurer clocked a personal best in the 200 free (1:33.57) while winning the 500 free in 4:12.70, a new national high school record. Maurer looks to carry his momentum into this week's CIF Champs, where Loyola is seeded to win the meet and repeat as champions.

How to Build a Team for World University Games from the Ground Up? May 09, 2023

We sat down with Team USA's World University Games coaching staff for swimming, including head women's coach Jacy Dyer, head men's coach Peter Richardson, and Director of Swimming Ian Quinn. Without funding from USA Swimming on this trip, the staff has had to do everything on their own, including selecting a coaching staff and roster as well as completely funding the trip themselves. Each member discusses what that has looked like so far and what it will look like moving into the Games. If you're interested in becoming a sponsor of Team USA going to the World University Games, email Ian Quinn at iquinn@unca.edu

The Outex Underwater Phone System, A Powerful Tool For Swimmers May 08, 2023

JR DeSouza is an Olympic finalist, Pan American Games finalist, World Champion, Brazil National Champion, and SEC Champion back when we both swam for the University of Tennessee. JR is also an entrepreneur, the co-founder and CEO of Outex.

What is Outex? The Outex phone case is the perfect waterproof tool for swimmers and water sports. It’s faster, easier, and cheaper than action-cams, and delivers better imaging results. It works with the phone you already have safely underwater, and it’s compatible with all brands and models. There are no apps or downloads so you’re ready to edit and share immediately. The system installs in seconds and maintains control over your buttons and touchscreen. The Outex phone case borrows from the company’s 13+ year history, and its patented camera housing line to combine the best of both worlds, professional results, compatibility that protects your equipment, complete functional control, lightweight, compact design, and affordability.

Carson Foster Talks Going Pro, 2023 NCAA Championships, & Racing Leon Marchand May 05, 2023

Carson Foster announced that he will forego the rest of his NCAA career and turn pro, focusing on long course in the lead up to the 2023 world champ trials and 2024 Olympic Trials. Foster discusses what went into this decision for him and the timeline in which he made this decision.

Foster discusses a myriad of topics, including racing Leon Marchand, 2023 NCAA Championships, and his partnership with Mizuno

Abby Dunford Talks Distance Training with Sarasota Sharks & Sandpipers May 01, 2023

We sat down with Abby Dunford, the newly named open water world championship team member for Canada and member of the elite Sarasota Sharks training group. Dunford shares experience not only training with the Sharks but with the Sandpipers of Nevada for 3 years before moving to the Sharks as well. The high school junior shares her favorite distance sets, one of her hardest sets ever, and what it's like training with world champions such as Summer McIntosh and Claire Weinstein.

Dryland Training for Swimming with Chris Ritter of SURGE Strength Apr 25, 2023

On the SwimSwam Podcast today we welcome back my friend and go-to for all things dryland training, Chris Ritter, founder of SURGE Strength. SURGE Strength leads the way in dryland training for swimmers allover the world. Visit Chris' website https://surgestrength.com/ to learn more. And, specifically, go to this link - https://surgestrength.com/webinar - to register for the free webinar, THURSDAY, APRIL 27th AT 1PM EST, about Dryland Programs & Certification from SURGE Strength. The goal of SURGE Strength is simple: Build Better Athletes to Generate Faster Swimmers. And you can learn more about their dryland training programs, becoming dryland certified or enrolling in a FREE Dryland 101 Course at surgestrength.com.

Brent Boock on Building Elmbrook Swim Club into One of the Top Clubs in the US Apr 21, 2023

Brent Boock is the Head Coach of the Elmbrook Swim Club in Brookfield Wisconsin. The team has earned Gold Medal status in USA Swimming’s Club Excellence Program the last four years, this past year finishing 9th in those rankings. Their Women won the team title last summer at Junior Nationals, winning 4 out of 5 relays and breaking the 200 and 400 medley relay National Age Group records. Last month at the NCSA Championships in Orlando they won the Women’s team title, sweeping the relays and besting their own NAG record in the 400-medley relay. Brent has been on the Junior National Select Team camp staff as well as the recent Junior National Team Training Camp staff in April. In this podcast, Brent goes deep on his 3 decades at Elmbrook. How the program has evolved and what’s going so well recently with the team. It’s a team of 200 swimmers that operates out of 2 six lane pools. He’s built the program with a great 12&U coach, Michael Rose, and 8&U coach, Daniel Westfahl, and they’ve buit a culture that gives their athletes room to be great. With his Senior 1 group, Brent the only coach I’ve talked to, at the club level, that implements 2 recovery days a week. He dives into his training philosophy as well as his coaching approach that allows for the great relationships that have led to the club’s success.

Dan Wiffen Looking Toward World Record in Fukuoka After Historic 1,500 in Stockholm Apr 20, 2023

We sat down with Dan Wiffen, the Irishman who became the #4 performer in history in the 1,500 freestyle this weekend in Stockholm. He discusses what he was expecting out of himself heading into the meet as well as how he has elevated his training over the past 6 months to reflect his performances. Wiffen is at the point where he's calling out sets to challenge himself (he notes 6x500 on 5:30 best average).

Wiffen makes it clear that now, with only 4 more seconds to shave off, he's gunning for Sun Yang's legendary 14:31.02 world record. What does he need to do to drop under 14:31? In his words, "I just need to swim again."

Steve Buckley of ”Pullbuoy” on British Trials, Selections, and Medal Chances at Worlds Apr 14, 2023

We sat down with Steve Buckley of Pullbuoy, the UK's biggest independent swim site. Buckley discusses the British selection process for the upcoming 2023 world champs, specifically how British swimming changed the criteria half way through the trials meet. Steve also gives his insight into Britain's chances of medaling in the relays on both the men's and women's sides in Fukuoka.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Santo Condorelli, British/Japanese Trials, & Diehl to NC State Apr 13, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the upcoming Pro Swim in Westmont, Britain and Japan's world champ trials, and SwimSwam's #1 recruit announcing his decision.

Javier Acevedo on Swimming Best Times and Staying Motivated in 2023 Apr 12, 2023

Two-time Olympian Javier Acevedo has been on the Canadian national team for nearly a decade, first racing internationally in 2015 at the World Junior Championships. He recently qualified for the 2023 World Championships after winning a national title in the men’s 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke, and 200 freestyle. In this episode of the SwimSwam podcast, he discusses the journey that his career has taken him on, Canada’s relay potential, and what he thinks his legacy within Canadian swimming will be.

Brent Arckey on Coaching Summer McIntosh, Managing High-Performance Athletes Apr 06, 2023

(Originally published November 11, 2022)

Brent Arckey is in his 12th year with the Sarasota Sharks and he’s been the Head Coach/CEO since 2017. The Sharks finished 7th last year in the USA Swimming Club Excellence Program rankings and Brent has been on multiple USA Swimming International staffs. Recently, up-and-arrived superstar Summer McIntosh has moved to Sarasota to train with Brent and the Sharks. In this conversation, we discuss the training approach from top to bottom at Sarasota. Brent breaks down five different phases of training throughout the season, including one that he considers “experimental,” at this point. Dryland starts at the very base level with the Sharks, as games and fun activities to keep kids moving. As they progress through the program they are challenged with a variety of Dryland exercises, run by the GAIN program.

Lucas Henveaux on Helping Cal to NCAA Title, Playing Golf, and Mid-Distance Swimming Apr 05, 2023

In this episode of the SwimSwam podcast, we sat down with Lucas Henveaux, the NAIA golfer-turned-NCAA swimmer who ended up helping the Cal Golden Bears win the men's swimming title last month. Henveaux tells us how he circled back around to swimming, what his goals are now in the pool, and what he makes of Summer McIntosh's monster mid-distance swims from last week.

NCAA Champs, Summer McIntosh, and the State of Swimming | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Apr 03, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the men's and women's NCAA Championships, Summer McIntosh at the 2023 Canadian Trials, and the state of swimming right now.

Abbey Weitzeil and Erica Sullivan on Being a Woman in Swimming Mar 31, 2023

In honor of Women's History Month, Olympians and Speedo Athletes Abbey Weitzeil and Erica Sullivan sat down to discuss being a woman in swimming. This included balancing femininity with being an athlete, training with men vs training with women, and how they lean on their support systems in and out of the pool.

Sage Hopkins on Enduring the 10+ Year Investigation of Scott Shaw for Molesting Athletes Mar 30, 2023

Sage Hopkins just finished his 18th season as the Head Coach at San Jose State University. It was supposed to be the first season with some closure after a 13-year scandal that exposed student-athletes to an athletic trainer who molested athletes and the coverup that surrounded it. Sage goes through the entire story, starting in 2009 when an athlete responded to his suggestion to go see the trainer, Scott Shaw, with, “No thanks. I don’t want to be molested.” From there 17 swimmers gave statements that were ignored and later destroyed, echoing the sentiment about Shaw’s “treatment.” That 2010 investigation was the start of an embarrassing response from the SJSU Athletic Administration, despite multiple athletes from multiple sports complaining about Shaw. Coach Hopkins didn’t let that stop him from continuing to fight for the protection of the athletes but it Shaw remained at San Jose State until the pandemic in 2020. This interview details the layers of corruption that allowed Shaw to stay, and even get promoted, over a decade after the first reports. Hopkins tells us about how he was treated within the athletic department and University because he refused to drop his complaints.

Bob Bowman Speaks on ASU Men’s Training Leading up to NCAAs Mar 21, 2023

On the eve of the men's 2023 NCAA Championships, we sat down with head coach Bob Bowman to get his perspective on his team headed into the big meet. The sun devils are fresh off their first Pac-12 conference title in history and Bowman said it took a while for his guys to bounce back from that meet in the pool. However, headed into this week, the 2016 Olympic head coach said they're doing things they never have before in practice, always a good sign heading into a championship meet.

