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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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. 

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?

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.)

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?

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 (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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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). 

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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  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.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 [email protected]

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 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

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.

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 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.

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."

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.

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. 

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.

(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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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/

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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 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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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?”

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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. 

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

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.

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). 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

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. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with NBC's Nick Zaccardi, who interviewed most of Team USA's athletes at the world championships just seconds after they finished competing. Zaccardi, who almost exclusively works on the written side of news, was asked to step into this on-camera role last minute and welcomed the challenge. He explains how he moved through the week and what tips and tricks he was able to pick up along the way. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Justin Ress, the newly crowned 2x world champion in Budapest who went through a lot to earn those gold medals. Ress takes us through his perspective on getting DQ'ed in the 50 back final after touching first and then being told it was overturned after the medal ceremony.   Ress also goes deeper into his swim history and explains that his senior year of college, he was not a health athlete outside of the pool and was close to retiring after the 2021 Olympic Trials. ISL is what kept him in the sport and motivated him to keep reaching for his goals and become a better athlete in and out of the pool. After just 3 months of training, Ress went all best times at the US Trials in April, then came to Budapest and walked away with his first (and second) world title. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with double silver medalist in both IM's in Budapest, Carson Foster. Foster takes us through his first LCM world championships and describes the work that he's been putting in towards his mental stamina, specifically in the 400 IM. This work paid off, for even when he was passed by Leon Marchand at the 250 mark of the race, Foster kept a level head and ultimately touched for 2nd in a huge PB of 4:06.5, just .3 off of his goal time for the summer. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss our World Champs fantasy draft, the most intriguing storylines from Budapest, and the rest of the summer moving forward.

We sat down with Lani Pallister, the newly minted 1500 world champs bronze medalist who had her meet cut short due to testing positive for COVID. Lani has been able to keep a positive attitude through it all but doesn't hold back in saying she was very down about missing the 800 final which she had qualified for.   However, this isn't the first time in the last couple years Lani has dealt with adversity. She details developing an eating disorder as well as having a heart condition in the lead-up to the 2021 Olympic Trails. After not making the team, she found out she had Mono during the meet. Pallister was ultimately out of the water for 4 months after Trials dealing with all of these variables and more. Pallister details how she made it back into the water and got herself on her first world champs podium just a few months later. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Newly crowned 2022 800 free world champion Bobby Finke explains what the focus of his daily training is like. It's not about focusing on swimming a certain event - it's about focusing on winning. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We had American relay legend Jason Lezak on during our live stream of the 2022 World Championships, and he gave his thoughts on the 4x100 free relay today vs when he swam on it for Team USA.

Ryan Held, who won relay gold in 2016 then missed every other LCM champs since, got his redemption swim, splitting 46 and earning gold again.

We sat down with Agustina de Giovanni, the director of mental performance and culture for the DC United soccer team. Don't be fooled by her role however, Agus is a born and bred swimmer with chlorine in her blood. She was a 2x Olympian and 12x national champion for Argentina as well as an NCAA All-American for the University of Alabama, all in swimming. She talks to SwimSwam about her philosophy on training athletes for high-performance on the mental side of things. Agus describes her strategies for combining the mental and physical aspects of training to make a complete athlete who can perform at the highest stage. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Chris Lindauer is the new Peterson Family Head Swimming Coach at Notre Dame. He joined the SwimSwam podcast to discuss that title and his new job in South Bend, Indiana. Chris was a long-time assistant coach at Louisville under Arthur Albiero but is stepping into his first head coaching role with the Fighting Irish. In this discussion, we talk about the differences as a head coach and what he's learned from one of the best in the business. One of the first things Chris has done to help with the transition is to hire two trusted assistants in Kameron Chastain and Kelsi Dahlia. He talks about not only what makes them the right fit, but also such great assets to the program. Chris also gets into some specifics about sets. He talks about a go-to 100-pace set long course as well as some fun sets, including one vertical kick challenge that many coaches are sure to steal. As a family man, he discusses finding the balance in life with so many priorities. He also points out the benefits that family can bring to your coaching. There is a ton of great stuff to take away from this 40 minutes or so with Chris Lindauer. Enjoy! SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

SwimSwam did a fantasy draft for the 2022 World Championships to see who's team of All-Stars will score the most points in Budapest (according to our scoring system). Head to SwimSwam for full details and updates on who's team comes out on top.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we preview the upcoming World Championships and play Sink or Swim with Katinka Hosszu Being in Paris, if Super Suits were Still Legal, and much more. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with 2020 Olympic medalist Claire Curzan, who is currently with Team USA at their world champs prep camp in Croatia. Curzan gushed about how nice the location is, noting the food and people were both on another level. She also spoke to her preparation as she heads into this world champs with 4 individual events (plus relays) to tackle over the course of the 8-day meet. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Chris Jones is the Head Coach of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He started the program in 2008 and since then they've put a ton of athletes on international teams, including 5 Olympians. His group of about 35 stood out at British Trials in April and on this podcast he discusses the culture focus points that lead to their great performances.     We also discuss the role that the university athletic system is playing in the success of British Swimming and Chris helps me understand how the Universities operate when it comes to student athletes, competitions and scholarships. A great glimpse at terrific program that maybe you haven't paid attention to before.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion Michael Andrew, who is currently in Croatia with Team USA as they prep for the upcoming world championships. Andrew gives us the scoop on how training camp is going for him and what his "USRPT taper" looks like as well as what working with coaches Todd DeSorbo and Eddie Reese is like. Andrew speaks to the fine line that is towed by athletes of being teammates yet competing for the same spot on a relay, a situation he will encounter multiple times throughout the course of these championships. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Mike Stephens was recently named the Head Coach at the University of Hawaii and joined us on the SwimSwam podcast to talk about it. In this chat, Mike discusses how the lifestyle and swimming roots in Hawaii make it one of the best jobs in the country. He talks about how his servant leadership will help him lay the foundation of a successful culture at his new program. We get into how he was able to change the culture at Boston College and lead them to 170 school records, including over 40 this last season. He seems poised to bring that momentum to Hawaii where there is a lot more support for high level performance. It sounds like a great fit and makes for another chance to learn from one of the bright young minds in our sport. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Don Muchow is a 60-year-old triathlete and Ironman living with Type 1 diabetes who after completing a 2,800 mile run across America last year to raise awareness for diabetes is about to perform a new feat: a 10k swim around Key West on June 18. Muchow is building up to the full 12.5-mile swim that will take him around the entire island of Key West. The Texas native has been training for the swim several hours a day between the Gulf Coast and Miami, all while managing a chronic illness. Living with Type 1 diabetes means Don has to monitor his glucose levels 24/7 to make sure they’re in a healthy range because his body doesn't regulate glucose on its own. To do so, Don uses a Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a small wearable device that monitors his glucose levels in real-time and sends alerts directly to his smartphone and Garmin smartwatch if his levels are too low or too high, incidents that can be life-threatening. Since Don will be in the water, his kayaker and wife will use the remote monitoring technology to keep track of his glucose levels while he swims to make sure he’s safe and has enough energy to get through the race, giving everyone peace of mind that his diabetes is under control. Don doesn’t let diabetes stop him from accomplishing his biggest goals; instead he uses them to motivate others who may face similar difficulties and inspire them to break their own barriers. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Jack Bauerle's retirement (this was recorded before the announcement of Stefanie Moreno-Williams and Neil Versfeld as new head coaches), Katie Ledecky saying she will bypass Duel in the Pool, and Kyle Chalmers playing in the Aussie Football League. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

2020 Olympic silver medalist and Team Speedo athlete Erica Sullivan injured her shoulder, which is why she missed the U.S. International Team Trials. However, in this podcast she confirmed she is fully back to good health.  She said "I'm in the weight room," and she did snap a gold (1500 free) and a silver (800 free) at the recent Mission Pro Swim.  We cover a lot ground in the pod, from training to film school to Pride Month.  Erica joked she's not a Pride Month parade type person, explaining that it's a little too hot to be outside in Austin, Texas.  (SwimSwam HQ is in Austin, and it's over a 100 degrees this entire week!)  Erica's Pride Month support is live and active on GoFundMe supporting Out Youth Austin. (Out Youth Austin is a 501(c)(3) who's mission is to promote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of sexual minority youth in Central Texas so they can openly and safely explore and affirm their identities.) Follow Erica Sullivan on Instagram here. Many thanks to our partner Speedo for making this pod happen. Follow Speedo USA on Instagram here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Kelsi Dahlia, the first woman to ever break 50-seconds in the 100y fly and the current world record holder in the 100 fly (SCM), to discuss her switch in careers. Dahlia announced her retirement from swimming last week, then just days later announced she would be joining the coaching staff of Notre Dame under Chris Lindauer, one of Dahlia's former coaches at Louisville. Dahlia breaks down what factors contributed to her retirement and what she will miss most about being a professional athlete. She then discusses her first week in South Bend and what she's looking forward to while being a part of the Fighting Irish. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the S11 Paralympic gold medalist from Tokyo in the 400 free, Anastasia Pagonis. The 18-year-old Paralympian is in the midst of her preparation for the para world championships in Madeira, Portugal, which start on June 12. Pagonis discusses her Paralympic experience, coming down from that and deciding what she wanted her relationship with swimming to look like heading into Paris, and why she ultimately chose to compete in this year's para worlds. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

USA Swimming CEO, Tim Hinchey, drops in on the SwimSwam podcast to talk about 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Tim honors the past, noting the success in Omaha paved the way for the larger venue, Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, and he addresses any concerns that the new venue might be too big. Tim has lead the governing body through some tough times, the pandemic being the most notable, and he feels it is time for swimming to grow. Tim’s bullish on the Indy venue, detailing it’s central location. 25% of USA Swimming’s registered swimmers and their families are within an eight hour drive to Indy, something the Omaha location did not deliver. Tim’s so bullish on the Indy location he is projecting an historic attendance record, at least for one night. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the Teri McKeever abuse allegations, Matt Bowe and Hunter Armstrong moving west to Cal, and Ariarne Titmus being one of the oldest in history to break a distance world record. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discussed the Australian championships, the Mare Nostrum stop in Monaco and the 2024 Olympic Trials Cuts. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Amanda Sovik-Johnston, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in working with high achieving athletes and teenage girls as well as a masters swimming national champion. She recently published an article detailing her Top 10 ways to take care of a swimmers mental health. Amanda was kind enough to come onto the SwimSwam Podcast to go into more detail on a few of those as well as share her personal experience working with athletes as both a clinical psychologist and a swimmer. Amanda Sovik-Johnston, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in working with high achieving athletes and teenage girls. She is currently training for Masters Swimming Nationals this August. For more information on Amanda and her services you can find her at www.virginiafamilytherapy.com or on Instagram at Virginia Family Therapy, or shoot them an email at [email protected] SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com  

US Tokyo Olympian Patrick Callan has announced that he will be transferring to Cal to use his COVID-19 fifth year. Callan made the announcement by placing the Cal Men’s Swimming and Diving Instagram handle in his own Instagram bio. Callan sat down with SwimSwam to explain why he made the move, emphasizing that he loves Michigan but after not performing the way he wanted to in multiple championship meets this season, he was feeling burnt out and ready for a change. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Jamal Hill, 2020 Paralympic medalist in the men's 50 free, has huge goals, and he's making waves. Jamal dropped in on the SwimSwam podcast to explain the swimming ecosystem he's building at a fast pace. This Team Speedo athlete is the Founder and President of swimuphill.org, a non-profit with a moonshot goal to teach million people to swim - per year - by 2028. Jamal is also a spokesperson for the LA 2028 Olympic Games, and he's the Managing Director for Aquatics Today, which just hosted their inaugural Aquatics Equity Summit.  Jamal's has a unique voice in our sport, one we should all listen to closely to. If you're hungry for inspiration and want to support real change and positive evolution in swimming, take the Jamal journey. You'll be happy you did. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In this episode of the SwimSwam Podcast, we sat down with newly-minted world record holder Hunter Armstrong of Ohio State. Armstrong, who is fresh off of 2 national titles in the 50 and 100 backstroke, speaks about his spring season, from a career Big Ten Championships to an underwhelming NCAAs. He also dissects his decision to go pro, leaving the NCAA system behind in favor of a more long course and swimming-centric focus. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Dr. Kirk Grand is the new National Team High-Performance Specialist at USA Swimming. He will be working with the national teams and as many USA Swimming coaches and swimmers as possible as a resource. He comes to USA Swimming after years of coaching experience at the high school, club, and collegiate levels. He has his Ph.D. in Psychophysiology from Auburn University and earned a master's degree from the Councilmen Center at Indiana University. He coached at both Universities and most recently at the University of North Carolina. In this episode of the SwimSwam podcast, we dive into all of that experience and education as well as his new role. It's basically a coach conversation that flows from motivating athletes with language to solving the sport's problems like how much aerobic do we really need to why do we lose the "feel," for the water so easily. Another informative coaching conversation that you don't want to miss. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the upcoming Australian World Champ Trials, what excites us most from the Mare Nostrum psych sheets, and the Girls' high school class of 2023. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Mike Murray, head coach of Victor Swim Club, to talk about the infamous phrase many swim coaches love: work works. He explains his evolution of this philosophy and how he's changed what his groups work looks like. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In this SwimSwam podcast we get granular with SPIRE Aquatics Director and Head Swimming Coach Thad Schultz.  Thad has 25 years of coaching under her belt,  coaching at Clemson and Ohio State before joining Penn State. He’s worked with over 25 Olympic swimmers and 18 NCAA All-American. Now in his seventh year leading the SPIRE Academy swimming program, he's developing an epicenter of scholastic development for talent from all over the world. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Chase Kreitler has had an amazing 2022, and we're just 5 months in. His Cal team won an NCAA title, he and his wife celebrated the birth of their first child, and this spring he was named the new Head Coach at Pitt. Somehow he still made time to talk with SwimSwam about all of it. Many people may remember that he took paternity leave this winter before the birth of his son, JD. That's a unique move in an industry where some coaches barely take any time off. Chase has no regrets and that kind of life balance is an important example in our sport, where there is no off-season. Luckily Chase had the support of Cal head coach Dave Durden, just one of the many coaches he's worked with in his impressive career so far. From Peter Linn at Eastern Michigan to Eddie Reese at Texas, Tracy Slusser and Greg Meehan at Stanford, and most recently Durden at Cal, Chase has worked with some of the best. He talks about what each one has taught him as he steps into his first head coaching role. He talked about his vision at Pitt and why it was an opportunity he didn't want to pass up. This is a great chance to learn from one of the brightest young coaches in the sport. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com  