Todd DeSorbo Sheds Light on UVA Process on Eve of NCAA Championships Mar 14, 2023

We sat down with Todd DeSorbo, the head coach of the 2x defending NCAA Champion Virginia women. DeSorbo takes is through the UVA process for the ACC championships as well as their mindset heading into NCAAs. DeSorbo says winning a championship isn't something he puts a huge emphasis on in practice, but rather focuses on outperforming where the team was last year. When asked what event he's most looking forward to, DeSorbo gives a... diplomatic answer.

SwimSwam’s 2023 Women’s NCAA Championship Picks & Previews Mar 14, 2023

Listen in as Braden, YanYan, and Coleman give their event-by-event predictions for the upcoming 2023 Women's NCAA Championships.

Katie Ledecky 15:01.41 1,650y Freestyle American & US Open Record - RACE ANALYSIS Mar 13, 2023

The women’s 1650 free race at NCAAs later this week is going to look real slow, because Katie Ledecky just went a 15:01.41 in the event to break the US Open and American record at the 2023 Florida Swimming Spring Senior Champs. Ledecky broke her own record time of 15:03.31, which set in November 2017 at the Art Adamson Invite when she was still swimming collegiately for Stanford.

Ledecky finished her race over a minute ahead of Florida swimmer Caroline Pennington, who finished in second with a time of 16:08.78. Keep in mind, Pennington is the 2022 Pac-12 champion in the 1650 free and her time would have qualified for NCAAs this year, and she still lost to Ledecky by a minute and seven seconds.

Now, Ledecky holds seven of the top times in the history of the 1650 free and is over 22 seconds faster than Erica Sullivan, who is the second-fastest performance of all-time in the event and holds a personal best of 15:23.81.

Sergiy Fesenko on War in Ukraine, Growing Up with an Olympic Champion as a Father Feb 22, 2023

SwimSwam sat down with Sergiy Fesenko, an NCAA All-American for Indiana and World University Games medalist. Fesenko discusses a myriad of topics, from training under Ray Looze in the early 2000s to growing up with an Olympic champion as his father. Fesenko then turns to the war in Ukraine, expressing that Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed to compete until this war is over. Sergiy is doing what he can to aid Ukraine during this war, including convincing the Indiana Military Museum to help donate military supplies to Ukraine and accepting donations via his facebook account.

You can make a donation to Sergiy and Ukraine here: https://www.facebook.com/503436302/posts/10160941977666303/?mibextid=ykz3hl

Leah Hayes on 4:03 400 IM, National Team Training Camp, and Racing Future UVA Teammates Feb 20, 2023

SwimSwam sat down with World Champs medalist Leah Hayes after her superb weekend of racing at the 2023 Chicagoland Championships, highlighted by her 4:03.05 400 IM. Hayes said she was hoping for a drop in that event and even wrote her target splits out for the race, which had added up to a 4:04. Hayes also discusses training with her world champ teammates at the upcoming National Team Training Camp in March as well as the prospect of racing fellow 200 IM international medalists and future Virginia teammates Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh.

LIVE: SwimSwam Deep Dive on Day 1 of SECs, ACCs Feb 14, 2023

The 200 medley relay and 800 free relay races from the 2023 SEC and ACC Championships have just concluded, and we’ve got plenty of things to say about them. Watch here live as SwimSwam’s Coleman Hodges and Yanyan Li break down day one of conference champs.

Nick Mahabir on World Champs in Singapore, Eating Clean, and Joe Schooling Feb 13, 2023

SwimSwam sat down with Nick Mahabir, the Singaporean national known for swimming under David Marsh in San Diego and popping a 1:00 100m breast as a teenager. Mahabir, who has temporarily moved back to Singapore to train for the upcoming SEA Games and World Championships (both of which will occur in Asia), recently attended a media event where World Aquatics announced that Singapore would be hosting the 2025 World Championships. With the move back to his home country, Mahabir discusses how daily life training in Singapore differs from the US. His training partner, world champs finalist and Commonwealth Games medalist Teong Tzen Wei, has not only helped the youth in the pool but out of it, positively influencing his diet and sleeping habits. Mahabir reveals he hasn't eaten processed sugar for 5 months running and plans on keeping it that way through the World Championships. Finally, we asked Mahabir about Singapore's Olympic champion Joe Schooling and how the 100m fly specialist is viewed in his home country. Mahabir notes that after Schooling's suspension for using Marijuana, the country seems to have lost a bit of respect for him. However, Nick shares his own personal experiences with Schooling and says that Schoooling is the most famous person in Singapore and is adored by the vast majority of the population.

Filmmaker Chezik Tsunoda Details Her Film ”Drowning In Silence” Feb 11, 2023

Chezik Tsunoda is a profile in strength through vulnerability. Her film, Drowning In Silence, tackles the silent epidemic of childhood drowning, and it is driven by personal experience, the loss of her son, Yori. Chezik courageously shares the grieving process and the journey of her healing. Backed by years of experience in this medium, Chezik's film unfolds as an investigation, digging into the historic racial disparity in our nation, from slavery to the Jim Crow era.

The narrative educates and informs, always driving toward solutions.

Mark your calendar. Drowning In Silence debuts on Apple and Amazon May 12th.

This conversation was tough, but Chezik is a bright voice, always positive about making an impact on this plight. Chezik is an industry professional with a deep resume in media. As a director and producer her work has spanned television, film and advertising. Chezik earned her chops in production at MTV News and Docs and carried her knowledge into developing docuseries at VH1. Drowning In Silence is Chezik's journey, but it's only one part.

She is also the Founder and Executive Director of No More Under, a nonprofit with the mission to bring awareness to our community and beyond by actively and strategically educating parents and care givers as well as providing critical layers of protection.

If you were inspired by this conversation, support the nonprofit No More Under here: https://nomoreunder.networkforgood.com/projects/182694-annual-fund-2023

Mike Parratto Shares Coaching Stories of Regan Smith, Jenny Thompson, and More Feb 10, 2023

Mike Parratto has a very unique perspective on greatness, having coached two Olympians more than two decades apart. In this SwimSwam Podcast chat he goes into details about both Jenny Thompson’s and Regan Smith’s road to greatness. Mike tells stories about each of them having races at young ages that showed their unique abilities. He also gets into some pretty amazing sets from both of them. On top of coaching Olympians he’s also father to one, as his daughter Jessica made the 2016 and 2020 US Olympic Team, winning a Silver Medal in synchro diving. Success and swimming run in the family. Mike’s wife Amy has coached with him for 40 years. He gives some insight into that family dynamic and what makes them such good partners. He and Amy spent 26 years at Seacoast Swim Association in New Hampshire before moving to Indianapolis to support Jessica’s diving. They now coach at Riptide Swim Team in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

Dr. Miriam Lynch Leads Diversity In Aquatics Feb 09, 2023

Executive Director of Diversity in Aquatics Dr. Miriam Lynch has deep swimming roots. She developed her swimming muscle at the powerhouse Nation's Capital Aquatic Club, eventually earning a scholarship to swim at Howard University. At Howard, Dr. M made her mark breaking six individual and three relay team records--which was the most in Howard's history at that time. Her 1650 record lasted nearly 20 years, until it was recently broken by a swimmer Dr. M coached. That's right, Dr. M is a volunteer coach at Howard as well. Dr M appears on this podcast thanks to our friends at Speedo, and because she's a real change-maker in the non-profit world. Diversity In Aquatics (DIA), under her executive leadership, has flourish. Membership has increased, and DIA has developed into a top national level organization. DIA's mission is to empower individuals and organizations to create real systemic change in their communities.

Support Diversity In Aquatic here - https://www.diversityinaquatics.org/

Texas/NC State, Russia/Belarus in Asian Games, & 24 Trials Picks | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Feb 01, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the Texas/NC State dual meet, Russia and Belarus swimming in the 2023 Asian Games, and SwimSwam's wild 2024 Olympic Trials predictions.

How Yale Swimming’s Iszac Henig Approaches Mental Health as a Trans Man Jan 30, 2023

We sat down with Yale swimming's Iszac Henig, who discussed writing for the New York Times about his experience during the pandemic and, two years later, his decision to join the Yale men's team. Henig also spoke about being a subject of media attention during the 2021 - 2022 season as he raced his way to a podium finish at the 2022 Ivy League Championships and qualified for the NCAA Championships. Henig also spoke about how he approaches mental health as a trans man, goal setting as a competitive swimmer, and what he has planned after graduating and completing his swimming career later this year.

Leon Marchand, UVA Lineups, & Suiting for Dual Meets | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Jan 24, 2023

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Leon Marchand's NCAA record in the 400 IM, UVA's event lineup for NCAAs, and suiting up at dual meets.

Bob Bowman on Leon Marchand: ”Reminding me of Michael (Phelps) in 2003” Jan 23, 2023

On Saturday, we witnessed ASU's Leon Marchand break the NCAA record in the 400 IM. Today, we spoke with ASU head coach Bob Bowman to get his thoughts on the matter. On Marchand, Bowman says that the French Phenom reminds him of Michael Phelps in 2003, giving his an anecdote from Leon's practice on Monday. At the end of a 7500 threshold set, Leon looked so good that Bowman told him to let it rip and see what he could go on a 500 free at the end of the practice instead of swimming it threshold as written. Marchand swam 4:18, negative splitting it 2:10/2:08.