This podcast is powered by Tritonwear, a SwimSwam partner. Power your coaching with a one free month trial here: shop.tritonwear.com Use code: FREEMONTH (expires by June 30th 2022) Megan Oesting is the current head swimming coach of Bend Swim Club. She sits on ASCA's Board of Directors, SwimOutlet's Coaches Advisory Panel, and she's a vital voice on Tritonwear's Advisory Board. We asked Meghan on the podcast because swim data is becoming more and more important to the success of coaches seeking reliable results faster with laser-sharp accuracy. Megan's an earlier adopter of swim data, and specifically, Tritonwear, a wearable powering many of swimming's top national governing bodies. Understanding the power of this tech--and the process through which to adopt it-- is worth your time and energy as coaches make it a part of their programs. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Maxime Rooney's retirement, Maxine Parker's transfer to Virginia from Georgia, and USA's chances at medaling in the stroke 50s at world champs. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Bill Dorenkott had a fantastic week in Greensboro, North Carolina at International Team Trials. He put two guys on the team, one of whom set a world record, and was named to the coaching staff of Team USA for this summer's World Championships. This week, he joined the SwimSwam podcast to discuss all the success he's had over the past year and all he's learned from his 14 years at Ohio State. We discuss specific sets from his two World Championship qualifiers. We talk about how the long course success affects the team, the staff, and the relationship with the University Administration. We also talk about how to celebrate successes and incorporate fun into a high-achieving program. A lot to be learned from one of the most successful coaches in college swimming. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the ride of Hunter Armstrong, USA's positioning in the LCM 200/400s, and what US Nationals in Irvine might look like this summer.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Regan Smith finished her meet on top, winning the 100 back in 57.7, the 2nd fastest swim of her career and breaking a US Open record. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Tonight's session ended with 2 American Records... and then a world record. there was some serious speed in the 50s back/breast, which means some serious discussions about our selection process. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Day 2 finals saw 2 US Open records go down, answers surface for the men's 4x200 free relay, and questions arise for the women's 4x200 free relay.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the new coach of Notre Dame (Chris Lindauer) and Pitt (Chase Kreitler) as well as 5 storylines to follow at the 2022 US World Champ Trials. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

It is finally time! The US World Champ Trials start on April 26, and in preparation, we narrowed down our Top 5 most-anticipated events on the men's side to bicker over for your viewing and listening pleasure. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

It is finally time! The US World Champ Trials start on April 26, and in preparation, we narrowed down our Top 5 most-anticipated events on the women's side to bicker over for your viewing and listening pleasure. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Swimswam chatted with Stanford Women's Associate Head Coach, Tracy Slusser about a month after NCAAs to look back on the season and look forward to spring and summer '22. In this discussion, Slusser talks specifics on training approaches and sets that worked this past season and some specifics that she'd like to change going forward. This includes her approach to aerobic, threshold, and speed work. She also opened up about some of the pressure and expectations that come as a Stanford swimmer and how she approaches that as a coach. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This Week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we talk about Jake Mitchell transferring to Florida, Matthew Sates announcing he's going pro, and World Championships getting smaller and smaller. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with 2020 Paralympian Jamal Hill, who won a bronze medal in the 50 free at the Tokyo 2020. Hill discusses how Team USA is shaping up for the 2022 World Champs as well as the state of para swimming worldwide through the war in Ukraine. Hill is a spokesperson for the LA 2028 Olympic Games and takes us through what he's doing even now, 6 years out from those USA Olympics.  On top of all of that, Hill is the Managing Director for Aquatics Today, which is hosting the inaugural Aquatics Equity Summit virtually on April 20, 2022 (this Wednesday) at 10:30 am PST. Register now for this free event at AquaticsEquity.com. An All-Access Pass to watch the recordings with your team can be purchased if you are unable to attend the live event. Several other aquatics-related summits are scheduled for the year. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

After one semester at Georgia, South Africa’s Matt Sates, who owns a trio of World Junior Records, has decided to end his very brief NCAA career. This morning, Sates turned pro, signing with the Newton Agency, and will be returning to his hometown of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa to train. Sates had only arrived at the University of Georgia in the U.S. in January, spending roughly 3 months with the Bulldogs before making this decision. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with NCAA Champion, American record-holder, and Swimming's Meme Darling, Dean Farris. We go through a lot of his career, from swimming in high school to his last 400 free relay with Harvard just a few weeks ago. Dean shares his favorite moments from his time in the pool, what's next for him in life, and even comments on some of our favorite 'Dean memes'. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Felicia Pasadyn carries a 4.0 GPA and is graduating from Harvard this spring with a degree in Integrative Biology. Pasadyn only spent three years at Harvard and announced she will be grad-transferring to Ohio State as she completes her Master’s Degree in Bioethics. This will be closer to home than Harvard as her hometown is Hinckley, Ohio. Felicia will continue her swimming career while competing for the Buckeyes before attending Med School. Last month, Pasadyn won the Women's DI Elite 90 award, given every year to the student-athlete who competes at the NCAA Championships and has the highest GPA. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

4-time Olympic medalist, 2-time Olympian, and Team Speedo Athlete Abbey Weitzeil dives deep in this SwimSwam podcast. She loves being a pro and loves competing against Team USA's top rival, the Australians.  Abbey respects them. She thinks there's a lot we could learn from the Aussie sprint crew, and a training camp Down Under is, in fact, on Abbey's bucket-list. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

On this week's SwimSwam Breakdown, we play Sink or Swim with every major meet that happened last weekend, and a few non-major meets that just had some freakin fast swimming. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

The Head Coach of Tulane Women’s Swimming and Diving, Leah Stancil, joins the SwimSwam podcast after another fantastic season for her program. In this discussion we get into her background as an Olympic finalist, Florida Gator, and Psychologist turned Coach. She’s been coaching for nearly two decades but Leah is still learning and trying to find new ways to give her team confidence. In the last 3 years she and the Tulane program have succeeded through cancer, a pandemic, and a hurricane. Their resiliency comes from their leader and head coach. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Brent Hayden is a 4x Olympian for and Olympic bronze medalist for Canada. He is the most decorated sprinter in Canadian history and recently announced his 2nd retirement, having retired once in 2012 and then come back 7 years later in 2019. Hayden explains that coming off of the Tokyo Olympics, he had wanted to keep swimming and pursue his 5th Olympic bid for the Paris 2024 Games. However, managing training at the level he needed to as well as the things he wanted to do outside of swimming proved too much this time around, ultimately leading to the world champion stepping away from the pool. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Lea Maurer, the newly named head coach of the University of Southern California. Maurer spoke to us about her plans for the Trojans moving forward, including a strong culture shift that changes both internal and external perceptions of USC Swim & Dive. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the upcoming international world champ trials (multiple), the Pro Swim in San Antonio, and a slew of athletes retiring. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Tennessee freshman Jordan Crooks, who not only dropped an 18.5 50 free to win the SEC championships, but backed it up at his first NCAA Championships by placing 3rd in the 50 and 5th in the 100 free. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Holly Barratt (recorded January 27), the Aussie worlds medalist who (at the time) hadn't been home to Perth in 6 months. When she left Australia in September for ISL season 3, she stayed abroad for the world cup circuit, ISL play-offs, SC world champs, and even Christmas in Sweden. She then returned to Australia, but with strict lockdown codes in Perth, stayed in Melbourne where she trained with Craig Jackson and his squad at Melbourne Vicentre Club. However, Holly's backstory is perhaps more interesting then her present 6+ month time on the road. She swam competitively as an age-grouper, but not knowing how she could make the leap to international competition, quit from age 18-23. Once she started coaching swimming at age 23 (2014), she got the itch to compete again and had a full revival of her career. She went on to win 3 medals at the 2015 World University Games and medal at the successive LCM world championships, SCM world championships, and Commonwealth Games. She's still going PBs now at age 34 and plans to retire at the end of 2022. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the men’s NCAA Championships, the 2024 Olympic swimming Trials heading *allegedly* heading back to Indianapolis, and ISL Season 4 getting canceled. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

SURGE Strength, a strength training brand created by Chris Ritter, CEO of RITTER Sports Performance, aims to build better athletes and faster swimmers through dryland programs and educational courses. Get started with a SURGE Strength Dryland Program or enroll in a dryland course in the SURGE Strength Academy today! SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we go through the 2022 Men’s DI NCAA Championships event-by-event (we missed the 200 free and 400 medley relays... my bad) and give you our picks for every NCAA title on the line. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Olympic medalist Noe Ponti, who was in Marseille, France shooting with arena. Noe gives us an update about where he's at in his competition schedule, what it was like to do an aerobic workout with Sarah Sjostrom and Florent Manaudou, and what his hardest pool sessions were during a recent 3-week training camp. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we go through the 2022 Women's DI NCAA Championships event-by-event and give you our picks for every NCAA title on the line. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

SwimSwam caught up with Tyler Fenwick, Associate Head Coach at University of Virginia, the week before the UVA Women defend their NCAA title in Atlanta, GA. In this discussion, Fenwick touches on some recent sets and gives us an open look at the training set up at UVA but this is a big picture conversation on coaching.   Tyler's been coaching for almost 20 years all across the country. At one point I joke with him that he made distance coaching cool but these days he's hesitant to call himself a distance coach. He has learned so much over nearly 2 decades on deck with some of the best minds in the sport but he is still expanding his coaching game. We cover all that and more!!   SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with world record holder Sarah Sjostrom while she was at the arena photoshoot in Marseille, France. The 14x World champion spoke about a recent 2-week training camp, being with arena for over a decade, and choosing to skip the 100 fly individually at this year's world championships.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Tokyo Olympic medalist Bruno Fratus while he was in Marseille shooting with his suit partner, arena. Bruno gives us an update on where he’s at in training and how winning a bronze medal at his 3rd Olympics fueled his fire to go for a 4th Games instead of hanging up his goggles. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

University of Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo and All-American breaststroke Alexis Wenger sat down with the media days before heading to Atlanta to defend their team title at the 2022 NCAA Championships. They touch on topics such as UVA relays, the mindset of defending their title, and racing ACC opponents at both the conference and national levels. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with French Olympian Fantine Lesaffre, who recently made the move to train at NC State, following her boyfriend there who is getting his masters and training there as well. Fantine takes us through what it’s like to train with the wolfpack and how it is radically different from her old training base in France. She also dives into her last few years of training leading up to the 2020 Olympic Games and how she struggled so much in that lead-up that she almost stepped away from swimming altogether. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Adam Peaty's Speedo partnership announcement blew up traffic yesterday on SwimSwam. This podcast with the 3-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder was supposed to be a quick chat about signing with Team Speedo, and he unpacks the partnership, but Peaty chatted a little longer across a few topics. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the upcoming women's and men's DI NCAA Championships, Summer McIntosh breaking 2 world junior records in Toronto, and the Pro Swim in Westmont. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Stefanie Moreno, the Associate Head Coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, joins the us in the middle of the Bulldog's championship season to dive deep into double taper. We talk about the staff dynamic during this crucial time of year and how they decide what work is left to be done. Host Garrett McCaffrey has a unique connection with Coach Moreno. His final year as a swimmer was her first year as a coach at the University of Missouri. They discuss how she's evolved since then into the Associate Head of her alma mater alongside her once coach, Jack Bauerle. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Regan Smith after her first Pac-12 Championships with Stanford, where she won the 100 back and 200 fly. Smith talks about her Olympic experience in Tokyo, how her first quarters of college have been, and what her event lineup will be at the upcoming NCAA championships. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion and world-record holder Kyle Chalmers after his recent signing with arena. we discuss Chalmers' motivation heading into the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Losing to longtime rival Caeleb Dressel by such a slim margin has lit a fire in his belly, one that will only be quenched by an Olympic gold-medal sandwich (stacking his 2 100 free Olympic gold medals on either side of his 100 free Olympic silver).  Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had ripple effects in the swimming community, all of last weekends college conference action, and the upcoming Pro Swim Series in Westmont (Chicago). SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Coming off her third successful Olympic Games Katie Ledecky explains the process of how and why she moved to Gainesville.  She didn't say it outright, but it sounds like she wanted to train with the talented Gator men's distance group. What do you think?  Of course coach Anthony Nesty has proven his success training distance swimmers. Has Katie considered ISL?  Apparently not according to this interview. She said World Championships is the priority and focusing on her long course meters training on the run-up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She'd like to race short course meters, but she has nothing planned right now. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

World record holder and Ukranian Olympian Andrii Govorov is calling for all swimming federations to skip competitions in Russia for the next year as well as ban Russian athletes from all competitions. In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Govorov's stance is simple: sport is for peace, and he believes Russia should face consequences for their actions.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we cover all of the Power-5 Conference Championships that occurred last weekend plus international news including an ongoing ISL/FINA lawsuit and what Aussie Olympic stars are doing this spring. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

SwimSwam caught up with 7-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel at the University of Florida, and Dressel described pain.  Under Coach Anthony Nesty, Dressel returned to hard work three and a half days after the ISL Season 3 Final. The turnaround was fast, jarring and it hurt. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

In this podcast, Houston head coach Tanica Jamison discussed how she is establishing herself with a new program after almost 10 years with one of the most stable programs at Texas A&M, led by one of the most consistent coaches in the sport's history, Steve Bultman.    Tanica also discussed growing up in the 90s as a young, fast, swimmer, who was also black. She spoke about how her sport led her to her path and her coach, Jill Sterkel at the University of Texas was the representation that opened the door to her own coaching career.   SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Claire Curzan's American Record in the 100 fly, Townley Haas's retirement, and the upcoming NCAA DI conference championships. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Katie Grimes made the 2020 Olympic swimming team at age 15 in the 800 free after getting 2nd to Katie Ledecky at the US trials. She discusses her entire Olympic experience, including getting 4th in Tokyo and how she was able to bounce back from that. Grimes also shares her favorite training sets, including one that she did at Olympic training camp and the Sandpipers’ “Janet Evans” set. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss FINA's announcement of the new 2022 World Champs in Budapest and how that will affect the upcoming ISL Season 4, which made some announcements of their own recently, and the USA Swimming schedule, which also just came out with their revised season schedule. We also play everyone's favorite game, SINK or SWIM. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Bryce Mefford is a 2020 US Olympian and NCAA champion for Cal in his 5th year as a bear. He sat out of competition at Cal this past fall to take a break from the water after the Olympic Games but is now back in competition. Mefford discusses why his break was necessary and how his return to racing has gone so far. He also tells his favorite stories from Olympic training camp and the Games themself in Tokyo. Mefford is weighing his options in and out of the pool, and after his final collegiate season is unsure of what the future holds. He has newfound confidence in the pool after making his first Olympic team this past summer but also wants to explore the workforce and life away from the pool. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Michael Brinegar is a 2020 Olympian in the 800/1500 free and an NCAA All-American for Indiana. He sat down with us to speak about his experience at the SC World Champs (where he ended up leaving early due to potential close contact with COVID), training with Mark Schubert in high school and college, and making his first Olympic team last summer. Brinegar also looks ahead to the Big 10 and NCAA championships, where he looks to be in the hunt for a title (and American record) in the 1,650. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com  