Hali Flickinger Balances Life, Her Mental Health, And Wins SC World Champs Gold Jan 14, 2023

Two-time Olympian, two-time Olympic medalist and Speedo Athlete, Hali Flickinger, took the longest break of her career since winning gold (4×200 free relay) and silver (200 fly) at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest. She needed the time to reevaluate life and what she wants. Swimming, when it was 100% of her focus, created to much stress and anxiety. Hali had touched the wall second in her individual events one too many times. That wasn't working, wasn't the goal, and wasn't making her happy. Something had to change. During her time off, and that period of reevaluation, Hali sold real estate in Arizona and loved it. Last fall Hali slowly reentered training with Bob Bowman's elite pro group. When SwimSwam spoke to Hali she had no idea how this new life change would impact her performance. At that time Hali wasn't even sure if she would rest for Short Course World Championships. She, of course, did rest, though she feared she might not have enough of a base of training to finish her races. Ultimately, she did finished, and in spectacular fashion, winning gold in the 400 IM and silver in the 200 fly. In sum, this new lifestyle is working. If Hali's situation sounds familiar, you're probably thinking of her peer and old Georgia training buddy, Nic Fink, who prioritized graduate school, while continuing to train, and had the best year of his life becoming the 2022 Swammy Award Winner for Male Athlete of the Year. Hali shares in this podcast how she traded texts with Nic about his journey and how it worked for him. Hali's on the same path now. At this point Hali's enjoying selling real estate and taking her training one day at a time.

Emma Weyant Returns to NCAA Competition And Releases Sporti Swim Collection Jan 13, 2023

Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant returns to NCAA swimming competition this weekend at the University of Florida vs Florida Atlantic University (FAU) dual meet. We sat down with Emma to unpack her big Sporti Swim Collection release, which lead SwimSwam traffic for 24 hours, and she dropped this news on us. Emma turned a lot of heads when she decided to transfer from NCAA powerhouse UVA to the University Florida. "It was a tough decision," she explained, but she wanted to be closer to home in Sarasota, Florida. Of course, being a Florida Gator has a lot of upside too. Emma's enjoyed the challenge of training with Olympic icon Katie Ledecky and U.S. distance king, Bobby Finke. Florida's the right fit for Emma. She shares that she did struggled with mental health, looking to peers in the Olympic community for guidance and inspiration. Training through the pandemic, the delay of the Olympic Games, then ultimately making the Olympic podium, took a toll. Emma's back now and in a big way. Her Sporti Swim release, the collab on the collection, specifically, helped to put that one ingredient she wanted into her swimming career--fun.

4x World Champ Lani Pallister Almost Gave Up on AUS Swimming and Came to the NCAA Jan 09, 2023

20-year-old Lani Pallister dominated the distance events at the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, taking gold in the 400, 800, and 1500, and as a member of the world-record-setting 4x200 free relay. The Australian lends her perspective on this feat and her path to the top over the last year when she nearly gave up on training in Australia altogether. When Pallister moved to train with Michael Bohl at the beginning of 2022, she gave herself one year and if it wasn't going well by then (which it is), she would pursue swimming in the NCAA to be a part of a team and hopefully enjoy her sport that way.

Aquajets’ Kate Lundsten on Training Elite Club Swimmers, Developing ”HAPIE” Athletes Jan 04, 2023

Kate Lundsten has been the Head Coach of the Aquajets Swim Team since 2004. In that stretch, she has been named to multiple USA Swimming International Staffs, coached multiple NAG records, and built a reputation of excellence with 7 Silver and 5 Gold medals in USA Swimming’s Club Excellence program. In this conversation, Kate discusses her coaching style as a combination of fun and holding the kids accountable. She likes to teach by asking the kids the right questions so that they can figure out solutions on their own. She dives deep into underwaters, a strength for most of the top-level Aquajets swimmers. Kate is kind enough to give us a couple of examples sets she uses to make the kick count automatic in races. She also tells us a little about her dryland and how it fits into the overall progression of their program. Kate describes a very healthy culture centered around the Aquajets values, HAPIE. Humility, Accountability, Perseverance, Integrity, and Empathy. Much of the program's success seems to come from Kate’s ability to learn and let her coaches do the jobs they were hired to do. A lot to be learned from one of the best coaches in the sport!

30-Year-Old Kasia Wasick Had the Best Year of Her Career in 2022 and is Only Getting Better Jan 02, 2023

2022 was the best year of Kasia Wasick's career, having garnered 5 silver medals from international meets including World Championships (LCM), European Championships, and Short Course World Championships. Wasick discusses her love for racing and how that, combined with her diverse sprint training at UNLV, has driven her to have success in every form of swimming this year. As Wasick looks toward her 5th Olympics in 2024, the fact that it is in Europe brings the Polish native confidence that it could indeed be her best to date after a career-high 5th place finish in Tokyo.

How Ruta Meilutyte Went From Finals DQ to World Record & World Title Dec 29, 2022

We sat down with newly minted world champion and world record holder in the 50 breast (SCM), Ruta Meilutyte. The 2012 Olympic champion goes deep into how getting DQ'ed in the 100 Breast was a wake-up call for why she was even competing again in the first place. After getting her mind right, the breaststroke savant was back in action in the 50 breast, swimming to a world title and registering a best time and world record in the process.

How Can A Swim Coach and Their Swim Club Board Build Trust? Dec 28, 2022

Renata Porter, founder of yoursportsresource.com, returns to the SwimSwam podcast. Renata’s a dedicated swim business expert with a focus on youth sports clubs. Her company provides actionable guidance and support helping swim clubs shift from old mindsets to running the club as the business that it is. We’re coming up on the end of the year—that time for New Year’s resolutions. If you're a swimming coach or a swim club board member, a great new year’s resolution would be to build more trust. The big question is how do you do that?

Ilya Kharun Breaks Down Representing Canada, World Jr Records, and 1st Worlds Medals Dec 27, 2022

We sat down with World Jr Record holder and World champs medalist Ilya Kharun to discuss his 2022 Short Course World Championships performance. Kharun takes us through each of his individual swims (50, 100, 200 fly) as well as what his first experience competing for Canada was like. Kharun had thought he was eligible to compete for the USA just this summer, having been named to the USAS Jr Pan Pacs Roster. However, once it was realized by all parties that Kharun only had a Canadian passport, the decision was made for Kharun to instead represent Canada internationally. This is just in time for Swimming Canada, as Kharun will join a rising young crop of male talent that could combine for to make podium appearances on the top stages in years to come.

Chad le Clos 2.0 Looking Forward: ”The dream is to be Olympic Champion again” Dec 26, 2022

We sat down with new SCM world champ in the 100 and 200 fly, Chad le Clos. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist talks us through his last 2.5 years, from Energy Standard dissolving because of COVID through being a nomad and training wherever he could to finally landing in Germany with Dirk Lange. Le Clos emphasizes how much of a difference it has made in having a steady training base. He also alludes to difficulties outside of the pool setting him back in early 2021 and affecting his performances through the 2022 Commonwealth Games. After his two wins in Melbourne, however, le Clos 2.0's confidence is sky-high. He is not only predicting podium finishes in the world champs to come but PBs at the Paris Olympic Games as well.

Daniel Wiffen on Being First Irishman to Own European Record, Skipping SC Worlds, Swim Vlog Dec 25, 2022

Daniel Wiffen is the first man from Ireland to ever own a European record in swimming. He broke it last week in the 800 SCM free, going a time of 7:25.96. Wiffen talks us through racing at the Scottish/Irish Championships, winning a medal at the Commonwealth Games, and training at the University of Loughborough.

Javier Acevedo on Development of Canadian Men, Being a Team Swiss Army Knife Dec 24, 2022

We sat down with recent SC Worlds medalist Javier Acevedo to discuss his last few years in the pool. After finishing his time at Georgia, Javi got the chance to compete for the LA Current in the ISL, where Marsh continued the trend that UGA's Jack Bauerle had started of using the Canadian as a breaststroker. Javi has continued to hone his versatility, culminating in a silver medal in the 100 IM last week in Melbourne. Acevedo is very excited to keep striving to improve heading into Fukuoka and Paris with the young core that the Canadian men are developing. Acevedo is high on their chances to not only build a stronger relay culture in Canada but vie for medals on the international stage.

Isaac Cooper Details Emotional Roller Coaster SC World Champs, Coming Out On Top Dec 23, 2022

We sat down with world champion and world record holder Isaac Cooper to get his perspective on the 2022 short course world championships. Cooper had a roller coaster of a meet, starting things off with surprise medals in the 100 back and 4x50 medley relay and even a shocking win in the 4x50 free relay. In the 50 back, Cooper was the top seed headed into finals and initially swam the fastest time in the final before a re-swim was called for due to a starting error. In the re-swim, Cooper placed 2nd. The young aussie details how this affected him and how he was able to bounce back and perform for the 4x100 medley relay, which went onto not only tie for gold with the US, but break the world record as well.

Kyle Chalmers on the Motivation and Sacrifice it Takes to Become World Champion Dec 21, 2022

We sat down with newly crowned world champion Kyle Chalmers to dissect his performances at the short course world championships. Chalmers breaks down his historic swims and the pressure of racing on home soil. The Olympic champion is currently getting a week of training under his belt with fellow Icon and world-topper, Adam Peaty. Chalmers says they are wired similarly and it's been a great learning experience training with him.

Short Course World Champs DEEP Dive | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Dec 21, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we do a deep dive into the swims and history made at the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne.

Ryan Lochte is Back With A Very Busy 2023 Ahead Dec 20, 2022

Married with two children and a third on the way in June, Ryan Lochte is already busy, but he has a lot more planned for the year ahead. The 12-time Olympic medalist recently signed with Excel Sports Management, a powerhouse agency repping Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods, and Taylor Swift. Ryan’s signed an endorsement with an Italian shoe company riddickshoes.com, he’s the ambassador of a new swimming meet billed as the International Age Group Championships, and he’s launching his own swim camp series he’s calling 1:54. Is Ryan actively training now with plans for a run at the 2024 Olympic Trials? I asked him that a few times, in a few different ways. The short answer is no. Ryan’s on a break, but it does sound like he’s leaving the door open to competing. Ryan’s mostly excited about his swim camp series, "1:54", named after his 200 IM world record time earned going head-to-head with Michael Phelps. His camps are geared toward kids 10-16 years old with an interest in working through the fundamentals of all four strokes. If you haven’t been on deck with Ryan hosting a camp, it’s worth checking out. He’s energetic, certainly in the water with lots of demonstrations, and he’s fun. 1:54 swim camp dates are TBA. Go to the website prosportlive.com and email Ryan to get on their list for future dates. Lastly, Ryan’s back on TV in a new reality series, The Traitors, streaming on Peacock. The series debuts on January 12th, so save the date. This 10-episode series was captured back in May of 2022. The action and drama goes down in a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands, where contestants compete in a game of alliances and deception for a chance to win $250,000.

USA Head Coach Braden Holloway Dissects Relay Lineups, Managing Athlete Doubles/Triples Dec 19, 2022

SwimSwam spoke with team USA head coach Braden Holloway directly after the conclusion of the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne as he was walking back to his hotel. Holloway spoke to USA's resiliency, noting that even when things weren't going their way, the team could still put their best foot forward. He also gave the coaching rationale for the relay lineups of the mixed 4x50 medley relay as well as the men's 4x50 free relay. Notably, on that free relay, Michael Andrew was left off. Andrew split 20.3 later in the meet, a split that would have netted a medal for USA in the 4x50 free relay (they wound up 5th) had he replicated it.

42-Year-Old Nicholas Santos Reflects on World Title in Last Race of Career Dec 18, 2022

Nicholas Santos made history when he took gold in the 50 fly this week by becoming the oldest swimmer to ever win a world title. Santos had said before the meet that this would be his last and he stuck to them, confirming with SwimSwam that he will be retiring. Santos explains his decision to step away from competitive swimming even though he is still very much on top in his pet event.

Jordan Crooks Went from 11 to 7 Strokes per 25 in his 50y Free This Year Dec 15, 2022

We sat down with Jordan Crooks, the leading man in the 50 and 100 freestyle in the NCAA. Crooks broke down what has gone well for him this season, from confidence to completely revamping his stroke count in the 50 free. Crooks also previews what he will be looking for at the SC World Champs in Melbourne, where he was the top seed in the 100 free final and ultimately placed 7th.

Izzy Ivey Shares Perspective on Coming Home to Florida, Teri McKeever Dec 12, 2022

SwimSwam sat down with 26x NCAA All-American Izzy Ivey, who recently announced her transfer to the University of Florida for her final (5th) year of eligibility. She takes us through the last 9 months of her swimming career, from taking an extended hiatus from the pool after NCAAs (and again after Teri McKeever was suspended from the Cal team for allegations of abuse) to training with Dave Durden and ultimately deciding to move to Gainesville. On the matter of Teri McKeever, Ivey says that she had a good relationship with McKeever and was shocked to find out about the allegations against her. However, Ivey was also surprised to find out that her former teammates had had such traumatic experiences with McKeever.

Zach Harting Extending US Open Taper for Surprise SC World Champs Roster Spot Dec 08, 2022

SwimSwam sat down with 2020 Olympian Zach Harting, who was a last-minute addition to the US roster for the 2022 world short course championships in the 200 fly after it was revealed that Carson Foster was ineligible for the event. Harting was tapering anyway for the US Open, where he neared his PB in the 100 fly (51.9 in prelims) and took 2nd place in the 200 fly (1:57) behind his Louisville teammate, Nick Albiero. The 200 fly specialist says this works out great, as he can just stay on his taper schedule instead of heading to winter training trip with the Louisville team. Harting also discusses the difference between a taper meet with a lot of events versus just one and reveals "the Box" you get sent when you make it onto Team USA.

SwimSwam Breakdown: US Open, Minnesota Invite, Winter Jrs, AND SC World Champs Dec 06, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we dissect the US Open and Minnesota Invite as well as preview the upcoming Winter Jr Champs East/West and Short Course World Championships.

Andreea Dragoi on Balancing Swimming & Beauty Pageants, Growing Up with David Popovici Dec 06, 2022

SwimSwam sat down with the Winner of this year's Miss Ambassador and Miss California US Nation Beauty Pageants, Andreea Dragoi. The sophomore at San Jose State actually missed a 3rd beauty pageant because she was competing with her SJSU swim team at the Mizzou Invite. Dragoi takes us through her upbringing as an athlete, which evolved into solely swimming, including growing up and training with world record holder David Popovici since childhood. Dragoi started modeling in Romania but it was only in the US, once she moved to San Jose to study and swim, that she took on beauty pageants. The 20-year-old explains that they give her a sense of confidence and trust in herself, as well as a voice for her to champion important causes to her, like getting swim lessons for those with disabilities.

2x Olympian Yusra Mardini Discusses #1 Netflix Movie ”The Swimmers” About Her Life as a Refugee Dec 05, 2022

Swim Swam sat down with Yusra Mardini, the Syrian Refugee that has swam at 2 Olympic games (Rio, Tokyo) as a member of the Olympic Refugee team. Mardini and her sister, Sara, are the subjects of the #1 Netflix movie "The Swimmers", which tells the story of the two crossing the Agean Sea from Turkey to Greece with 18 other refugees in a raft that is meant to hold 6-7. Mardini discusses the boat trip, making and promoting "The Swimmers", and what her life looks like now after 2 Olympic Games. The now-German citizen is attending film school at the University of Southern California and swimming just for fun.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Minnesota Invite, US Open, and 2024 US Trials Tickets Dec 01, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, Tom Shields joins us again to discuss the Minnesota Invite, US Open, and 2024 Olympic Trials Tickets going on sale.

Mid-Season Week 1 Deep Dive & Golden Goggles Review | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Nov 23, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we do a deep dive into the first week of Mid-Season meets plus review the 2022 Golden Goggle Awards.

Madisyn Cox Discusses Highs and Lows of Swimming Career, Med School at UT-Houston Nov 22, 2022

We sat down with Madisyn Cox, the 10x NCAA All-American and 5x World Champ medalist who recently announced her retirement from swimming. Cox takes us through the last year of her career, from her last meet at the Texas Swim Center, where she went 3 lifetime bests, to the Olympic Trials, where she was .02 off of making the 2020 Olympic team. She also discusses what her life looks like now that she is living in Houston and attending UTHealth Houston.

Rose Bowl Aquatics’ Andrew Nguyen on Building Strength Through Transition Nov 21, 2022

Andrew Nguyen has led 2 of the top teams in the country and he just moved home to Southern California to become the Head Coach of another top club, at Rose Bowl Aquatics. In this episode of the SwimSwam podcast, we dive into Andrew’s success at Bellevue Club and Scottsdale Aquatic Club. What he learned, what he took for granted, and how it’s made him a better coach at Rose Bowl. He talks about his path to this point. After spending 12 years at Bellevue Club he’s had the chance to start over twice in the last 15 months. We talk about how those decisions came to be and how they helped him understand the process of getting to know swimmers and coaches. Next month, he and Rose Bowl will head to Austin, Texas for winter Junior Nationals. The Rose Bowl men will come in as defending champs. Andrew describes that pressure as a privilege and talks about how he addresses it with his team. So many great details in this one. Andrew goes into his training cycle, how he formed his holistic approach to each athlete, and even an example of an intense set that pushed some of the swimmers beyond their limits. You don’t want to miss it.

NCAA Champion Turned Comedian Laura Sogar talks Swimming and Stand Up Nov 18, 2022

We sat down with Laura Sogar, 2012 SC World Championships medalist and 2013 NCAA Champion in the 200 breast. Sogar takes us through her swimming career, from training in high school at Blue Fish with Chuck Bachelor to Texas with Kim Brackin and Carol Capitani. After retiring from swimming in 2016, Sogar pursued improv, which ultimately turned into pursuing stand-up comedy. Sogar produced her own shows during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and now hosts 2 podcasts (@shedoesstanduptoo and @Risque Business News and performs regularly in her home, Brooklyn.

Midseason Madness - Who Will Remain Undefeated?! | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN Nov 17, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss week 1 of the NCAA Midseason meets, the potential of an ISL return, and David Poopovici's SCM outing at Romanian Nationals

Lake Oswego’s Emily Melina on the Direction and Growth of Coaching and Swimming Nov 16, 2022

Emily Melina is the Head Coach at Lake Oswego Swim Club, a team that has won the Oregon State championships at every level the last few years and was recently named a Silver Medal team in the USA Swimming Club excellence program. She’s been at LOSC for 11 years and has doubled the club in size and created a family-like culture that achieves at a championship level. She was named the 2020-21 Senior Coach of the Year in Oregon Swimming. But Emily does a lot more than just coach. She’s on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) National Council for USA Swimming, as well as the Club Development Committee. She is also the General Chair for Oregon Swimming and the board for the American Swim Coach Association (ASCA). Emily has been on staffs of the USA Swimming National Select Camp, Zone Select Camp, and National Diversity Select Camp. She recently served as the Head Coach of the National Diversity Select Camp. Her goal with all of these roles is to give back to the sport and have some say in its direction and growth. Emily's authenticity makes this conversation really relatable and any coach can learn a thing or two about running a successful team and giving back to the sport.