Alia Atkinson is a 5x Olympian, 4x world champion, and current world record-holder. She was a dominant breaststroke throughout the entire 2010s decade and made her mark in the world cup circuit, ISL, and on the world stage. Alia recently announced her retirement after the 2021 Short Course World Championships and sat down with SwimSwam to discuss her career, including ups, downs, and inbetweens. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

3-time World Champion, 2-time Olympic Champion and Team Speedo Athlete, Zach Apple, gets raw and real about his 2020 Olympic performance.   Zach let’s us inside his head, inside the highs and lows of his Olympic roller coaster experience. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the ISL announcing a massive Season 4 schedule, post grads having success with other programs, and Adam Peaty taking on the 200 breast. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Ryan Held, who is hot off of a 6-medal performance at the 2021 World SC Championships, including 2 relay golds and 2 individual silvers in the 50/100 free. Held takes us through his last 6 months, starting at the lead-up to the 2021 Olympic Trials, when he was training with just Coley Stickels and Ali Khalafalla out of a pool in Birmingham and lifting in Stickels' basement. Held goes through the disappointment of placing 6th at Trials but then finding out he wouldn't be taken to Tokyo and processing that for the months to follow. Held then gets into his move to Phoenix and new training home at Arizona State with Herbie Behm. Held likes the new training environment with the hungry college students as well as the small pro group made up of himself, Olivia Smoliga, and Hali Flickinger. Held also gives his thoughts on the "All-Ryan Relay" and how he thinks USA Swimming should handle the postponement of the 2022 World Championships. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Shaine Casas is a 6x world championship medalist and 3x NCAA champion. His decision to leave his alma mater of Texas A&M to train with their rival Longhorns in Austin has turned quite a few heads, but today Casas sets the record straight. He takes us into his head through the whole process of trying to transfer and ultimately going pro. Few swimmers choose to put their degree on hold to focus on their athletic career, but we see it frequently in other sports. Casas says he wants to prioritize his swimming now and describes his new training environment at the University of Texas with Eddie Reese. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Rhyan White is a world champion, Olympic medalist, and NCAA All-American. She was the only woman from America to qualify for the 2021 Olympic Games in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. In Tokyo, she finished 4th in both events, just missing individual medals but still helping the USA to a silver in the 400 medley relay. White discusses managing her emotions through Trials, the Games, and afterword when she came back to Alabama to kick off her senior season. She talks about the new coaching staff in Tuscaloosa, led by first-time head coach Margo Geer, and the training habits she's developed since her first Games. White bounced back in a big way after Tokyo, winning gold in the 200 back at the Short Course World Championships in Abu Dhabi this past December. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In this podcast, we learn more about Mondy, the Jolyn brand, and Jolyn’s on-going support of the sport. This year they launch the Jolyn Swim Collegiate Series. This series is not for the top 5-10% of swimmers that are recruited on “national times” alone. This series focuses on the 90-95% of youth swimmers that don’t have those top national event times. The Swim Collegiate Series serves as a “recruiting pipeline” for the coaches allowing them to spot talent 2-3 years down the road. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the 2022 World Champs getting postponed, Katie Ledecky beating Zane Grothe in an exhibition 500 free, and Gretchen Walsh setting a new American record in the 50 yard backstroke.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Josh Liendo was an Olympian at 18 and now at 19 is a world champion. He not only won gold as a part of the mixed 4x50 free relay in Abu Dhabi, but also earned double individual bronze in the 50 & 100 free. Liendo discusses growing up in Trinidad, moving to Canada as a teen, and becoming invested in swimming by chasing age group records.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

USA Swimming has had a challenge to overcome for generations. Our sport’s registration does not reflect the current makeup of the United States. Only 1% identify as black, and only 6% identify as mixed-race. For USA Swimming to continue to grow and be successful as an National Governing Body, they must invest in big ideas, moonshot ideas, to chart a successful course into the future.  Since 2004 the USA Swimming Foundation has supported their partners with free and reduced cost swimming lessons nationwide. December 14th 2021 they announced their grant program focused on creating a 10-year, $1 million initiative to develop learn-to-swim and competitive opportunities in communities served by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Ron Kontura, Director of Total Performance Swim Camps, is many things. In another life he'd probably be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.  He's the current Aquatics Director at Kenyon College and the Head Coach of Men's and Women's Diving. His resume is long. Ron loves to organize events, and he's passionate about the camp experience and value it provides to swimmers for years and years into their careers.  At Total Performance Swim Camps, Ron manages heavyweights in the sport, providing them a perfect location and platform to provide expert instruction. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

As reported today, FINA could be postponing the Fukuoka World Championships set for May of 2022 to July of 2023. If that is the case, what happens? SwimSwam Editor-in-Cheif, Braden Keith, and I sat down to discuss what this would mean for the US and the rest of the world. While most other countries have another opportunity at a major LCM championship later in the summer, the US only has our summer nationals in Irvine in August. We talk through possible scenarios for the 2023-2024 international swimming calendar and how the athletes may react to them. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with 2x Olympic champ Tom Shields to discuss the ISL's no walkout clause, late payments from FINA and ISL, racing for 6 months straight, and being on government assistance leading up to the 2021 Olympic Trials. We also play a new game, "Go with the Current". SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

oach Brian Schrader heads Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training (FAST) at an elite facility opening March 2022 in Ocala, Florida. As head coach Schrader is responsible for all operations while coaching swimmers. Brian drops in on the SwimSwam Podcast to unpack the details behind this brand-new facility. He, of course, has a long resume, having coached along side our sport’s greats, include Eddie Reese, Jack Bauerle, and Gregg Troy to name a few. Brian’s the current Lead Assistance Coach for ISL’s powerhouse franchise, the Cali Condors. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Today on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we go over Michael Phelps playing celebrity pickleball matches, Sun Yang netting over $500k from selling makeup, and the 2023 World Champs getting pushed to November.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora  

Fink talks us through managing school during the full ISL season, taking finals a week before flying to Abu Dhabi for the world championships, and going best times and winning world titles through all of it.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion James Guy, who is currently stuck at home from a positive COVID test, although he is A-symptomatic. Guy walks us through his last 6 months, from the Olympic Games to his "reset" time to ISL. Guy breaks down in fine detail what it meant for himself and Britain to win the men's 4x200 free relay in Tokyo and the hopes they have for the men's 4x100 medley relay after winning silver.  Guy has always shown up on relays, but when asked about them he didn't say he feels differently when swimming on a relay. Contrastly, he admitted that over the past few years, he has struggled mentally in his individual events with having a plan and executing it, or rather he's tried too hard when it comes to race by himself. However, Guy has gone back to the basics of setting in-race goals and has found success, registering a 50.9 in the 100 fly twice and a 1:46.3 200 free at the 2021 European Championships before ultimately scratching all his individuals in Tokoy to focus on relays.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with NAG record-holder and surprise breakout star of the Speedo Winter Jr Champs, Ilya Kharun of the Sandpipers of Nevada. Ilya takes us through his evolution in the pool and with the sandpipers, shedding light on his monumental drop from 1:56 to 1:42 in the 200 fly in the 2021 calendar year. He also discusses his commitment to Arizona State and training with the Sandpipers' top group, including a set they did recently, 60x100 on your choice of interval, Ilya choosing 1:02. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

British Paralympic swimmer Will Perry has gained attention after posting on Instagram last week about an interaction that for him is all too common. After having a frustrating day, he went to the grocery store, hoping for a quiet trip to buy household food. Instead, he was ridiculed because of his size by 3 teenage girls. This prompted a rage-fueled post to his Instagram page, calling for the bullying and abuse to stop and for people with dwarfism, such as himself, to be treated as equals to those without it. Perry joins us on the podcast to speak on his journey through dwarfism, swimming, and what he hopes to accomplish in and out of the pool moving forward. Follow Will Perry on Instagram here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Emre Sakci challenging FINA for transparency, swimmers 1-uping each other on a 75 swim with fins, and Swimnex predicting 10 world records at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

2020 Olympic medalist and Team Speedo athlete, Katie McLaughlin, epitomizes perseverance. She’s been an elite swimmer since she was 16 years old, a fast rising age group star who earned four medals at the 2013 World Junior Championships. She followed up with strong performances at the 2014 Pan Pacs and 2015 World Championships. Landing at Cal her freshman year, swim-fans expected a clear path onto the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team, but a tragic accident during Cal’s winter training camp halted that Olympic dream. Katie unpacks the injury, her recovery, and her long road back to being a force on Team USA. Katie’s got a swimming-range. She could be a threat on the world-stage in several events, but the 4x200 free relay is where she’s currently the most dangerous. She has delivered 1:55 splits, the second fastest legs on the 4x200 relays, at the 2018 Pan Pacifiic Championships, 2019 World Championships and 2020 Olympic Games. Katie McLaughlin is Team Speedo. Follow Katie McLaughlin on Instagram here: Follow Speedo USA on Instagram here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Schuyler Bailar, the first openly trans NCAA DI male athlete, to discuss what being a trans athlete, and trans human, means. This has come to the forefront of news lately in the case of Lia Thomas, the trans woman that is currently competing for the University of Penn women's swim team. Bailar describes the importance of biodiversity in sport and how we see a discrepancy in how biodiversity is accepted. Bailar explains that while males with biological advantages are often praised for them, women, especially women in marginalized groups such as black or trans women, are received in the opposite way and see harsh criticism for these biological differences. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Solomon D’Amico, co-head coach of Seward TSUNAMI SWIM CLUB, is the mind behind the success of Lydia Jacoby. Lydia has racked up endless awards since her star-turn at the 2020 Olympic Games, including the 2021 Swammy Award for Female Breakout Swimmer of the Year. Lydia, only 17 years old, won Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke (1:04.95) and silver in the 4x100 medley relay. In addition to his position at TSUNAMI Swim Club, Solomon’s also the head coach of swimming and track and field at the Seward High School. This unique man with an experienced past has served in the U.S. Marine Corps and he’s earned a BS in Kinesiology from Indiana University. In the podcast, Coach Solomon D’Amico talks us through Lydia’s training season, individual practices, and the challenges they overcame during the pandemic. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Thomas Heilman — the 14 year old swimming phenom out of Virginia’s Cavalier Aquatics under coach Gary Taylor — broke 13 national age group records in 11 days. Thomas accomplished this feat competing at three different meets in 11 days, USA Swimming’s U.S. Open, YOTA Arena Capital Classic, and then Speedo’s Junior Nationals. In this podcast Thomas unpacks a few of his record swims, his training, and his life throughout the pandemic leading up to this history-making accomplishment. See all of the SwimSwam reports on his NAG records here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss USA Swimming canceling the Pro Swim in Knoxville, Emre Sakci's 50 Breast world record, and Adam Peaty's 'Project Immortal'. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Neil Harper (head coach), Vanessa Hermann (senior), and Anna Hopkin (alumni) of Arkansas women's swimming. We discussed where everyone is at in their season and what things look like in the immediate future. We also go back a bit and talk through the last 18 months and how each athlete got through being in lockdown. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down Femke Heemskerk, one of the most decorated swimmers in Dutch history, who recently called it a career after winning the ISL season 3 championship with Energy Standard. Femke shares why she felt that this was the right time for her to step away from the pool, citing a lack of motivation when she was training and realizing she'd never felt that way before. Heemskerk reflects on her achievements in the pool, noting that she felt her absolute best at the 2014 SCM World Championships in Doha (where she took 5 medals in including 100 free gold) and the 2020 LCM European Championships (which took place in 2021) where she also took 100 free gold. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Arizona State head coach Bob Bowman and associate head coach Rachel Stratton-Mills to discuss how the sundevils performed at the NC State Invite and what training has looked like this fall. Bowman goes into detail on the men's team, from the kind of work they've been doing to the exact amount of rest they got for Invite. Stratton-Mills speaks to the women's team, noting what their goals are moving forward into the rest of the season and what the addition of post-grad Olivia Smoliga has brought to her specific 200-below training group. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Zoe Bartel, the NCAA champion from Stanford who recently announced a mid-season retirement in what was her senior season on the team. Bartel goes into detail about her relationship with swimming, starting when she was young and actually tried to quit swimming when she was 16. She reveals that skiing was always her true love, but she did eventually come to love aspects of swimming, like the hard work that came with training and her teammates. Bartel explains why this was finally the right time for her to step away from the pool completely and what her future looks like moving forward. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Tennessee's associate head coach, Ashley Jahn. Jahn has been with the Vols for a decade now and it shows as she discusses her methodical approach to training. One big thing Jahn hits on that is unique about this season is the energy that the "COVID 5th year" swimmers bring to the pool deck. Jahn explains that getting that extra chance to improve has brought a lot of joy to those athletes, which in turn trickles down to the rest of the team. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discussed the 2021 Speedo Winter Junior Championships, the upcoming Short Course World Championships, and the prospect of Sarah Sjostrom being an NCAA swimmer. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

 Brent Nowicki’s been the new FINA Executive Director about six months. He’s young, only 42 years old, with an impressive resume.  As expected he’s bringing a lot of energy and changes to FINA.  Brent’s managing an extremely jam-packed calendar, and it appears he’s striving to package tentpole aquatic events as spectacles.  The upcoming World Championships in Abu Dhabi will provided much needed data to determine if spectacle events can work—be a cost-benefit and be bigger driver of TV rights.  Brent’s transparent on this topic.  SwimSwam will touchback with him to learn more about these results. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Kelsi Dahlia, the Cali Condor's star who broke the world record in the 100 fly in the ISL final. Dahlia explains the pain of missing the Olympic team, how she processed that sense of loss, and came back to pool with a sense of purpose to get ready for the 2021 ISL season. Dahlia also talks about her current training plan, which has included 6 practices a week (1 per day 6 days/week, no doubles) in the Louisville sprint group. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