Will Olympic Swim Star Ryan Murphy Compete Through LA2028? Nov 15, 2022

Four-time Olympic gold medalist and Team Speedo athlete Ryan Murphy is focused on the 2023 World Championships. All work in the pool is through that lens, but in this SwimSwam podcast he allows us inside his head across a few topics.

Will he compete through the 2028 Olympic Games in LA? Ryan would love to compete in an Olympics on U.S. soil, but he’s got to weigh that against starting a career – starting his adult life. Ryan’s already prepping for a career beyond the pool, and he’s getting married next year. In sum, he’s thinking about it. (Watch the video, his answer, and tell me what you think in the comments.)

Short Course World Champs in Australia? Ryan’s not entirely sure how much he’ll rest, but he said SC Worlds falls over an ideal season midpoint, and he’ll rest due to the travel time alone flying downunder.

ISL vs World Cup? Ryan has opinions. Watch the podcast to hear them.

Bella Sims Unapologetically Loves Fly, Little Salty That Backstroke is Currently Her Better Stroke Nov 10, 2022

We sat down with Bella Sims, the Olympian and world champion who most recently broke 2 world junior records in 12 minutes at the World Cup stop in Indianapolis. Sims breaks down how she managed her 200 free-100 Back double with such a quick turnaround and what led to her success in both. She did admit that while her backstroke has become arguably her strongest stroke outside of freestyle, her true love is butterfly and she doesn't even really like backstroke. Her success in Indianapolis raised the question of if she still plans to start at Florida in the fall of 2023, where she has committed. Sims reveals she is currently unsure of her plans moving forward, indicating that she may take a gap year to stay with Ron Aitken and Sandpipers in the lead-up to the 2024 Olympic Trials.

Beata Nelson Had No Expectations Heading into World Cup, Ended Up Overall Winner Nov 10, 2022

SwimSwam sat down with Beata Nelson, who is coming off of a big win as the overall champion of the 2022 FINA World Cup. This was the first time Nelson had competed in the world cup at all, but it didn't take her long to get her feet wet, literally or figuratively. Nelson won the 200 back and the 200 IM (always both on the last night) at all 3 stops, plus notched 3 more wins and 3 2nd places finishes over the course of the series. Nelson explains how she was able to learn from and maintain her performances over the course of the 3-meet series as well as how the financial earnings will help her career in years to come.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Tom Shields Weighs in On World Cup, Trials, and NCAA Nov 08, 2022

This week, Olympic champ Tom Shields joins the SwimSwam Breakdown and we discuss the World Cup, Olympic Trials, and NCAA Dual Meets.

What Will It Take to Pull Off the 2024 Olympic Trials aka ”The Meet of the Century”? Nov 07, 2022

On the heels of the World Cup Series Finale in Indianapolis, SwimSwam sat down with USA Swimming's Chief Commercial Officer, Shana Ferguson. Ferguson was not only overseeing the World Cup stop in Indy, but also taking time to prepare what she deems "The Meet of the Century": the 2024 Olympic Trials, which will be held in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The CCO updates us on where USA Swimming is at in their preparation, including an artist's rendition of what the venue will actually look like with all 3 (yes, 3) pools inside.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Ledecky World Record, Texas-UVA, & Peaty’s Motivation Nov 02, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Katie Ledecky's 1500 free (SCM) world record, the upcoming Texas-Virginia dual meet, and Adam Peaty's new-found motivation.

The SwimSwam Breakdown: SCM World Records, NCAA History, and Simone Back in Action Oct 28, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss 2 new world records, swimming in the NCAA, and Simone Manuel's return to racing.

UVA Coach Todd DeSorbo Tracks Swim Data Netting Dramatic Results Oct 26, 2022

University of Virginia head coach, Todd DeSorbo, didn’t roll back on his heels after winning the 2022 Women’s NCAA DI Championships team title. DeSorbo, who is on the TritonWear Advisory Board, dove into swimming data. “TritonWear is powerful tech,” he said. “Increasingly we’ve been using it, and we used it a lot starting in the early spring with an eye on the long course season.” DeSorbo was a 2022 Team USA FINA World Champs head coach, but his goals spanned the summer. “Budapest, World Champs, was over in June, but we always intended to show up at Summer Nationals (in Irvine).” DeSorbo singled out Matt King as one example where tracking swimming data made a big difference. “He was a 49.9 PB in the 100m free. This summer he dropped to 48.33, and his stroke count was essentially the same.” Matt King dropped the 48.33 in the prelim. He touched in 48.44 in the final to tie for the U.S. National Title. King, only 5’11, swam big. DeSorbo noted stroke efficiency as the big gain, a TritonWear metric he tracked closely since early April. “He (King) was like a 22.6 PB in the 50m free,” DeSorbo said, “ and he won national with a 21.8, a big drop.” DeSorbo was an CPA at one of the biggest accounting firms in the world before he decided that career path wasn’t making his happy. “I could do it,” he said, “but it wasn’t the same as coaching swimming. That’s my passion. But, with my CPA experience, I know to respect the numbers--trust numbers.” What is DeSorbo’s go-to Tritonwear Metric? "Push-off Power," he said. “You’re never faster in a race than exploding off the wall. That starts your speed…speed you fight to maintain throughout the lap.” In recent news, FINA Technical Congress saw the passing of a proposed change to rule SW 10.8. As of Jan. 01, 2023: “The use of technology and automated data collection devices is permissible for the sole purpose of collecting data. Automated devices shall not be utilized to transmit data, sounds, or signals to the swimmer and may not be used to aid their speed.” This means wearable technology to collect data for research, education, and entertainment is legal. However, that data cannot be used in real-time – in swimming races – to aid a swimmer’s speed.

Stephanie Morawski on Supporting Harvard Women Through Foundation of Joy Oct 24, 2022

Harvard Women’s Head Coach, Stephanie Morawski, joined the SwimSwam Podcast early on in the Crimson’s season, which starts later than most on October 1st. Morawski talks about how they deal with the late Ivy League start and how Captain's practices create leadership within the team. It may seem obvious, but the Harvard women’s team is full of high achievers. Keeping a group of type A athletes in a good mental state is a big priority for Morawski and you can hear it in all the ways she tries to support her women. It starts with making practice a happy place for them. Morawski tells us how there are times when she has to trick them into the work, and gives a great example of an amazing race set that they did this season. The foundation of joy at practice is just the beginning of the athlete support. They have weekly team meetings and a speaker series, where athletes present on a variety of experiences that benefit the whole team. Morawski touches on recruiting, balance, and even a little bit on her own swimming at Harvard. This is a great interview, filled with usable information for coaches and athletes. Enjoy!

Why Has the Swims 3.0 Rollout Been Hard, and What is Patrick Murphy Doing About It? Oct 21, 2022

USA Swimming support link: https://swimssupport.usaswimming.org/support/home
Since USA Swimming rolled out SWIMS 3.0 about two months ago, there has been mounting frustration among the membership over technical issues with the new software. For media, there have been a number of issues with related systems, like times lookups, not working.

But things are beginning to stabilize, and one-by-one the problems are clearing up.

Late last week, we spoke with USA Swimming’s Patrick Murphy, who is leading the effort to modernize the organization’s information technology resources. In this interview, we discuss what went wrong with the rollout, how those problems are being fixed, why the change had to happen, and Patrick answers the question: “Should USA Swimming be in the software business?”

#2 in Class of 2023 Rex Maurer Goes In Depth on Decision to Swim for Stanford Oct 20, 2022

We sat down with Rex Maurer, the #2 recruit in the class of 2023 who waited far longer than any other big name in his class to announce his verbal commitment. With the family history he has there (as well as his current family, his older brother swims there), it didn't come as a shock that the middle-distance standout ultimately chose Stanford. Listen to what Rex has to say about his recruiting process, his swimming in the last few years, and why we will now see him on the Farm in just one year's time.

After a Very Long Break, Hali Flickinger Returns to Racing at the FINA World Cup Oct 19, 2022

Two-time Olympian, two-time Olympic medalist and Speedo Athlete, Hali Flickinger, has taken the longest break of her career since winning gold (4×200 free relay) and silver (200 fly) at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest. However, she was not idle during her time-off. Hali’s been building a career selling real estate. She got her license back in Georgia, and she got her license in Arizona–and she loves it. Hali needed time away from the pool, a mental health break, to recharge her swimming-batteries. She’s back in the water now with Coach Bob Bowman, and while it’s been rough getting back into elite shape, Hali’s been okay with the process. She will not rest for her return to race-action on the FINA World Cup Series (her first World Cup appearance since 2011), and she may not rest for the 2022 FINA Short Course World Championships in December. She’s taking it day-by-day now with her sights set the 2024 Olympic Trials in Indy.

NCAA Champion Carsten Vissering on Training For, Making the Bobsled National Team Oct 18, 2022

We sat down with Carsten Vissering, the former USC Trojan and NCAA Champion in the 200 Medley Relay (2018) who most recently qualified for the US National Team in Bobsled. Vissering explains why he chose bobsled, how he was selected for the national team, and what that will look like for him moving forward. The USC Alum also shares some of his favorite memories and stories from his time as a Trojan.

Better Dryland Training with Chris Ritter of SURGE Strength Oct 17, 2022

At RITTER Sports Performance we’ve been building remote dryland workouts for swimmers and swim teams, via app, for over a decade. But we knew that just sending programs wasn’t going to make a big enough impact.

Yes, the swimmers and swim teams we work with have seen results. But especially as the shutdown started, it became clear to us that there’s a long way to go in terms of dryland knowledge in the swimming community.

That’s where SURGE Strength comes into play. This dryland specific brand, website, and offerings have allowed us to continue to pursue our purpose of “Raising the Standard in Dryland Training for Swimming.”

FINA To Allow Wearable Technology in Races Starting Jan 1st 2023 Oct 14, 2022

Last week’s FINA Technical Congress saw the passing of a proposed change to rule SW 10.8. As of Jan. 01, 2023:

“The use of technology and automated data collection devices is permissible for the sole purpose of collecting data. Automated devices shall not be utilized to transmit data, sounds, or signals to the swimmer and may not be used to aid their speed.”

This means wearable technology to collect data for research, education, and entertainment is legal. However, that data cannot be used in real-time - in swimming races - to aid a swimmer’s speed.

The impact of this FINA rule change will impact the sport for a generation. I think we will all look back at this moment in history, noting it as pivotal turning point.

One of the few companies in a position to maximize this new FINA ruling is technology company and behemoth TritonWear. Today we have Tristan Lehari, CEO of TritonWear, to help us fully understand what this FINA rule change means to our sport.

SwimSwam has been a TritonWear partner since 2014. The partnership for us is two-fold. TritonWear supports our news division, and TritonWear supports our continuing education in data collection for training and performance purposes.

Take a Deep Dive into the Mike Bottom Philosophy Oct 13, 2022

Mike Bottom sat down for the SwimSwam podcast early on in his 15th season at the University of Michigan. The team was just off a busy racing weekend where some of them were down in Dallas at the SMU Classic and some were at Oakland University for a meet. Both meets were viewed as a success because the athletes took them as learning opportunities and found ways to improve.Bottom is a teacher and much of the conversation is based around helping the person more than fixing the swimmer. When it comes to helping the swimmer, he has decades of wisdom and he’s been sharing his thoughts openly on his instagram (@mikebottom). His goal with sharing is to help coaches help athletes better.

Athletes have changed over the last few years. The pandemic changed coaches too. Bottom discusses how things have changed and how he hopes to contribute to the rebuilding of his athletes, coaches, and even the greater swimming community by celebrating success and accepting, but learning from not harping on, failure.

This is a deep dive into the Bottom philosophy and you don’t want to miss it.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Steve Jungbluth, Texas Men, and FINA Backstroke Rules Oct 12, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Steve Jungbluth's departure from Florida, what's happening with the Texas men, and why FINA can't decide on a rule for backstroke finishes.

Luka Gabrilo Talks Popovici, Thorpe, and Training Elite Athletes Across the Globe Oct 06, 2022

We sat down with Luka Gabrilo, the head coach of Zenta Pro Swimming and high-performance consultant for Philippines Swimming. Gabrilo discusses his current system where he's training 4 athletes from across the world (Kayla Sancehz, Barbora Seemanova, Robert Glinta, Erik Persson) to achieve at the highest level. Sometimes this means coaching them in person, sometimes it means coaching them from afar. Gabrilo explains why he switched to only coaching this many athletes and how he prepares workouts and training plans for each of them.Gabrilo, a self-admitted technique geek, also indulges us and shares what he sees about world record-holder David Popovici that makes him a cut above the rest. He also shares what he saw in Ian Thorpe when the Aussie superstar was training for his comeback with Gabrilo's former mentor, Gennadi Touretski.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Dressel’s Records, Battle at the Burr, & UVA + Cal Openers Oct 05, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Virginia and Cal's season openers, the sold-out "Battle at the Burr" dual meet, and the possibility of Caeleb Dressel's NCAA records being broken.

Alex and Gretchen Walsh Go Behind the Scenes on their Sporti Collection Oct 04, 2022

They’ve called them a once in a generation dynasty - Alex and Gretchen Walsh are taking the world of swimming by storm. An Olympic Silver Medalist and NCAA National Champion respectively, this dynamic sister-duo are the first collegiate swim athletes in history to team up with a nationally recognized swim brand for a co-branded collection following the NCAA NIL policy change last year.

Howard, Georgetown Team Captains Preview ”Battle at the Burr”, Biggest HBCU Swim Meet in History Sep 30, 2022

SwimSwam sat down with team captains from Howard and Georgetown to preview this epic dual between two fierce rivals, discussing what we can expect from the meet and what they're looking forward to the most.

Ben Proud Breaks Down Winning the 50 Free Triple Crown, Sprint Training Regiment Sep 29, 2022

We sat down with Ben Proud, the first man in history to win a world title, Commonwealth title, and European title in one summer (50 free). Proud takes us through his summer and how he managed his mind through all 3 of the meets. He also dives into what his training looks like (7k-14k meters per week), his mentality toward sprinting, and how he balances work in the pool vs work in the gym.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Swimming Decathlon, NCAA Stars, & WADA’s Policy on Marijuana Sep 28, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss what a decathlon for swimming would look like, NCAA stars Maggie MacNeil, Leon Marchand, and Josh Liendo, and WADA's policy on Marijuana.

Will Glass on Being New Texas Volunteer, 6-Up in the 100 Fly in 2015, & Nine Banded Whiskey Sep 27, 2022

We sat down with Will Glass, the NCAA All-American for the University of Texas who is returning to his alma mater as a volunteer assistant in December. Glass discusses what he hopes to bring to the pool deck in Austin and what he learned as a mentee of the famed Eddie Reese. Glass also has 2 unique roles in Austin due in part to his swimming roots: he's a masters coach at Western Hills Athletic Club (a hub for swimmers and athletes from all walks of life) and the production manager at Nine Banded Whiskey (an Austin-based manufacturer co-founded by UT Swimming alum, Sean Foley).

WR-Holder Sarah Thomas Explains What Actually Goes into Swimming 100 Miles Sep 26, 2022

SwimSwam sat down with Sarah Thomas, the world record-holder for the longest continuous swim (unassisted, non-wetsuited) done in current-neutral conditions (104.6 miles). Sarah came onto our radar when Yung Thug tweeted at Michael Phelps, asking the 23-time Olympic gold medalist if he thought he could swim 100 miles, to which Phelps responded Yes. Thomas, one of the only humans to have ever ACTUALLY swam 100 miles, had other thoughts. She explains what actually goes into a 100-mile swim, from fueling your body, what you think about, and how you stay awake during the multi-day endeavor.

Associate Head Rachel Stratton-Mills on ASU Pro Group, Building a Successful Team Sep 23, 2022

Rachel Stratton-Mills joined the SwimSwam podcast one month into her 6th season at Arizona State University. The Associate Head Coach for Sun Devils talks about the “Fruit Salad,” that makes up the ’22-’23 team in Tempe, and explains the different, fruit-inspired, names for each training group. She talks about what has gone well in her first 5 seasons, where the program can go, and what it will take to get there.

Rachel discusses how the recent influx of professionals including Simone Manual, Regan Smith, Chase Kalisz, and Jay Litherland affects the coaches and college team.

16yo Nick Mahabir on 1:00 100 Breast, Representing Singapore, & Being Neighbors with Michael Andrew Sep 22, 2022

We sat down with 16-year-old San Diego local Nick Mahabir, who had a big breakout this summer by punching a 1:00.37 in the 100m breast at US Nationals. We discuss Nick choosing to represent Singapore internationally, being surprise neighbors with Michael Andrew in Coronado, and playing water polo and swimming casually up until age 15.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Dressel’s Records, Whereabouts Failures, & ”The Rowdy Rule” Sep 21, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the likelihood that Caeleb Dressel's NCAA records get broken, the fairness of whereabouts failure suspensions, and 'Rowdy's Rule' for getting back into swim shape

West Point Commits Hadley King, Campbell Payton on Being First Verbals for 2024 Sep 20, 2022

We sat down with Army West Point Commits Hadley King and Campbell Payton, the first two athletes to make their verbal commitments from the high school class of 2024. Both girls tell us why West Point was the school for them and what they hope to gain in and out of the pool. They chose West Point for different reasons but had a similar timeline for their recruitment process. Each athlete gives perspective on what they took away from their experience and what they would tell others that are still going through college recruitment.

Erin Gemmell Breaks Down 1:54 Split, Training with her Dad, and Making Paris 2024 Sep 19, 2022

We sat down with 6x 2022 Jr Pan Pacific Champion, Erin Gemmell, to discuss her whirlwind summer. Gemmell started things at the 2022 US Trials with the goal of making the world champs team. After getting sick just weeks before the meet, she placed 7th in the 200 free final, just missing out on her first senior international team. She then changed tracks and decided to focus on Jr Pan Pacific Championships, with stops at the Mare Nostrum Tour and US Nationals in Irvine in between. Gemmell discusses all these meets and how she was able to have success at them, highlighted by a 1:54.8 split on the 800 free relay (one of the fastest worldwide).

World Champ Medalist Josh Liendo Aiming for Dressel’s SCY Records at Florida Sep 16, 2022

We sat down with 2x bronze medalist from the 2022 World Championships, Josh Liendo. The Canadian sprinter just made a big move, surprising the swimming community with his decision to attend and compete for the University of Florida this fall. Liendo discusses why this was the right decision for him and what he's excited about moving forward as a Gator.

NCAA Champ Brendan Burns on Elite Underwaters, IU Training, and 2Fly/2Back Double Sep 15, 2022

We sat down with 2021 NCAA champion in the 200 fly, Brendan Burns in Indiana. Burns talks us through how the beginning of the season is going for him and the team so far in Bloomington. We get into topics such as winning an NCAA title, his 200 fly/200 back double at Big Tens last year, and how to make your underwater elite. We also talk about Burns' future in swimming and how he views long course swimming vs. short course swimming.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Dressel Breaks Silence, US Selections, & Practice Swims Sep 13, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discussed Caeleb Dressel breaking his silence since leaving the world champs, US selection procedures, and the legitimacy of practice swims.