University of Pennsylvania senior Lia Thomas has been making headlines so far in this NCAA season, producing several record-breaking performances in what is her first year competing as a woman. Thomas, a trans woman, sat down on the SwimSwam Podcast to discuss everything from when she realized she was trans, what the transition period was like, and how she's been able to adjust to life both in and out of the pool. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In this podcast Mark unpacks what he's doing at SET Aquatics, and he dips back into his history discussing his coaching philosophy. I traveled the world with Mark for ten years on the USA Swimming National Team back in the 1980s and 90s, but I've never talked to him about his Mission Viego dynasty years. I was dumbfounded to learned he took over the program at the tender age of 23 back in 1973.  Mark discusses his genesis story, nearly going into the legal profession, and how his father told him he'd never make a living as a swim coach. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the ISL Final and the controversy that surrounded it, Thomas Heilman's NAG record siege in Greensboro, and Daiya Seto training in Scottsdale. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Blaire Bachman, the associate head coach at the University of Virginia. Bachman takes us through her thoughts on the hoos’ performances at the 2021 Tennessee invite, their mid-season rest meet, as well as how training has been for the defending national champions (on the women’s side) this fall. We then delve into Blaire’s coaching journey and she gives us key insights on what she’s picked up over the course of her 10+ year career so far. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Condor's GM Jason Lezak along with World record-holder Kelsi Dahlia and American record-holder Justin Ress sat down with SwimSwam to digest the ISL final. Cali was the defending champions from 2020 and came up just short of their 2nd team title, losing to Energy Standard in a back-and-fourth match by just 12 points. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

In a razor-thin battle with the Cali Condors that saw the clubs trade the lead back and forth during the final day of competition, Energy Standard clinched the Season 3 ISL championship title thanks to the efforts of Ben Proud and Adam Barrett in the men’s butterfly skins. Energy Standard’s Sarah Sjostrom finished as the leading scorer in the final with 61 points, followed closely by Fink (59.5) and Cali’s Hali Flickinger (51.0). SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with two-time Olympic medalist and Team Speedo athlete Hali Flickinger.  This Cali Condors swim star has been busy since Tokyo.  In this podcast Hali dives into the past, detailing her journey to the Olympic podium since her days competing at YMCA Nationals.  Hali's a workhorse, grinding in practice to compete on the biggest stage in sport in the 200 butterfly and 400 IM.  The move to train under iconic swim coach Bob Bowman paid off, but she did not expect to train through a pandemic on her road to the Olympic Games.  Hali gets raw and real in this interview explaining the ups and downs, and how she managed her mental health.  Her Speedo MAKE WAVES moment includes her mental health management. She leaned into her swim-family, her Olympic teammates, a special crew that assembled nightly during the Games. Listen for the name of this unique group of elite women. You'll appreciate the power of this sisterhood. Follow Hali Flickinger on Instagram. Follow Speedo USA on Instagram. Speedo USA is a SwimSwam partner. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic bronze medalist in the 100 fly, Noe Ponti. The butterfly specialist is fresh off of breaking 4 new Swiss records at the Swiss SC championships. Ponti was public on his Instagram that winning his bronze medal was fairly life-changing and prompted him to depart from NC State after having been in the US for just a few weeks this fall. Ponti speaks on how being at home in Switzerland brings him happiness and will therefore be staying there for the foreseeable future. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown we discuss the upcoming ISL Grand Final (Eindhoven), Minnesota Invite (Minneapolis), and US Open (Greensboro), where many, many swim stars will competing in one pool or the other. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Energy Standard's Siobhan Haughey and head coach Tom Rushton after their dominating win in Match 5. Haughey described her prep work for the ISL playoffs as well as her thoughts on her new Asian and ISL record in the 200 free. She even recalled Sarah Sjostrom telling her that she (Haughey) could break Sjostrom's world record in the 200 free. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with McKenzie Siroky, the now 2x defending Michigan state champion in the 100 breast. Siroky just made headlines last week by taking down the Michigan state record in the 100 breast at 1:00.48, previously held by NCAA All-American Miranda Tucker. McKenzie explains why she's committed to playing DI hockey over swimming in college and what her daily life looks like during high school swim season (when she is still playing hockey). SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Arena signed 17-year-old phenom and Olympic breaststroke champion, Lydia Jacoby, the brand’s first sponsorship deal under the new NCAA NIL (name, image and likeness) rules that came into effect on July 1st, 2021. The day arena made the announcement, Lydia topped SwimSwam traffic, pulling more eyeballs than the ISL match and the college invite coverage. In other words, this Alaska native has real star power. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

In this podcast Jim shares what wasn’t in PRIDE, his feature film. No disrespect to the filmmakers, but there was no way to include all Jim’s success in two hours. Jim needs a recurring Netflix series to unpack it all. We do our best in this podcast to dive into the history and finer details. I hope you enjoy it.Pictured with Jim is my friend, Trevor Freehand. Trevor’s portrayed n the film PRIDE, and Trevor’s brother. Tracy Freehand, is PDR’s current Lead Coach… Many thanks to Trevor, who helped me prepare for this podcast, providing unearthed PDR history. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we cover the highlights from the first week of the NCAA Mid-season invites, the Finals picture after week 2 of the ISL playoffs, and what Lydia Jacoby signing with Arena means for the high school swimming community at large. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Malmsten, INC. CEO Mikael “Mike” Orn is a 1984 Olympic Medalist from Sweden, and Vice President Simon Percy is a 1992 Olympian from New Zealand. Both are proud alums of ASU, a DI college program they helped to endow with the famous coach Bob Bowman at the helm.  With strong roots in the sport of swimming and an established brand behind them, they are launching Malmsten, INC., delivering the Malmsten brand of lane lines and water polo gear to the North American market. See the Malmsten INC. website here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the ISL playoffs so far, what demographics of athletes are getting NIL deals and how much they're worth, and how swimming bumped Jim Rome's talk show. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Grace Ariola, the NCAA All-American and Big-12 champion from Texas who has been out of the pool for the last 2+ years and recently announced a medical retirement due to chronic fatigue syndrome. Ariola goes into detail on what her last 2.5 years looked like after getting a viral illness and never fully recovering, including how her mental health was affected just as much as her physical health. Grace offers a lot of perspective on not only what this dark place looked like for her, but what tools she used to work her way back to a place where she felt like herself again. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with 2x Olympian, 14x world champ Olivia Smoliga, who is currently in Eindhoven for the ISL season 3 playoffs. Just before arriving in Eindhoven, however, Smoliga made the move from Athens, Georgia to Tempe, Arizona, where she is training with Bob Bowman at Arizona State. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the ISL playoffs starting this week in-depth, highlighting which teams are secured a spot in the ISL final, which are on the bubble, and which are on the outside looking in. We also assess the world records broken in Kazan at the SC European Champs this past week and look at what the Texas-UVA dual meet tells about both defending NCAA champions.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with 7x medalist from the 2020 Olympic Games and world cup series champion, Emma McKeon. Despite all these (and more) accolades, McKeon has managed to keep a steady head on her shoulders and takes us through her last 6 months with grace and humility. She emphasizes how much she's grown as an athlete and person through this Olympic cycle, noting her ability to stay present and appreciate where she's at in her athletic career. She also breaks down all of her individual swims from Tokyo, including her gold medal showings in the 50 and 100 free. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Today we have co-founders Karl Hamouche and Michael Peterson on the SwimSwam podcast to breakdown their talks at ASCA, CSCAA and NISCA. They dive into their books and downloadable education material (some of which is free). We also talk about their approach and innovation tackling swimming problems all coaches face. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Australian Olympian and FINA World Champion, Elli Overton, is the head of marketing and sales at SwimTopia, a tech company that is the leader in team management software in the massive summer league industry.  In other words, she's an adult, with her past three Olympic experiences in her rear view mirror.  However, there's something about time that brings things into focus. For Elli it was managing the Australian media, which can brutal on their swimmers.  Elli watched the Olympics in Tokyo with a discerning eye. Well aware of the sacrifices Olympians make, she was sensitivity to the pressures of these Games in the backwash of the COVID pandemic. Tough questions, expectations about performances, and disappointing outcomes took a harder edge when reported by the media.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Olympic Champion and Team Speedo Athlete, Cody Miller, drops in on the SwimSwam podcast revealing his hopes and dreams for his juggernaut YouTube series Cody Miller Adventures.  Cody has redefined the language of swimming media, and he's redefined what it means to be a pro swimmer.  While Cody owns Olympic gold, his YouTube series deserves a gold medal for his mastery of film and his personal connection to his fans. Cody's transparent and vulnerable--in the most courageous ways.  That combination has netted him the biggest swim-audience among YouTubers.  Cody gets raw and real, providing context on his U.S. Olympic Trials experience and what's in-store for him as a pro swimmer. Cody unpacks International Swimming League politics in a way that only an active pro with “insider knowledge” can. Lastly he gets personal again sharing his MAKE WAVES moment, and he details his go-to Speedo gear. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss USA's Short Course Worlds selection procedure and how it could improve, Kyle Chalmers' historic 100 free in Kazan, and Katie Ledecky's racing debut since moving to Florida. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

While competing on day 2 of the final FINA World Cup stop in Kazan, multi-Olympic medalist Chalmers blasted a time of 44.84 to not only stand atop the podium here but also stand atop the list of fastest men ever in the event. His time overtakes the previous storied World Record of 44.94, a time Frenchman Amaury Leveaux put on the books over a decade ago in 2008. Since then, many have come close, including Russia’s Vlad Morozov who hit 44.95 in 2018 but the record stood tall…until tonight. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Timmy Hayes, Scot Robison, and Kyle Shoemaker, the 3 co-founders of Nica Nadadores in Nicaragua. Nica not only teaches kids how to swim and gives them an outlet to train in the pool, but it also helps them out of the pool with their education via scholarships and opportunities for better schools. Timmy, Scot, and Kyle each discuss their swimming backgrounds and what brought them to this project as well as how it has impacted their lives and the lives of those in this community.   Check out the Nica Nadadores here.   See our write-up on the Nadadores in 2014 here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Jeanette Ottesen's book release and what it means that she admits to the longterm bullying of former teammate Lotte Friis, ISL athlete's nearly boycotting over continued league non-payments, and Brooks Curry throwing down a spicy practice swim at the end of a workout. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Jim Bolster, the head coach for the Columbia men's team (who we recently filmed a Practice + Pancakes with) who is in his 38th season at the helm. Bolster boasts a very athletic background, being 1 of 14 and growing up with access to the Princeton athletic facilities. He was a 4-time letter athlete in swimming, soccer, and lacrosse at Denison University, winning an NCAA DIII title in the 200 fly and going to the NCAA tournament in soccer. He then started competing in triathlons, where he had success for 20+ years as a masters competitor. Bolster speaks on his philosophy on staying active and what that has taught him about coaching along the way.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Dan Eisenhardt, FORM Founder and CEO, has chlorine in his blood. He loves the sport, and that passion has driven his innovation developing the industry-groundbreaking FORM Smart Swim Goggles. Founded in 2016 in Vancouver, Canada, FORM is the tech-enabled swim platform with a simple mission: to break down the barriers between what swimming is and what it could be. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic medalist Bella Sims, who swam on the prelims of the 800 free relay in Tokyo at 16 years old as the 2nd youngest member of the US Olympic team, only older than her club teammate and training partner, Katie Grimes. Sims goes in-depth on her expectations heading into trials, her day-to-day training in Las Vegas, and what it was like being a teenager at the Olympic Games. Sims also talks about crying before all of her races, less-than-ideal open water swims, and not realizing that prelims swimmers got medals too. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the myriad of coaching changes that were reported last week, the wave of new international teenage talent on the men's side, and the fact weekend of racing from the NCAA. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with 3x Olympic champion from Tokyo, Kaylee McKeown. We start by discussing where she's at currently, including recovering from a torn labrum she sustained before the Olympic Games and trying out a myriad of different training groups in Queensland. Then we get into her Olympic experience, where she dissects both of her individual wins in the 100 and 200 back as well as her contributions of Australia's gold medal 400 medley relay and bronze medal mixed 400 medley relay. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with 3x World Jr Record holder and 2020 Olympic semi-finalist, Matt Sates. For 18 years of age, Sates has a plethora of swim knowledge and insight which he was kind enough to share with us on today's podcast. Sates breaks down all 3 of his world Jr record performances as well as other races throughout the world cup and what he has to do to get the best out of himself in each race. The South African Olympic also discusses training with Chad le Clos for 3 weeks before their Olympic Trials (and racing 20x200 best average), why he purposefully doesn't lift, and coming to Georgia to compete in the NCAA this coming winter. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Dan Eisenhardt, FORM Founder and CEO, has chlorine in his blood. He loves the sport, and that passion has driven his innovation developing the industry-groundbreaking FORM Smart Swim Goggles. Founded in 2016 in Vancouver, Canada, FORM is the tech-enabled swim platform with a simple mission: to break down the barriers between what swimming is and what it could be. FORM uses smart goggles and guided real-time workouts to make swimming endlessly motivating and fun. With a FORM membership, swimmers can access guided workouts and performance metrics in real-time through the in-goggle display. Using the FORM Swim App, swimmers of all levels can be supported in their long-term fitness goals by selecting from an extensive library of workouts and, once selected, can be guided through their workout in real-time, as they swim. The FORM Smart Swim Goggles are available at www.formswim.com and Amazon. FORM is a SwimSwam partner. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion and Breaststroke queen, Lilly King, to discuss the brand new pool in her hometown of Evansville, Indiana and her swimming in the last couple of months. King walks us through her time in ISL this season and how she got back into the swing of racing coming off of the Olympics, as well as what her "off-season" looked like and why she like to stay in the water for the majority of that time. King also describes her experience at the 2020 Olympic Games, where she went into the meet as the defending Olympic champion in the 100 breast and heavy favorite to win gold. King goes into what she felt after winning bronze in that race, then coming off of the surprise loss and earning silver in the 200, her first Olympic medal in that event. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discussed the sizzling swims at the 2nd stop of the FINA World Cup, the NCAA season getting into full swing, and Adam Peaty's future in dancing. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with NCAA champion and Texas Swimming Alum, JT Larson. Larson, who just started a new job at Dell in Austin, Texas, is a 4-year graduate of the Eddie Reese distance squad, slugging it out with the likes of Clark Smith, Jack Collins, and more on a daily basis and even etching his name into the ranks of All-Americans for the Longhorns. Larson shares his experience in Austin, from the team culture to a look into daily practices and who was ahead of the pack majority of the time.   SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with 17-year-old South African Olympian and recent UVA commit for the class of 2022, Aimee Canny. Canny talks us through what it's like qualifying for her first Olympics at just 17 as well as doing so without having ever trained in a long course pool. She also discusses what made her want to pursue the NCAA, her current studies in the United Kingdom, and her first international meet experience at the 2019 World Jr Championships. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This Week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss our top recruit for the Class of 2022, Claire Curzan, finally announcing her college commitment (Stanford), Matt Sates impressing with 2 World Jr Records in Berlin, and Mike Unger leaving USA Swimming and what that means for the Tim Hinchey era. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Energy Standard's Mary-Sophie Harvey, who has had a breakout 3rd season for the ISL juggernaut. Harvey explains how she specialized her training heading into the 2020 Olympic Games and found out she enjoyed it, so continued to do so into the ISL season with success throughout each match. Harvey also discusses following her age-group coach, Tom Rushton, to Turkey as a 17-year-old when he made the move to go coach the Energy Standard club at Gloria Sports Arena in 2017.   SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

After earning a spot in the play-offs, Iron's head coach Luka Gabrilo and skins champion Thom de Boer sat down to field questions about the match. de Boer delved into his approach to the freestyle skins race, which he has now won on 3 out of 3 occasions this season, even speaking to his training and how he does a lot of lactate swims in normal training. Coach Luka explains that their men's B 400 free relay, which went slower than the DC Trident-winning women's A 400 free relay, was a necessary piece of their overall match success. Since Iron was short on sprinters, they chose to put non-freestyle specialists in the relay in order to save swimmers like Luiz Altamir Melo who could score significant points in the 400 free. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

The DC Trident held off a late push from Iron to win their first ISL match in franchise history on Thursday, putting up 506 points to place first in the do-or-die Play-In Match and move on to the ISL Playoffs in November. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with SwimSwam Editor-in-Chief Braden Keith and SwimSwam Data Expert Barry Revzin to analyze day 1 of the 2021 ISL Play-In match.   Let's just get it out of the way: I was very wrong.    I thought Tokyo and Iron looked primed to move through the play-in match smoothly, but Braden had quickly pointed out that DC was a strong contender not to be overlooked. Flash forward to today. DC is leading Iron for 1st by 50 points. That is not a typo. Braden and Barry both give professional insight and numbers into why this is and the other teams' chances of making the play-offs moving into day 2. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Shaine Casas going Pro, Noe Ponti leaving NC State to head home to Switzerland, and the Chinese National Games. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Team Iron's Captain, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, and General Manager, Dorina Szekeres, after a hard-fought battle in Match #10. Each give their perspective on how Team Iron has moved through the regular season and their expectations for what to expect in the play-in match on Wednesday. Kromo also reveals that to her surprise, getting through 3-rounds of butterfly skins was actually easier than 3 rounds of freestyle. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Ingrid Wilm, the surprise backstroking sensation for the LA Current that has leveled up throughout this regular season. Wilm gives us insight into what her normal training in Canada looks like and why she's been able to translate that into the ISL race-heavy training. She also describes her experience at the 2021 Olympic Trials and how she has come out of a 3rd place finish better than ever. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Energy Standard's GM James Gibson and freestyle ace Siobhan Haughey to discuss their Match #8 win as well as their ISL regular season as a whole. Gibson shares his thoughts on compiling their heavy-hitting mixed medley relay last Sunday and the jackpot scoring system. Siobhan gives insight as to where she thought she'd be for the ISL regular season and how she's been able to race so consistently in the league (she nabbed her 12th career win in the 200 free last match). SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

As reported earlier today, Katie Ledecky will be moving from her longtime home of Stanford under head coach Greg Meehan to the University of Florida, where she will train and volunteer coach under head coach Anthony Nesty. SwimSwam's Braden Keith, Torrey Hart, and I discuss what this move means for Ledecky's career, Nesty's notoriety as a head coach, and the potential for Florida's women's program on the collegiate and post-grad side. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we talk about ISL highlights including Sarah Sjostrom's surprise comeback and Madi Wilson's surprise departure, Shayna Jack being cleared for competition once again, and we play Sink or Swim on a myriad of this week's top news SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Energy Standard's Tom Rushton, the head coach for the ISL club in its 3rd season. Rushton starts our discussion with the humble beginnings of Energy Standard from 2017, when he and James Gibson started training a small group of athletes at Gloria Sports Arena in Hungary in preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games. We then turn to topics such as mid-distance training, prepping different athletes for ISL-type of racing, and altitude training camp after the ISL regular season. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

For the first time in the history of the ISL, jackpot points decided the winner of Match 8, favoring Energy Standard over the London Roar. If the jackpot points are removed then the London Roar would have actually beaten Energy Standard by the narrow margin of 11.5 points. Neither team received enough penalty deductions to sway the outcome, and their checkpoint points nearly even out. Until Match 8, jackpot points had only affected the outcome of Match MVPs, but now their value to overall team standings is on display. A point brought up by Barry is that every time 4 or more swimmers get jackpotted, the winner of the race is now up 19 points, more than 2 individual wins. These point swings could affect how a team builds its roster, preferring big stars to a team with depth. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Toronto’s Razzetti and Max Litchfield gave the Titans one more point surge with a combined 27-point pick-up thanks to their check-point bonus points. The Condors were only able to score five points in the event. This put Toronto into the lead by 20 points. Despite matching Cali’s event wins, the skins ultimately decided Cali as match seven winner. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

The Cali Condors have done it again with their third match win of the season, but it didn’t go down without a good fight. The Titans entered day two of match seven with the narrow lead over the Condors. Throughout the match, Toronto lost their lead to Cali but re-gained it, twice, including right before the skins events where the Condors soared over the Titans to clinch the match win. Meanwhile, Iron was able to find extra leverage over the NY Breakers to increase their chances of qualifying top-6 into the semi-finals. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Bobby Hurley, 2x world champion and 6x world champ medalist. Most importantly though, Bobby won our SwimSwam Pick 'Em contest on 2 separate days during the 2020 Olympic Games. He walks us through his strategy for his picks as well as his general thoughts on the Tokyo Games as a whole. Hurley then discusses his swimming career, his coaching career (which included a stint with Chad le Clos and Cam VDB in their lead up to the 2017 world champs), and his commentating career with FINA currently. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Chris Mooney, who is set to take over as the head coach at Bond University starting in October. Mooney details his Olympic summer as the primary coach for triple gold medalist Kaylee McKeown, from trials to training camp to the Games themself. Mooney divulges that he and Dean Boxall had a mini training camp ahead of the official Olympic camp with both of their athletes in attendance. He talks about the fun he has with Boxall on deck and some of the sets that dropped both of their jaws during the camp. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Sherridon Dressel, the Cali Condor veteran who nabbed her first league wins in both the 50 and 100 back in Match #2 earlier this season. Sherridon explains what she gained from competing in Season 2 of ISL in the Budapest Bubble andhow she carried that knowledge with her into Season 3. She also dives into her swimming history and what it's been like to be the baby in her family, namely being the younger sister to swimming superstar Caeleb Dressel. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week in the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Olympic champ Ahmed Hafnaoui committing to IU, the recruiting class of 2023 already starting to commit, and the ins and outs of ISL developments. Check out every topic in-depth below: Olympic Gold Medalist Ahmed Hafnaoui Hands Commitment to Indiana for Fall 2022 Joe Schooling wrote on instagram that he would offer up a Hugo Boss suit for free if anyone could beat him at the 200m butterfly, even giving the opposing swimmer a 10-second head start. Retiring Australian Olympians Will Not Receive Tokyo Podium Bonus The Class of 2023 Swimming Recruits Have Begun Their Commitments ISL Jackpots: Do They Matter? Caeleb Dressel To Sit Out Remainder of ISL Regular Season FINA's Brent Nowicki Hopes "Aquatics Festival" Will Draw Pool Swimmers to Open Water SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

The London Roar swam well on day 1 of Match 6 and led the Cali Condors by 13.5 points going into the second day of racing. The return of stars including Emma McKeon and Kyle Chalmers gave the Roar a boost in events that the Cali Condors might otherwise be favorited in, namely sprint free and fly. Chalmers, however, was relay-only for London today, but still contributed a big 45+ relay anchor to lead a 1-2 finish for the Roar. London ultimately went on to win the match, beating the favorite Cali Condors. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In SwimSwam's last Breakdown episode, the ISL Draft Fumble was a hot topic.  See the Breakdown here.  David Marsh disagrees with SwimSwam's assessment, and he explains why, specifically outlining his match sessions battling the Toronto Titans and DC Trident.  Coach Marsh also unpacks his strategy for the regular season and looks ahead, way ahead, to ISL Season 4 and 5 where he sees the rookies evolving into the new stars of the pro swimming league.   Keep up with ISL action and subscribe to their Stream here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Madison Wilson takes the win in the women’s 200 freestyle, which was expected. However, she also took the victory in the 100 free, just .09 ahead of Kasia Wasick after flipping 7th at the 50. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

The Toronto Titans produced the top-2 money earners in Match 5, Louise Hansson and Shane Ryan, with Hansson earning a total of $24,525, $8,000 of which came from her Match MVP bonus. Ryan earned $10,800 and is the only swimmer, other than Hansson, to earn more than $10,000. Hansson is currently the 5th-highest earner in the league this season with a total of $33,800 from two meets. In Toronto’s season debut, Hansson earned a respectable $9,275, a figure she nearly tripled in Match 5. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Chris Ritter, the founder and CEO of RITTER Sports Performance and creator of SURGE Strength, drops in on the SwimSwam Podcast with Gold Medal Mel Stewart. Chris explains why now is a great opportunity for coaches to become SURGE Strength Dryland Certified (SSDC). Open Enrollment to Become SSDC goes through Tuesday, September 14th. ENROLL NOW TO BECOME SSDC Chris Ritter is the CEO of Ritter Sports Performance, a SwimSwam partner. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Mizuno, the global specialty sporting goods company, is entering into the collegiate and NIL conversations by signing their first collegiate swimmer, Carson Foster. A sophomore at the University of Texas, Foster is a versatile swimmer skilled in the individual medley and middle distance events, and has been recognized at the NCAA swimming national championships and as an NCAA All-American. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Trenton Julian, who recently had a sensational showing at the 2021 Speedo Summer Championships, highlighted by a 1:54 200 fly personal best. Julian takes us through his last 6 months of racing from the NCAA championships (where he had more pressure as a leader and point-scorer on the team than previous years) to the Olympic Trials, where he made 3 finals and was on the cusp of qualifying for his first Olympic team in both butterfly events. Julian explains how finding a balance of being prepared and enjoying the process has led to some of his best races. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the effectiveness of the ISL draft so far in the season, the Big 12 adding 4 teams as soon as this week, and Gary Taylor landing in Charlottesville. See our full list of topics below: ISL Season 3 looking lopsided after Draft implemented to try to even disparities between teams Big 12 Conference Could Approve 4 New Schools As Soon As Sept. 10 10 National High School Records Fall in One Day in South Florida Obstacle-Filled Season Concludes With 63 U.S. National Age Group Records Former Auburn Head Coach Gary Taylor Will Be Head Coach of Cavalier Aquatics