How Arthur Albiero has evolved over the last 27 years of college coaching Sep 09, 2022

Arthur Albiero is entering his 20th season at the University of Louisville. When he took over in 2003, the pool was tiny, so were the scholarships, and the program hadn’t achieved much. A lot has changed in two decades. In this episode of the SwimSwam podcast, we get into how athletes have changed. How recruiting has changed. How the Louisville program has changed. And how Arthur himself has evolved over the last 27 years of college coaching. A lot of insight here from one of the best coaches in world.

USC’s Lea Maurer Previews the Upcoming 2022-23 Season for the Trojans Sep 07, 2022

Lea Maurer joins the SwimSwam podcast a couple weeks into her first year as the, “Peter Daland Endowed Swimming Coach Chair,” aka Head Coach, at USC. Lea is an Olympic Gold Medalist and former American Record holder. She swam for legends like John Collins, Randy Reese, and Richard Quick. She talks about how each of them continues to influence her coaching today, as well as how her experience as an athlete shaped her approach to coaching. Lea spent 6 years as the Head Coach of the Women at Stanford and discussed the impact she felt she made on the program. In between her time in Palo Alto and her move to Southern California, Lea was the volunteer Men’s Water Polo coach. She says she worried about getting neck punched but it reemphasized her ability to bring joy to swimming. She returned to the collegiate deck over a year ago and spent most of last season as the interim head coach of the Trojans before being named the head coach. Her first task? Title IX compliance cuts. Lea has managed to keep USC moving forward with a great staff and this year’s squad is focused on culture and setting a new tone. She dives into the strategies and conversations that have brought this ’22-’23 squad together, very early in the season.

Daniel Diehl Discusses Triple-Gold Medal Performance at 2022 Jr Pan Pacs Sep 07, 2022

Daniel Diehl joined the SwimSwam podcast after a four day break from swimming, following his performances at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships. He discusses his swims in Hawaii, including his National Age Group Record in the 100 Backstroke, of 53.27. Daniel doesn’t have a ton of experience racing outside which can be a tough adjustment, especially for backstrokers. He also learned a lot about relay starts and did them well enough to have the fastest split on the Gold Medal winning 4x100 free relay for Team USA (48.66). Looking back on his last year, he’s come a long way.

David Popovici Going PRs in Workout Before World Jrs, Talks Dressel & 100Fr WR Aug 29, 2022

We sat down with the newest world record holder, David Popovici, the 17-year-old phenom who broke Cesar Cielo's 13-year-old 100 free mark. Popovici is currently in Lima, Peru, preparing for the World Jr Championships, the last Jr meet of his career. He isn't entering the meet with any expectations but did admit that he went best time in workout just the other day, signaling that the Romanian may be in top form once again. Popovici also comments on dealing with this new level of fame after becoming the fastest man on Earth, what small change allowed him to break his first world record, and racing top-level competitors like Caeleb Dressel in the future.

3x Olympic Gold Medalist Blake Pieroni Announces Retirement, Reflects on Historic Career Aug 28, 2022

We sat down with 2x Olympian Blake Pieroni who announced his retirement earlier today. Pieroni explains that after sustaining an injury in the fall, he had time to reflect on whether or not he really wanted to continue competing at the highest level of swimming. For Pieroni, his ultimate dream was to make an Olympic team – something he achieved twice in his career. Pieroni didn’t feel like he had any more left to chase and decided it was a good time to move on.

Cesar Cielo on David Popovici, Caeleb Dressel, and the Possibility of a 45-Second 100 Free Aug 26, 2022

We sat down with the world record-holder in the 50 free and now the FORMER world record-holder in the 100 free, Cesar Cielo, to get his perspective on sprinting in the world today. Cesar admits he wasn't ecstatic about 17-year-old David Popovici breaking his 13-year-old 100 free world record, but he also wasn't sad about it. He reveals what he see's in Popovici's technique, starts, and kick that can make him even more of a lethal threat on the international stage. Cielo also gives a look into the mind of an athlete who is at the top of the world, perhaps lending perspective on what 5x 2020 Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel may be going through after pulling out of the world championships this summer. And finally, Cielo predicts if we will ever see a 45-second 100 free as well as when he thinks his 50 free world record will finally go down.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Simone to ASU, Cal Combines Under Durden, & Jr Pan Pacs Aug 25, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Simone Manuel moving to ASU to train with Bob Bowman, Dave Durden taking over as Head Coach of the Cal Women, and Highlights from the start of Jr Pan Pac Championships.

Is There Hope For Struggling Swim Clubs and Their Swim Club Boards? Aug 24, 2022

For nearly four decades I've heard about or experienced firsthand the fallout of dysfunctional leadership at swim clubs. Club boards splinter or run amok. Bad coaches go rogue. Good coaches suffer at the hands of egotistical board members. Every situation imaginable occurs. The worst is when you learn a club board never really managed the oversight of a team's finances, and suddenly the entire swim team is on red alert fearful the pool doors will be locked. Renata Porter is a swim business expert with a focus on youth sports clubs. Her company provides actionable guidance and support to help clubs to shift from old mindsets to running their clubs like a business. Renata helps to put clubs on the path to positive operational outcomes. She's hands-on, a true end-to-end partner. In sum, she gets to the heart of whatever the issue is and offers actionable solutions.

Mark Spitz 50 Years After Munich in Docuseries “72 - A Gathering of Champions” Aug 21, 2022

The International Olympic Committee’s docuseries “72 - A Gathering of Champions” is a treasured gift for Olympic fans. It’s a new and intimate window into Mark Spitz and his stunning performance at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Popovici WR, European Highlights, Duel in the Pool Aug 18, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss David Popovici's surprise world record in the 100 free, the other standouts from European Championships, and the upcoming Duel in the Pool.

Mel Marshall on Coaching, Motivating the Greatest Breaststroker of All Time Aug 17, 2022

We sat down with Mel Marshall, head coach of the UK High-Performance Centre in Loughborough and most well-known for being the coach of Adam Peaty. Marshall takes us through how she coaches and motivates all of her athletes both in and out of the water. She walks us through what kinds of sets work for each athlete in her group and what it takes to consistently perform at a high level. She also explains why Peaty has always had an affinity for long course, how she got into coaching in the first place after her swimming career, and the first time she thought Adam could go 57 in the long course 100 breast.

Bob Bowman Discusses Popovici WR, Regan Smith to ASU, and Marchand World Titles Aug 16, 2022

Bowman gives great insight into what Popovici does well in the water and where his development could take him. He then proceeds to discuss Regan Smith moving to ASU and what that will look like for her future in terms of training. Bowman also touches on his rapidly growing Post-grad group after the addition of Chase Kalisz, Jay Litherland, and Sierra Schmidt (in addition to Smith) and the development of Leon Marchand from Olympian to NCAA champion to 2x world champion in both IM events this summer.

Katie Hoff Discusses the Pros and Cons of Foregoing the NCAA to Turn Pro Aug 15, 2022

We sat down with 3x Olympic medalist, 7x world champion Katie Hoff to discuss a big topic, especially for teenage women in swimming: Going Pro versus competing in the NCAA. With Olympian and world champion Regan Smith announcing her decision to turn professional after competing at Stanford for one year, we wanted a perspective from someone who had made this decision and seen how it played out in their career.

Ruta Meilutyte on Return to Swimming, Eating Disorder, and Mental Health Aug 12, 2022

We sat down with recently crowned 2022 World Champion in the 50 breast, Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania. Ruta dives deep on a lot of topics, first of which is being back in major international competition for the first time in 3 years and managing to medal in both of her events. We then work backward through her dealing with an eating disorder, learning how to take care of her mental health (starting that process just months before the Rio Olympics), and serving a 2-year suspension from racing for missing 3 doping tests. Ruta is candid in her responses and shares knowledge that has come after over a decade at the highest level of competitive sport.

Greg Meehan Shares Perspective on Regan Smith’s Departure from Stanford Aug 11, 2022

We sat down with Stanford head coach Greg Meehan to discuss the departure of Regan Smith from Stanford after 1 year to turn pro and go train with Bob Bowman at Arizona State. Meehan is candid as he shares his disappointment and sadness to see Smith leave the Cardinal, not only as an athlete but as a teammate and friend to the rest of the women under his mentorship. But he also shares that even though he doesn't necessarily agree that leaving is the best thing for Smith to do, he understands that she thinks it is the best thing for her career, and Meehan respects and honors that. We also talk to Meehan about how he's dealt with pros turning a new leaf and leaving the Stanford program in the past, why he decided to train Torri Huske for the 400 IM, and what his life is like now that he isn't preparing to be the head Olympic coach.

SwimSwam Breakdown: ASU Pro Group, NCAA 5th Years, & The ”2-Year Taper” Aug 09, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Regan Smith and others moving to ASU to train with Bob Bowman, the fairness of NCAA 5th years, and not "fully tapering" for 2 years.

Ariarne Titmus Looking to Paris: ”My motivation is better than Tokyo” Aug 08, 2022

We sat down with Ariarne Titmus, the 4x gold medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Titmus explains how her life has changed since the Tokyo Olympics where she won 2 gold medals in the 200 and 400 free, specifically how there is much more outside pressure to perform. However, Titmus says she's pretty good at blocking it out most of the time, which showed with the freestyle aces performances in the UK. Titmus successfully defended her Commonwealth titles in the 400 and 800 free as well as added 200 free gold to her resume this week. Titmus says looking toward the Paris Olympic Games, she's more motivated than ever. "I've experienced those absolute highs at the Olympics. You can't really describe it once you've experienced it and you want to experience it again and again and again. I think that's my motivator now."

Adam Peaty Describes Lows and Highs of Commonwealth Games Aug 05, 2022

We sat down with Adam Peaty, the breaststroke legend that most recently has completed his long course gold medal collection with a 50 breast win at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Peaty discusses the devastation of missing the podium in the 100 breast in Birmingham and how he bounced back to not only medal in the 50 breast, but win the only title that had eluded him his entire career.