We sat down with Maggie Steffens, the woman who not only won her 3rd Olympic title in a row in women's water polo, but did it while breaking the record for most goals scored during Olympic play in history. Steffens discusses the ups and downs of training for a delayed Olympics and dealing with the pressure of an extra Olympic year once the team was finally in Tokyo. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with David Popovici, the 16-year-old who set the pool on fire this summer at a variety of meets, ultimately ending with personal bests of 47.3 in the 100m free and 1:44.6 in the 200m free as well as finaling in both events at the 2020 Olympic Games. Popovici dissects all of his biggest meets this summer, talking through his mental growth and how each opportunity set him up for the next. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Evan Stiles, the head coach of Arlington Aquatic Club. Stiles is a true swim nerd and a great storyteller, diving deep into Torri Huske's preparation for the 2021 Olympic Trials. This includes Huske only being able to train in a long course pool once a week and how Stiles made the most of their time there. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Bruce Marchionda, head coach of the TAC Titans, the club team that produced 2020 Olympian Claire Curzan. Marchionda takes us through Curzan's summer of training, from her May showdown at home with Torri Huske to the Olympic Trials and making the team. He reveals what they added into Claire's training and small changes they added to try and get her to the next level. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Alex Walsh, the NCAA champion who added 'Olympic Medalist' to her resume this summer. She talks us through her experience at both the Olympic Trials and Olympic Games, noting that at both meets before semi-finals she was in a less-than-ideal headspace. She walks us through her process of turning things around mentally and how she grew from both experiences. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Stuart Coventry, the CEO of the new Australian Swimming League. Coventry breaks down why this endeavor was even taken in the first place and how he sees it can play in nicely with the International Swimming League as well. Reported by Loretta Race The Australian Swimming League (ASL) recently announced that its planned launch event slated for October will be delayed due to coronavirus-related complications. According to the league, ‘the decision to push back the timing of this launch event was made with an abundance of caution to prioritize the health and safety plus provide clarity to officials and participants, considering the challenges associated with movement within Australia. In July we reported how the brand new ASLrepresents a national professional league whose inaugural series of competitions will begin in the fourth quarter of 2022. ASL is privately owned and funded and will run the competition with the support of Swimming Australia. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the man, the myth, the mustache: Coleman Stewart. Coming off of his red-hot world record in the 100m back, Stewart breaks down his whole first ISL match of the season, where he also won the Match MVP title. He admits that he didn't know what to expect heading into his first race, but after the American record (48.91) set by leading off the 400 medley relay, he knew something was going right. Stewart proceeded to shave on Sunday morning before day 2 of the meet, knowing he could have an opportunity to put up something special. And the rest is history. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Ohio State's Aislinn Walsh, who has been eating a vegan diet for the better part of a year now. Aislinn first adopted the diet during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and found that once she returned to full-time training in the fall, she was able to recover quicker between practices. This prompted her to stick with the vegan diet and starting her meal Instagram, @craisycupofcoffee. Aislinn shares all of her recipes on her account for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and more. She gives lots of plant-based substitutes for swimmer favorites like burgers, pasta, and grilled cheese. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Former Cal and U.S. National Team swimmers Nathan Adrian and Will Copeland are expanding their swim lesson business into a full-fledged USA Swimming club. Adrian and Copeland, who are the owners of the AC Swim Club, will combine operations with the Westside Aquaducks, a USA Swimming team, on Wednesday. They’ll take over the program from retiring head coach Dea Ann, who founded the club in 2006. As part of the transition, Adrian and Copeland will bring in Jon Hiett as the head coach of the Aquaducks. He spent the last 4 years as the head assistant coach with the Tualatin Hills Swim Club in Oregon, which is a USA Swimming silver medal club. While Adrian and Copeland will be involved in the administrative running of the Westside Aquaducks, Hiett will be the coach and will be responsible for athlete performance. Both Adrian and Copeland are actively instructing at the swim school. The swim school is located in San Rafael, California, while the Aquaducks train out of Petaluma, which is about 20 miles away. The 32-year old Adrian represented the US at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games, racking up 5 Olympic gold medals among 8 total. That includes an individual 100 free win at the London 2012 Olympics. He is also a 12-time World Champion in swimming. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with 2020 Olympian and silver medalist in the women's 400 medley relay, Claire Curzan. Curzan walks us through her summer, from her epic 3-event matchup with Torri Huske (both of whom would go on to make the Olympic team in the 100 fly), to Olympic Trials to Training camp to the Games themselves. Curzan also delves into what she did this summer to improve her first 15-meters, including focusing on a rowing motion to engage her arms off the start and focusing on hitting her underwater kick count with short, fast kicks. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Caeleb Dressel owns seven Olympic gold medals now, picking up five from the recent 2020 Olympic Games. In this interview he unpacks a lot. Olympic 100 meter freestyle? It started hurting him at the 60 meter mark. Please note that the 100 free will be his first “Dressel Dissects” on youtube as soon as he settles in Naples, Italy for ISL Season 3 and gets some free time. ISL Season 3? Will he race more than fans think? Dressel intends to race as much as possible. Competing is his happy place, but he’s going to play it by ear and see how he’s doing managing his time and general good health. The Olympic 100 meter butterfly start and finish? Dressel breaks down his mistakes, and he does think he’s got a 49.2 loaded with a sharper turn and finish. Kristof Milak surprised him. He did not expect a 49.6 from the 200 butterfly world record holder. 4x200 free relay? Dressel wanted to swim it. That’s why he swam the prelim 200 free at U.S. Trials. Watch the video to hear his complete answer. Mixed Medley Relay? Dressel isn’t second guessing anyone. Looking back, however, he does think leading off with a male athlete in the 100 back and 100 breast might be the best way to race that relay. 50 free? Dressel didn’t have much to say. He won the pure sprint by a wide margin — an astounding .48 — a wider margin than his other four Olympic gold medal performances. 4x100 Medley? Dressel felt that was the best race and his best swim of the entire Olympic competition. Dropping a 49.03 split while exhausted on the final night of competition is something he’s proud of. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Justina Kozan, the 4x event winner at the 2021 Speedo Summer Championships - West in Irvine. Kozan made SwimSwam headlines with her 200 IM victory, coming home in 29.75 (faster than anyone's freestyle split in the Olympic final of that event). Kozan discusses her experience at the Summer Champs as well as at Olympic Trials, where she made her first final in the 400 IM. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In this week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, the Olympics are over and ISL season 3 is coming in hot. Tune in to hear all about this week's Top stories. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic bronze medalist and Oceania record-holder in the 400 IM, Brendon Smith. Smith takes us through his first Olympic experience, including the historic 400 IM prelims and finals, which saw surprising twists in both. Smith came out with a bronze medal behind Americans Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland, able to put together a solid race after earning first seed heading into the final. Smith also discusses how he's spent his time since Tokyo, traveling to Rome with a group of fellow Aussies in anticipation of ISL season 3 as well as avoiding a 2-week Australian quarantine. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

When I was a kid my father wanted me to be Alex Baumann. In addition to his dominance in the 200 and 400 IM (winning gold and breaking world records in both events at the 1984 Olympic Games for Canada) Baumann was graceful and gracious. He epitomized the Olympic ideal of sportsmanship.     Baumann has spent his adult life as sport administrator at the high levels from Canada to New Zealand, and, most recently, at the helm of Swimming Australia as their CEO.  He recently stepped down as CEO, a topic he covers candidly in this podcast.    Baumann is as I remember him from the 1980s. We shared the deck at the first Pan Pac Championships in 1987. He's a nice guy--very easy to build a relationship with.     Baumann's leadership in sport is covered here, an unpacking of the run-up to Swimming Australia's success at the 2020 Olympic Games. However, we do dive into his competitive history. Baumann experienced dramatic struggles, most of them off-camera. The fact that he was the Flag Bearer for his nation in 1984 and so successful in the pool is testament to his discipline.  He's a unique person well-worth your time, and I hope you enjoy this podcast.    SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

SUMMER SANDERS’  star burns bright. She’s been intimate with the Olympic experience since she earned her four Olympic medals back in 1992. Summer has been to nearly every Olympic Games, summer and winter, since her ’92 star-turn as a network commentator and/or ambassador.  We sat down with Summer to get her perspective on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and she had a lot of wisdom to share. Summer even put her Swim Nerd cap on regarding the 4×100 mixed medley relay–about which a lot of Team USA Olympic Alumni have had much to say. Thanks to Summer for dropping in on the SwimSwam podcast. You can follow Summer on Instagram  @summersanders_  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion and world record holder in the women's 400 free relay, Bronte Campbell. Campbell speaks on her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and how she managed her injuries with the extra year provided by the COVID-19 pandemic in the lead-up to the Games. Campbell also discusses her love for the water outside of swimming, her career path, and her preferred coffee order.   Toward the end of our conversation, I ask Bronte about the poem she wrote and read to the 2020 Aussie Olympic team before competition started, a poem that was shared on Instagram by her teammate, Cam McEvoy. Bronte explains this tradition and how it dates back to her early days on the AUS national team.   SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with SwimSwam's head of photography and man on the scene at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Jack Spitser. Jack breaks down the back end of covering an Olympic Games, from the commute to and from his hotel to the different venues, the hours he worked each day, and what he looks for when he's shooting a high profile event like the Olympic Games. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with 7x Olympic medalist and 4x Olympian, Emily Seebohm (fun fact, she has won a medal at all 4 Olympics she's been to). Seebohm starts off with how her 2-week quarantine is going in Darwin, Australia. Personally, it has been interesting speaking with the Aussies about this, as usually you would come down from the high of the Olympics and keep yourself surrounded by people (family, friends, fans), which might prevent you from taking time to reflect on the experience and the emotions it brought (enter post-Olympic blues). I'm really interested to hear about how the Aussies feel emotionally coming out of this quarantine, as it has given them a lot of alone time to reflect and process the experience.   We then discuss Seebohm's 4th Olympic experience, where, at age 29, she was actually putting more of an emphasis on the 200 back. We saw this pay off with her earning a bronze medal in the event, behind her teammate Kaylee McKeown who won gold. Seebohm would go on to present McKeown with her gold medal, getting asked by McKeown to stand at the top of the podium with her as a result.   SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the double Olympic champion in both distance events, Bobby Finke. Finke takes us through both his Olympic Trials experience and Olympic experience, noting his experience from previous national teams had helped him feel ready to seize this moment. Finke gives a play-by-play of both 800 and 1500 from the Olympic Games, where he had monstrous last-50 splits to pass the field and take the gold in both races. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the Olympic champion in the 100 breast, Lydia Jacoby. Lydia took us through her experience at her first Olympic Games, from moving through the 100 breast rounds and ultimately taking the win to losing her goggles in the mixed 4x100 medley relay. With the mixed relay, Jacoby sees it as a learning experience (because let's be honest, who hasn't lost their goggles off the blocks at some point?), one that resulted in Adam Peaty calling her a badass after the race. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Bruno Fratus has dropped a 21 second 50m free performance over 90-times in his career. He alone owns that astounding metric---which is probably why he is loved the world over. He's been in the hunt in the men's 50m free since 2011--always among the top elite swimmers fighting for a podium position.In this swimswam #podcast Bruno unpacks his sprint free history, the highs and the lows, and he restates his intentions to race until he is 35 years old at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In this episode of the SwimSwam Breakdown, I sat down with SwimSwam Co-Founders Braden Keith and Mel Stewart to analyze what happened in this post-Olympic week of swimming, which was surprisingly a lot SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with 3x Olympian and now 2020 Olympic Analyst with NBC (I think this makes her a 4x Olympian), Elizabeth Beisel. Beisel gave us the FULL rundown of what life is like for the broadcasting team at Olympic Trials and the Olympic Games, sparing no detail and unafraid to get real about the physical and emotional toll these long days and weeks can take on you. To exemplify this, she recalls Rowdy Gaines DMing Airweave on Twitter and convincing them to bring 4 mattresses to the NBC trailer in Tokyo so the broadcast team could nap on them between sessions.   Beisel also spoke candidly on the hardship of losing her father a week after the Olympic Trials, having to process that as well as prepare for 17 days in Tokyo. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic gold medalist Bowe Becker, the sprinter who put Minnesota on the map and surprised many by making the 2020 Olympic team. Becker takes us through his entire process of Olympic Trials and the Games, from his mindset to his swims themselves and everything in between. We then take it back to the beginning of the COVID pandemic, when Becker moved from Auburn (where he was training at the time) back home to his parents' house in Reno and didn't swim for 6 months. However, he was back in the pool once he got the call from Jason Lezak that he had a roster spot in the ISL for season 2. Becker goes through his entire comeback tour and how difficult it was to get back into shape for not only ISL but Trials as well. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com  

We sat down with Erica Sullivan, the 1500 Olympic silver medalist and recently appointed "New Lesbian Supreme". Erica walks us through her summer, starting at the Olympic Trials where she was experiencing stress to the point of having trouble eating or sleeping. Even after making the Olympic team in the 1500, Sullivan admits it felt empty and unlike what she had expected this lifelong dream to be like.   After battling illness post-trials and getting back into the swing of things at training camp, Sullivan then takes us through her Olympic experience, which she describes as much more fulfilling. She was able to relax more, sleep better, and perform the way she wanted (minus getting a toe cramp behind the blocks during the 1500 final). Finally, she delves into the recognition she got once she had her press conference and showed the world the authentic personality that she had stayed true to for so many years. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with newly minted 2020 Olympic champion in the 200 breast, Zac Stubblety-Cook. After talking about his obsessive coffee habits for the first 7 minutes of the pod (this guy does not mess around with his caffeine), we get into his swimming. He takes us through his Olympic performance, and specifically through his gold medal race in the 200 breast, but then we take it back. Zac goes all the way to 2017-2018 to his first senior international team and the pressure that brought. He explains how he crumpled in that first scenario and how he addressed this anxiety and pressure moving forward. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the 2016 Olympic champion and 2020 silver medalist in the 100 free, Kyle Chalmers to get his perspective on the 2020 Olympic Games. Chalmers starts with the lead-up to his trials which was riddled with injury, namely in both of his shoulders. Chalmers admits he couldn't even train at a full schedule until after the Australian trials.   However, once he was in Tokyo, he felt confident, especially after throwing down a 46.4 anchor split on the 4x100 free relay. Chalmers takes us through the prelims and semis of the 100 free and then gives us his expert analysis on the battle he had with Caeleb Dressel in the final. It was great to get Chalmers' perspective on this because although he obviously wanted gold, he recognizes how much he went through to get to this point and what an achievement like this means to not only him but the people around him who helped make it happen. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the Olympic champion and sprinting savant, Cesar Cielo. Cesar starts by taking us through his Tokyo experience, behind the microphone in Brazil where he was commentating for a Brazilian TV station. He describes the long hours and lack of sleep that come with broadcasting, shedding some light on what our American commentators go through as well, including Rowdy Gaines, Elizabeth Beisel, and Michael Phelps.   Then we got to the good stuff. Cielo dives into what certain Olympic schedules look like for athletes, especially the behind-the-scenes recovery that you have to get to when you have a heavy schedule like Caeleb Dressel or Emma McKeon. Cielo shares what he saw from the sprint sensations and why he thinks there was something left on the table for next year. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic medalists Maggie MacNeil and Kylie Masse to get their perspectives on the 2020 Games. Both Masse and MacNeil speak about trying to find a place of fun before their finals races, not focusing on the pressure as much as swimming their own race. It seemed to work out for them, as MacNeil won gold in the 100 fly and Masse won double silver in the 100-200 backstroke. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Tom Dolan is a 400 IM beast, winning this race in 1996 and 2000. In 2000 Tom broke the World Record dropping a 4:11.76. Think about that! That was 21 years ago in a tiny, non-compression suit. Tom has high 400 IM swimming IQ, and he shares it here, breaking down the Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland gold and sliver medal Olympic performances.  Daiya Seto just missed the final, and Caron Foster dropped a 4:08.4 at the Speedo Sectional Meet in Austin, Texas, 24 hours ahead of the Olympic final, a time that would’ve won the gold. There are a lot of layers to this analysis, and we air them out entirely.   For those who don’t know what’s going on with Tom Dolan post Olympics: He’s been a force in the learn-to-swim industry with his Tom Dolan Swim Schools. Recently he’s merged with Big Blue Swim School becoming their President of East Coast Operations. This is not a small swim business. Big Blue Swim School is a powerhouse with 130 franchises. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

2008 Olympian and Olympic medalist Caroline Burckle sat down to discuss one of the biggest topics of the 2020 Olympic Games: mental health for athletes. This was brought to the forefront of the Games when Olympic gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the team competition. Burckle emphasizes that when she was competing, it would have been helpful to merely have someone to talk to consistently about struggles she was going through in or out of the pool, and cherishes the times she did get to have those conversations.   Burckle is no stranger to lending that listening ear, having started RISE Athletes with Co-Olympian Rebecca Soni, a business that provides young athletes with mentors who have been at the top of their sport and know the ups and downs that come with it. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

For the last day of 2020 Olympic swimming, we broke down the Top 10 swims in Tokyo, halved into the Top 5 women's races and the Top 5 men's. For more, check out our full breakdown at SwimSwam. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora  

We sat down with 12-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin who, for the first time in 21 years, is simply spectating an Olympics rather than competing or commentating. Coughlin gives her take on the young stars of the Olympics as well as the veterans, explaining why the pressures on each group of athletes is very different. Coughlin explains that at her first Olympics in 2004, even though she was no rookie to the international competition scene, there was a freedom that she didn't have at her 2nd Olympics, coming in as a defending champion in the 100 back. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com  

Backstroke legend Lenny Krayzelburg sat down with SwimSwam to give his perspective on the 2020 Olympic Games. Lenny was been in a similar boat as Ryan Murphy was heading into these Olympics - defending champion in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. He comments on what it's like to be in that position, how he handled himself heading into the 2004 Games, and what he saw from Murphy in these Games. I'll be honest though.   The hands-down best part of this conversation is when I ask Lenny "So how do you balance having a great swim for you but not winning the race?" and he didn't really have an answer because Lenny mostly just won races. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the breaststroking man who's always in front of the camera, Cody Miller. Cody goes DEEP on the women's 200 breast, revealing what he saw as the difference maker between Olympic champion Tatjana Schoenmaker's prelims/semi swims and her finals swim where she broke the world record. Cody also gives insight into Lilly King's mentality after losing her Olympic title in the 100 breast and heading into the 200 breast, where she went a huge personal best by nearly 1.5 seconds. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

#5 – W 50 Free: Emma McKeon has been on a roll at these Olympic Games, and she continued that in the 50 free semi-finals, setting a new Olympic record at 24.00 #4 – W 200 Back: Kaylee McKeown successfully completes the backstroke sweep, getting her hand on the wall first at 2:04.68 to win gold in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes #3 – W 800 Free: Katie Ledecky won her 3rd-straight Olympic title in the 800 free, touching at 8:12.57 tonight to notch her 7th career Olympic gold and 10th overall medal #2 – Mixed Medley Relay: In it's first Olympic iteration, the mixed medley relay did not disappoint (unless you're USA, but we'll get to that), showing multiple lead changes while Great Britain swam an incredible 4 legs, breaking the world record in 3:37.58 #1 – M 100 Fly: This ended up being a lot tighter of a race than most would have expected, with Dressel going out fast and Milak coming home like a freight train, nearly catching the world record-holder and touching 2nd at 49.62. Dressel was able to hold off Milak and dip under his own world record, touching for gold at 49.45 BELLY FLOP OF THE DAY: Team USA Coaching on Mixed Medley Relay We've all been trying to do the math on the mixed medley relay, especially since the USA had so many different options... but we don't see how the lineup we put forward could have added up to gold paper. The differential between the breaststroke/freestyle legs just wasn't there, and having a female butterflier swimming from behind with all those waves doesn't set them up for success. A tough race to watch for Team USA HOT TOPIC OF THE DAY: 400 Medley Relay - Can USA Hold on? We know that Team USA is on form and looks primed for both medley relays. But so do the other countries that will challenge for gold. In the women's relay, if Lydia Jacoby can put the US in a lead over Australia and try to maintain through fly so Abbey Weitzeil has a chance to hold off Cate Campbell, I think our chances are good. In the men's race, Ryan Murphy obviously has to get a strong lead so Michael Andrew can try and hold off Adam Peaty. I think Dressel can get slightly ahead of an on-fire James Guy, which leaves Zach Apple to hold off Duncan Scott. I think Zapple is up to the task, but we've seen Duncan Scott go crazy on the relay anchor before, and he will be hungry for gold.

Newly minted 2x Olympic champion in the 200 free and 4x200 free relay Tom Dean of Great Britain joined us today on the SwimSwam Podcast. Dean breaks down both of his golden races, describing how he adjusted to the Olympic environment and embraced the pressure of an Olympic final. You may want to stay tuned until the very end... Dean gives away his secret on how to store your gold medals safely when traveling. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Two-time Olympian and three-time Olympic medalist Katie Hoff has high swimming IQ. She's been to the big show and experienced the pressure. In SwimSwam's ongoing coverage of the 2020 Olympic Games, Hoff helps us unpack the women's 400 IM, 400 free, 200 IM, 200 free and 4x200 freestyle relay.  Also, she provides her insight into managing mental health during the Olympic pressure-cooker.  Stay engaged and follow Katie Hoff on Instagram here - kthoff7 SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with sprinting legend James Magnussen to unpack the 100 free final and ended up unpacking the entire Olympic Games. We talk about most of the big races that have happened so far and specifically Australia's golden moments. We are used to seeing the Aussie trials come in March and then them not race again until the Games, but James is relieved that the system has finally changed and it seems to be paying off, with stars like Kaylee McKeown and Ariarne Titmus maintaining their dominance from Trials to the Games. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

#5 – M 800 Free: In a race of the ages, Greg Paltrinieri was out like a shot in lane 8, holding a solid lead through the first 600. However, the field began to catch him in the last 200, but it was Bobby Finke, who flipped 4th at the 750, who came home in 26.3 to pass 3 other competitors to win in an American record in 7:41.87 #4 – M 200 Breast: Zac Stubblety-Cook swam a similar race to Finke, biding his time throughout the first 150 and splitting 32.2 coming home to touch first at 2:06.38, the #3 performance ever and an Olympic record #3 – W 200 Fly: Zhang Yufei was out like a shot, touching at 26.9 and 58.2. She didn't slow down either, taking gold in 2:03.86, the fastest time we've seen in the event since 2009, when the super-suited world record was set #2 – M 100 Free: The men's 100 free delivered just as expected, with Caeleb Dressel going out fast and Kyle Chalmers coming home strong. In the end, Dressel held on for gold, his first individual Olympic title, in an Olympic record time of 47.02 #1 – W 4x200 Free Relay: This race was nuts. Australia put their big guns first and surprisingly China was able to hang with them, battling for first the first 600 meters while the US did a good job at lurking in 3rd. Then Katie Ledecky dove in, splitting a massive 1:53 to pass Australia and nearly China as well, but Li Jingjie held on for China and delivered them gold, with all 3 teams going under the previous world record and China ultimately owning it in 7:40.33 BELLY FLOP OF THE DAY: Australia 4x200 Free Relay We feel guilty saying it because they were under the old world record, but there were so many situations where Australia wins this relay. The heavy favorite on paper, we thought this was a shoo-in for the Aussies, and leaving a 1:55.11 lead-off from prelims off of the finals relay coupled with Titmus adding a second from her individual left them vulnerable, and USA and China took full advantage HOT TOPIC OF THE DAY: Men's 200 IM Final - What the heck is going to Happen? With big-time players Daiya Seto, Michael Andrew, Wang Shun and Duncan Scott looming, it is anyone's race in the 200 IM final. We know Michael will be out fast at the 150, so ultimately it comes down to who can come home the strongest on the freestyle leg. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Olympic champion Melanie Margalis, the IM savant who is enjoying being a swim fan for once. Margalis swim nerds it up, delving into why it is so difficult to have both your 200 IM and 400 IM fire on the same level at the same meet, how to improve a single stroke in your IM, and what she saw from double gold-medalist Yui Ohashi.   Margalis also recalls multiple stories from Olympic ready rooms, world championships, and NCAA meets, including when she thought she'd be anchoring the Olympic 4x200 free relay. Coming in at just under an hour, we cover a lot of ground! SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Aaron Peirsol has seven Olympic medals and still holds the 200 backstroke world record, 1;51.9. He has wisdom and insight to share. He unpacks that in this SwimSwam podcast, a part of our ongoing Olympic coverage bringing you stars to provide a deeper point of view on each and every event.  Peirsol details the United States' long successful history in backstroke, going back to the 1976 Olympic Games and John Naber. Peirsol also allows us into their tight, inner-circle. They talk, they lean on each other, and they provide support to the next rising star...whoever that may be.  I hope you enjoy it. Peirsol is great company and conversation on any topic. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

SWIMSWAM’S TOP 5 SWIMS OF THE 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES: DAY 4 #5 – M 200 Fly: World record holder Kristof Milak backed up his world title, doing his thing and dominating the field in the 2nd 100, touching for his first Olympic gold in 1:51.25 #4 – W 200 IM: Yui Ohashi completed the IM sweep in her home country, taking the 200 in 2:08.52 to become the 7th woman in a row to win both medley events at the Olympic Games #3 – W 1500 Free: After placing 5th in the 200 free, Katie Ledecky bounced back in a big way, getting back in the pool just over an hour later to dominate the first Olympic iteration of the woman's 1500 and win gold, her first of these Games #2 – W 200 Free: That race where Ledecky got 5th, Ariarne Titmus earned her 2nd gold in Tokyo, swimming a similar race to the 400 and coming back on the rest of the field in the last 50 to touch the wall 1st #1 – M 4x200 Free Relay: It was a perfectly executed race for Great Britain, who had 3 of the 6 fastest splits of the field to win their first gold in this event since 1904 and come .03 within the super-suited world record held by the USA BELLY FLOP OF THE DAY: USA Leaves Dressel Off Relay Where was Caeleb Dressel? He should have been on the 4x200 free relay, even Michael Phelps agrees with us. Although USA put up some very solid splits, we're confident they would have got on the podium with Dressel leading off. Would they have gotten past Britain? No way. But they get a medal with Caeleb on it. HOT TOPIC OF THE DAY: Men's 100 Free Final - What the heck is going to Happen? The men's 100 free depth is overwhelming, with 47.9 missing the final altogether. Caeleb Dressel is just 2nd seed with a 47.2, behind Kliment Kolesnikov's 47.11 European record. Mel says there's too much speed in this field and Kyle Chalmers won't even medal... I think he's a fool and that the defending Olympic champ will absolutely put himself into the top 3. All will be revealed in this next finals session in what could very well be the race of the century. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with 3x Olympic champion Rebecca Soni, the breaststroke legend who won back-to-back Olympic titles in the 200 breast. After seeing 17-year-old Lydia Jacoby take the title in the women's 100 breast, Soni compared Jacoby's reaction to what Soni felt when winning her first 200 breast title in 2008. Soni emphasizes that exceeding your expectations as an athlete at the top level is a very rare thing and something to be appreciated and enjoyed. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic and world champion Ricky Berens to get his perspective on the 2020 Olympic 200 free final and what he see's for the 4x200 free with USA. Berens breaks down the subtleties of what it takes to swim a great 200 free and where the world is at in that progression. While chances are grim, he explains why USA still has a chance to win gold tonight against Britain, Russia, and the rest of the field. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

SWIMSWAM’S TOP 5 SWIMS OF THE 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES: DAY 3  #5 – M 200 Free: Rising star and 16-year-old David Popovici drops a huge 1:44.68 in his first Olympic final, just missing a medal at 4th place and breaking the European Jr record #4 – M 200 Free: The British are coming, with Tom Dean and Duncan Scott taking 1-2 in the 200 free, both dropping 1:44.2's to top the rest of the field by nearly half a second #3 – W 100 Breast: 17-year-old Lydia Jacoby keeps her momentum rolling from Olympic Trials, getting her hand on the wall first to hit Gold, while defending champ Lilly King earns Bronze behind her #2 – M 100 Back: Evgeny Rylov breaks a European record en route to gold (51.98) and a 1-2 Russian finish as his countryman Kliment Kilosnikov finishes right behind him at 52.0 for silver #1 – W 100 back: This highly anticipated showdown did not disappoint, and once again Australia took control as Kaylee McKeown moved ahead of the field with 15m to go and touched first at 57.47, the #2 performance ever and just .02 behind her own world record BELLY FLOP OF THE DAY: Men's 200 Fly It was disappointing to see 14 men go 1:55 or slower in the semis, with #2 being 1:54.9. With Kristof Milak going the easiest looking 1:52 that has ever been swum, we would have thought the rest of the world might have been able to catch up a bit. But the real belly flop was Chad le Clos' 31.8 final 50, which was not only entertaining (and painful) to watch, but surprisingly effective, with the fly-and-die swim netting him the 3rd seed. le Clos could easily turn that belly flop into a medal today. HOT TOPIC OF THE DAY: Will USA Vets Show Up? We've seen USA youngsters firing in Tokyo just as we did in Omaha, and I'm not saying that the Vets aren't swimming well. They just aren't getting their hands on the wall like we're used to seeing them do and it worries me as an American. But as Mel notes, it's early in the meet, and USA is used to being in situations like this and staying resilient through the latter half of big meets like this. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Gold Medal Mel Stewart sat down with sports icon Jason Lezak, the man who anchored the most exciting race in Olympic swimming history, the 2008 men's 4x100 free relay. Lezak unpacks Team USA's gold medal performance last night, detailing Dressel's leadoff, the exchanges and Zach Apple's monster anchor swim. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion and USA sprinting legend, Nathan Adrian to get his wisdom through 2 days of the Olympic Games. The most interesting thing he said: we should start a petition that top seed gets to choose what lane they swim in at night. Why? Adrian prefers the outside lane for his events, especially a 100 free because that way competitors can't ride your wave as much. Adrian noted that on the lead-off of the 400 free relay, everyone knows US star Caeleb Dressel will be out fast and they gravitate to him like a magnet, trying to benefit from the wake he creates. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

SwimSwam's Top 5 Swims of the 2020 Olympic Games: Day 2.  #5 - W 100 Back: Regan Smith breaks the 100 back Olympic record (4th time it went down in less than 24 hours) with 58.76 to take the top seed heading into the final tomorrow night #4 - M 4x100 Free Relay: USA Men defend their gold in the 400 free relay, putting on a dominant performance of 3:08.97 and winning by over 1 second #3 - W 100 Fly: Maggie MacNeil, after winning 100 fly gold at world champs in 2019, backs it up with an Olympic title, swimming the #2 time ever in 55.59 #2 - M 100 Breast: Adam Peaty defends his Olympic title in the 100 breast, swimming the #5 time all-time at 57.37 and dominating the field as per usual for him #1 - W 400 Free: Ariarne Titmus vs. Katie Ledecky round 1 did not disappoint as we saw the two titans battle it out for 400 free gold, where Titmus ultimately got her hand on the wall first, touching at 3:56.69, the #2 time ever, while Ledecky finished at 3:57.36, the #3 time ever Belly Flop of the Day: Russia Men's 4x100 Free Relay Coming into the meet, our editor-in-chief Braden Keith had picked them to take gold, and just about everyone else knew they were looming as a title contender. After a shaky prelims, we saw Russia put together an even shakier finals performance, back-ended by a 48.1 from relay-stalwart Vlad Morozov and a 48.4 anchor from Kliment Kolesnikov, coming off of a 52.2 swim in the 100 back semi less than an hour before. This led the team to finish 7th overall, nearly 2 seconds outside of the medals. Hot Topic of the Day: Titmus vs. Ledecky Titmus took round 1 of this Clash of the Titans, but what does this say about both swimmers moving into the rest of the meet? We know Ledecky is firing, and it seemed like she played into Titmus' hand in the 400 free strategically. In the 200, Ledecky could make it interesting but it seems like Titmus has too much speed to catch. Meaning it all comes down to the 800 free. We say Ledecky swims her own race at the end of the meet, learning from her 400 and staying away from Titmus early on so she has no wave to ride, successfully defending her last 2 Olympic titles i in the event. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Carson Foster, the 19-year-old who just put up the #1 time in the world in the 400 IM from Austin, Texas. Foster breaks down what went right in his swim, what didn't go so right in his finals swim at the 2021 Olympic Trials, and what he thought when watching the 400 IM Olympic final. Foster gives a lot of insight into what the men in that 400 IM final went through to get to the top 8 and why the times may not have accurately portrayed the effort being put out.   Foster also provides insight into the work he's been doing since coming back to Austin from the Olympic Trials, including 10x100 (suited) on 1:10 best average, where he held 57s, the time he would want to come home in at the end of a 400 IM. Foster says getting the feeling of that '400 IM pain' on numbers 5,6,7,8 gave him confidence heading into the sectional meet this weekend. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