Katie Grimes on Racing Katie Ledecky, Open Water, and Not Fully Tapering Until 2024 Aug 04, 2022

We sat down with Katie Grimes, the youngest Olympian from the 2020 Tokyo team and most recently the double silver medal winner in Budapest. Grimes admits that while she is pleased with her two 2nd place finishes in the 400 IM and 1500, she isn't satisfied. Grimes is looking toward the 2024 Olympic Games and winning gold in Paris, with such a laser focus that she has decided with her coach, Ron Aitken, that she won't fully taper for a meet until then (not even world championships). Grimes also discusses how she improved in training and racing since last year at the Olympic Trials and the Games themself, where she placed 4th in the 800 free. The young distance swimmer has also started dipping her toes into open water, competing in the 10K in Budapest as well as preparing for the upcoming open water Jr World Champs in September.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Chalmers Media Woes, Peaty Misses Podium, & Aussie Relay WR Aug 01, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Kyle Chalmers' reaction to Australian tabloid media, Adam Peaty missing a 100 breast podium for the first time in nearly a decade, and the Australian women surprise smashing the world record in the 800 free relay.

2022 Commonwealth Games SwimSwam Fantasy Draft Jul 26, 2022

SwimSwam is back with the 2022 Commonwealth Games fantasy draft. Listen in as Braden, Ben, Loretta, and Coleman all try to draft the ultimate Commonwealth Games team ahead of the Games in Birmingham, which start Friday.

Bella Sims Previews Duel in the Pool Open Water Relay, Broken Individual Events Jul 25, 2022

We sat down with Bella Sims, the 17-year-old Olympian who anchored USA's 800 free relay in Budapest to gold with a massive 1:54.6 split. Sims breaks down her 200 free race strategy, how she kept her cool while anchoring both prelims and finals relays, and how she prepped in training for her lone event in Budapest. Although she got 3rd in 3 different events, Sims had a great World Trials, going 4 PBs including a time trial of the 200 fly. She is following up her world champs performance with a Duel in the Pool debut, where she will be a part of the 4x800 open water relay and hopes to get the chance to swim the broken 400 and 800 free individual events.

Summer McIntosh Takes Big Meet Racing From Budapest into Birmingham Jul 23, 2022

SwimSwam sat down with 15-year-old 2x world champion Summer McIntosh ahead of her Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham next week. McIntosh (pronounced Mac-In-Tosh, as told by Summer) described her mentality at the 2022 World Championships and analyzed her historic performances in the 400 free (4th woman to break 4:00, silver medal) and the 400 IM (world champion at 15 years old). Part of the young Canadian’s success is her eagerness to race the best, being energized by performing for the crowds on the biggest stages and getting to step on the blocks next to names like Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus.

How Has 17-Year-Old Ksawery Masiuk Become One of the Top Backstrokers in the World? Jul 22, 2022

We sat down with 3x 2022 European Jr Champ and 2022 world champs bronze medalist, Ksawery Masiuk. The 17-year-old Polish backstroke has quickly risen the ranks as one of the premier talents in the world, posting PRs in Budapest of 52.5 and 24.4 in the 100 and 50. Just days later, he turned around and won both events in Bucharest (Euro Jr Champs) as well as the 200 back (PR 1:56.6) and went a PR in the 100 free (48.3) leading off Poland's bronze medal mixed 400 free relay. Masiuk discusses what his training is like back in Warsaw, saying he typically does 5-6k per practice with a blend of 200 pace and sprint work. He also reveals that he doesn't like having time goals because it would put unnecessary pressure on himself; he just tries to have fun when he swims. Masiuk will be back in action at the 2022 European Champs in August which will take place in Rome, swimming the same lineup of 50-100 back that he did in Budapest. Masiuk plans to attend NC State in the United States, but not until after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Comm Games, Duel in the Pool, and NCAA Transfers Jul 21, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the upcoming Commonwealth Games entry lists, the Duel in the Pool rosters for both USA and Australia, and Olympian Emma Weyant potentially leaving Virginia.

Michael Phelps Texted Ryan Murphy After The 2022 World Championships Jul 19, 2022

6-time Olympic medalist and Speedo Athlete, Ryan Murphy, is happy with his 2022 World Championships performance. Apparently the GOAT Michael Phelps is as well. Ryan shared that Michael sent him a nice text after the competition. In this podcast, the 4-time Olympic gold medalist confesses his awareness of his even-year success rate (thanks to his data-driven brother), talks Speedo backstroke tech suit development, and he unpacks what he thinks it’ll take to be in the hunt for gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

100 Fly World Champion Torri Huske Has Been Training for the 400 IM Jul 18, 2022

We sat down with world champion Torri Huske, fresh off of her 100 fly win in Budapest. Huske takes us back to Tokyo where she finished 4th in the 100 fly final and how that motivated her this entire year to come back on top. Part of that preparation came in the form of 400 IM training, which Huske says really helped her on the back half of her races, which she felt were lacking. Huske also discusses her love/hate relationship with the 50 free, her NCAA lineup, and managing an enormous event schedule throughout a 6-8 day championship meet.

SwimSwam Breakdown: 2023 US Competition Schedule, 2024 Worlds, & Euro Jr Champs Jul 14, 2022

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the USA's newly announced 2023 competition schedule, our reactions to FINA's dates for the 2024 World Championships, and standout swims and swimmers from the 2022 European Jr Championships.

Leah Hayes on World Champs Medal, Team USA, and Alopecia Jul 13, 2022

We sat down with newly minted bronze medalist and world junior record holder in the 200 IM, Leah Hayes. The 16-year-old member of Team USA walks us through her experience in Greensboro, Croatia, and Budapest that all culminated with a 3rd place finish at the 2022 World Championships. Hayes explains her training style and how she focuses on all strokes to keep her IM and mid-distane-free sharp. Leah also dives into her Alopecia diagnosis and how she has embraced her lack of hair as a result. Hayes says our differences make us who we are and you can see the confidence that the young swimmer now has in and out of the pool.

Jack Bauerle, Coaching Mastery Earned Over 50 Years of Experience Jul 12, 2022

I’ve known Jack Bauerle 34 of his 50 years at the University of Georgia. It’s been from the sidelines, and one hard fact has shone through. Jack’s always been invested in the future milestones and successes of the swimmers who have passed through his program. Success in the pool was just one part of the process, the relationship. This is evidenced by the University of Georgia’s swimming alums, who are impressive. (Chris Brearton, as one example, was a UGA breaststroker from the 1990s, and he's now the COO of MGM Studios and USA Swimming’s current Board Chair.) Jack has been a force in the sport and his recent retirement caught me a little off guard. I don’t like the idea of attending a meet and Jack not being on deck. I’m thankful Jack took the time to do this podcast. We do cover a lot of ground. Jack details his journey in the sport, the coaches who mentored and inspired him, and he hints at what his future might hold. For the unofficial Mayor of Athens it sounds like his experience and wisdom will be put to good use.

Elijah Winnington Plays to Strengths in Strategic Maneuvering of 400Fr World Title Jul 11, 2022

We sat down with Elijah Winnington, the Dean Boxall-trained mid-distance star who won his first 400 free world title in Budapest. Elijah discusses what has changed for him by moving to St. Peters to train with Boxall at the end of 2020 both physically and mentally. He also breaks down his race plan for the 400m free final, which ultimately concluded with him clocking a 3:41.22 for the win.

Critically Acclaimed Book ”The Watermen” Details U.S. Swimming’s 1st Gold Medal Jul 09, 2022

Author Michael Loynd has found narrative gold in his book, The Watermen: The Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man's Fight to Capture Olympic Gold.

The narrative centers around Charles Daniels, USA Swimming’s first gold medal winner at the Olympic Games. Charlies is a complicated athlete with a dysfunction upbringing. Once you dive into his journey you won’t be able to put the book down. The historical context of the 1904 and 1908 Olympics and what swimming did for our nation will surprise you.

Mollie O’Callaghan on World Champs, Aussie Sprint Culture, & Dean Boxall Jul 08, 2022

We sat down with Mollie O'Callaghan, the Australian youngster who won 6 medals at the world champs in Budapest. She describes her experience last year in Tokyo swimming and how swimming on only prelims relays kept her motivated heading into 2022. O'Callaghan also reveals that she was not originally a freestyle specialist, her 100 and 200 only coming around to a world-class level in the past 2 years.

Lilly King Overcomes COVID to Win First World Title in 200 Breast Jul 07, 2022

We sat down with Lilly King, the newest world champion in the 200 breast. King describes in vivid detail how she realized she had COVID just days after the world trials in Greensboro and subsequently had to take a week out of the pool completely. Throughout most of her career King has had easy speed, but getting back into the water this time it was her endurance that felt the most honed in. Moving through the championships, King found peace with where she was at, taking pride in placing a narrow 4th in the 100 breast and beating 1 competitor in the final of the 50 breast to take 7th. A strange sensation for Lilly, the 200 was where she felt the most confidence in Budapest. King describes her strategy for that final as "I was trying to out-race everybody".

Todd DeSorbo Sheds Light on USA’s Decision-Making for 2022 Worlds Relays Jul 06, 2022

We sat down with Todd DeSorbo, the head women's coach for the 2022 World Championships team. DeSorbo takes us through the 3 weeks that began in Croatia with USA's "training" (taper) camp and ended with USA winning the most medals of any country ever at a single world championships. DeSorbo breaks down specifics on how he keeps his energy up through long 8-day meets, his role as a head coach, and relay selection for Team USA.

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