This is 12 minutes. The full hour drops next week.    Tom Dolan is a 400 IM beast, winning this race in 1996 and 2000. In 2000 Tom broke the World Record dropping a 4:11.76. Think about that! That was 21 years ago in a tiny, non-compression suit. Tom has high 400 IM swimming IQ, and he shares it here, breaking down the Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland gold and sliver medal Olympic performances.  Daiya Seto is figures prominently, as does Caron Foster who dropped a 4:08.4 on Friday night at the Speedo Sectional Meet in Austin, Texas, 24 hours ahead of the Olympic final, a time that would've won the gold. There are a lot of layers to this analysis, and we air them out entirely next week. This 12 minutes is a big teaser.   For those who don't know what's going on with Tom Dolan post Olympics. He's been a force in the learn-to-swim industry with his Tom Dolan Swim Schools. Recently he's merged with Big Blue Swim School becoming their President of East Coast Operations. This is not a small swim business. Big Blue Swim School is a powerhouse with 130 franchises. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

SwimSwam's Top 5 Swims of the 2020 Olympic Games: Day 1.  #5: Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland going 1-2 for the USA, Kalisz winning his first-ever gold and bringing home the US's first gold of the Games #4: We take Adam Peaty going fast for granted sometimes, but let's take a moment to appreciate that through prelims and semis, he's dropped 2 Top-10 times of all-time with 57.5/57.6 #3: Yui Ohashi takes gold for the home country of Japan, winning the 400 IM at her home Olympic Games in 4:32.0 #2: Tunisia's surprise Olympic champion in 18-year-old Ahmed Hafnaoui, who won the 400 free with a gutsy swim out of lane 8 #1: We've got to give it up for the Australian women's 4x100 free relay, which not only won gold by over 3 seconds but smashed their own world record in the process Belly Flop of the Day: Daiya Seto With the top 6 finishers all dipping under the 4:10 mark in today’s men’s 400m IM heats, reigning world champion Daiya Seto found himself out of the final in 9th place. Putting up a strong race through the beginning of the freestyle leg, the man let himself get passed by several swimmers to shockingly wind up sitting on the sidelines for the final. “I thought I’d finish in 8th place but I misread the time needed to advance,” he said. “At the end, I misread the freestyle pace. It’s a shame because I’m in good shape. Hot Topic of the Day: Men's 400 IM Times The first swimming medal of these 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was earned by American Chase Kalisz in the men’s 400m IM. The silver medalist from Rio clocked a time of 4:09.42 to lead teammate Jay Litherland and Aussie Brendon Smith who finished in the silver and bronze medal positions, respectively. Yes, Kalisz won by nearly a second. However, the entire field was on the sluggish side, at least compared to historic data. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Who will win among the international swim stars at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo? I took this question to SwimSwam International Reporter Retta Race, and she delivers. I'm onboard with 99% of her Olympic Previews except for one. Spoiler Alert! It involves Team USA rocket Caeleb Dressel and the blue ribbon race.  Retta delivers here, and you can catch her as a pundit on the BBC if you live across the pond. She'll be providing coverage for them as well.  Thanks to Retta for coming on the SwimSwam Podcast! She'll be back to unpack her predictions next week... SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion Kaitlin Sandeno to get her expertise on what life is like leading up to and during the Olympic Games. Sandeno gives us the rundown on adjusting to life in the Olympic Village, managing nerves before your races, and keeping your pre-race emotions in check. She also gives us the lowdown on doing the 400 IM-400 Free back-to-back on the first 2 days of competition and what it's like to be one of the first racers of the Games. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with SwimSwam Co-founders Braden Keith and Mel Stewart to bring you a comprehensive preview of the biggest races to watch in the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games. In days 6-8 of competition is the climax of the Games, with races such as: Women's 50/100 Free: We see a lot of usual suspects in the women's sprints, be it Cate Campbell, Sarah Sjostrom, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Penny Oleksiak, and Abbey Weitzeil. We won't see defending gold medalist Simone in the 100 free, but she will be swimming the 50 Men's 200 IM: Can Daddy Daiya or Chase Kalisz come down from the 400 IM to challenge Michael Andrew's speed in the 200? Mixed 4x100 Medley Relay: Making it's Olympic debut, we will see how different countries strategize to try to get their hand on the wall with 2 women and 2 men each SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Today we have special guests on the SwimSwam Podcast. We are talking with the company, Malmsten, which is a family that has been a pillar of strength in swimming going back to 1974. Malmsten retains an interesting and unique place in swimming history. They are the story behind a famous pair of goggles, and Malmsten has been the standard bearer as the official RACING LANE LINES going back the 1976 Olympic Games. Malmsten has been the Official FINA Supplier of competition equipment for both the competition pools and warm-up pools for all World Championships as well as the Olympic Games. On this podcast we host the founders Tommy and Margareta Malmsten, and their son, Chief Operating Officer Christian Malmsten.  We also talk with two Olympic swimmers on the team, the Head of Exports Eva Marie, and the CEO and President of Malmsten INC., Mike Orn, who is leading the company’s service in North America. Go here to see Malmsten’s HQ. Malmsten is a SwimSwam partner. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with newly signed Speedo athlete and 2021 Olympian Zach Apple. Apple talks us through both the process of signing a deal with Speedo and making the 2021 US Olympic Team in Omaha. He proceeds to give us the full scoop on Olympic training camp, including some suited swims he threw down just last week in practice. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

P2Life has been a SwimSwam partner since 2013. P2Life Founder Tim Shead has lead a fascinating life.  He was intimately involved in formation of USA Swimming, coached at the international level for the United States, owns 48 Masters World Records, and is a 2014 Masters Swimming Hall of Fame inductee. SwimSwam has had a partnership with P2Life for many, many years for a few keys reasons. We respect Tim's swimming roots and passion for the sport, and that he's formulated P2Life for swimmers. Most importantly we are keenly aware that in the age of athletes testing positive for banned substances, P2Life has an independent 3rd party company - BCSG - test every batch of products they make. In the SwimSwam Podcast we learn more about Tim's history and how he developed and formulated P2Life.  We talk nutrition, recovery and their vital impact on athletic performance.  We'll definitely have Tim back on the podcast.  In the meantime, for curious minds, go to their website for more details here P2Life.com. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with SwimSwam Co-founders Braden Keith and Mel Stewart to bring you a comprehensive preview of the biggest races to watch in the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games. In days 4 and 5 of competition, the Games really pick up, with races such as: Women's 200 Free: Ariarne Titmus vs. Katie Ledecky Round 2 plus Olympic champs Allison Schmitt and Federica Pellegrini Men's 4x200 Free Relay: Brits look very strong, but judging from 2019 Russia, Australia, Italy and the USA are all in it Men's 100 Free: Caeleb Dressel vs. Kyle Chalmers with a quick rising 16yo David Popovici plus Kliment Kolesnikov, Zach Apple and more in the mix Women's 4x200 Free Relay: Can the USA get back their title from Australia after a narrow loss in 2019? SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

The title above is for swim fans here on SwimSwam.com. If you want to play the prediction game, see my predictions below.   The title probably should be How Does Olympic Swimmer Michael Andrew Handle Media Pressure? In the aftermath of USA Swimming’s press conference last week with 2021 Team USA Olympian Michael Andrew, I asked him to come on the SwimSwam podcast. If you missed it, see his press conference here. He went viral because of his response about why he wasn’t vaccinated. (For the record, I am vaccinated, and I recommend it. I trust the science. I also strive to respect others' opinion on this topic despite my personal feelings.) At any rate, I didn’t ask Michael to come on the pod to debate or defend himself. I did want to know how he has handled the media pressure. For anyone in swimming, you know Michael’s been a lightening rod since he was ten years old, back when he started his ambush on nearly every National Age Group Record in the sport. Michael unpacks his long journey and how he’s handled criticism over the years, from his choice to train exclusively USRPT to turning pro at the tender age of 14. Michael also opens about his decision to not participate in Season III of the International Swimming League (ISL), which partly includes more insight about the Michael Andrew Swim Academy. Finally he deconstructs his Olympic Trials performance and looks ahead to the Olympics and Team USA’s challenges in the men’s relays. For curious mind, see the Michael Andrew Swim Academy here. MICHAEL ANDREW - OLYMPIC GAMES PREDICTIONS: 200 IM? Michael wins gold in the 200 IM with another 1:55 low. However,  Michael swims faster in the semi, just dipping under 1:55 for a new PB. 100 breast? I’d like to see a 57 plus. I think he makes the podium, winning a bronze. 50 free? 21.3 and he’s bronze or just off the podium. (I see a fast 50m free final. Dressel dips under 21 seconds, 20.86, and he pulls two more swimmers along each posting 21.1 and 21.2.) Mixed Medley Relay? Michael Andrew nets gold swimming in the prelim. Team USA switches the lineup in the final, going with King in the breast and Dressel in the Fly. Medley relay? I don’t know. I think the U.K. wins, which SwimSwam Editor-in-Chief Braden backed up, and which I’ve already stated in our Olympic Games podcast preview (which drops Friday). SwimSwam Head of Production Coleman Hodges disagrees. He thinks Team USA wins back the gold after the 2019 World Championship loss. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with SwimSwam Co-founders Braden Keith and Mel Stewart to bring you a comprehensive preview of the biggest races to watch in the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games. In the first 3 days of competition, we'll see barn-burners like the women's 400 free, men's 100 back, women's 100 back, and both 4x100 free relays, where the Australian women and USA men looked prime to defend their 2016 titles. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Greg Mescall, the head of digital content for USA Water Polo. For those in our audience who are less informed about the happenings and current status of USA Water Polo (cough, me) heading into the 2021 Olympics, Greg is here to help. He gives us a verbal players guide on medal favorites, how the tournament works, and USA men's and women's chances at topping the podium.   Toward the end of the podcast, we talk about Greg's personal sporting experience, not only traveling with the water polo team but also calling for NBC, ESPN, and more in a variety of sports, both summer and winter. Greg has some great insights into what can be gained from saying yes to opportunities like this, big or small, especially if you're a sports fan or want to become more well versed in athletics. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Liam Custer, our #3 ranked recruit in the boys' high school class of 2022. Custer made big news last week when he announced his verbal commitment to Stanford in conjunction with our #2 recruit, Josh Zuchowski. Custer explains what went into that decision and why he and Josh wanted to commit at the same time. Custer also goes into detail about training during the COVID pandemic and the improvements he's made in the last year, which are substantial ones on paper. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Gabe Castaño, the Penn State grad who recently tied the Olympic 'A' cut in the 50 free with a 22.01 at the Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo, California. Castaño describes his Olympic qualification in detail, from going to the Mare Nostrum tour and racing for 10 days in Europe (and not achieving the A standard) to going to California as a last chance effort and racing the 50 5 times over the course of the weekend, only to tie the A cut in his time trial (50 #5) on the last day of the Olympic qualification period.   Castaño also takes us through his humble beginnings in swimming, as he was a late bloomer who didn't start swimming seriously until high school but went on to become an NCAA All-American for Penn State. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Josh Zuchowski, the #2 ranked recruit in the class of 2022. Zuchowski just verbally committed to Stanford along with #3 in their class, Liam Custer. Josh explains what went into this decision and his reaction to the SwimSwam commentor's reactions. We also get deep in the weeds on Zuchowski's swimming background, including what it has meant to have his father as his coach since he was 11. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Ron Aitken, the head coach of the Sandpipers of Nevada, the club team that has 4 current or former swimmers on the 2021 Olympic team. Aitken goes into full detail on what his 3 distance girls have been doing at the Olympic Training Camp (which he got to attend and coach at) in Hawaii. This includes a 1500 for time on a Saturday afternoon (2nd practice of the day) after hitting 70k during the week. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

The 2021 Olympic team visited with the media on Thursday from their training camp in Hawaii to chat about the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo. Regan Smith, Katie Ledecky, and Lilly King discuss topics such as being a teenager on the Olympic team, growing together as Team USA, and not having McDonald's in the Olympic village. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

The 2021 Olympic team visited with the media on Thursday from their training camp in Hawaii to chat about the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo. Team captains Simone Manuel, Allison Schmitt, Caeleb Dressel, and Ryan Murphy addressed topics such as leading Team USA, this team being such a young team (11 teenagers) and no fans in the stands in Tokyo. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

The 2021 Olympic team visited with the media on Thursday from their training camp in Hawaii to chat about the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo. Olympic head coaches Dave Durden and Greg Meehan discuss how training camp has gone thus far, what they've seen from certain athletes that looks promising, and much more. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

The 2021 Olympic team visited with the media on Thursday from their training camp in Hawaii to chat about the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo. Michael Andrew and Chase Kalisz discuss topics such as navigating through the COVID-19 protocols, embracing the pain of the 400 IM, and the 4x100 mixed medley relay. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Olympic icons and RISE Athlete Co-Founders Caroline Burckle and Rebecca Soni to speak about mental wellness vs. mental fortitude, especially as it relates to the US Olympic Trials and Olympic Games. Burckle and Soni both speak candidly about their experiences at both competitions and how, although they did have outlets to express their emotions in one way or another during their swimming careers, they wish there had been more of a conversation about mental wellness 10 years ago. Through RISE, Burckle and Soni are providing current athletes with mentors that will have the conversations relating to mental health and emotional awareness that the 2 Olympians missed out on.   You can visit RISE Athletes here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with newly minted 2021 Olympian Lydia Jacoby to discuss the 2021 Olympic Trials in Omaha and how training camp is currently going in Hawaii. Jacoby takes us through her first Trials and how she navigated the extreme high of making an Olympic team and dealing with the pressure of trying to swim her own race. She reveals that her mindset heading into the meet was focused on performance, knowing that if she didn't make the team this go-around, she would still have a long career ahead of her. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic superstar Dara Torres drops in on this GMM takeover of the SwimSwam Podcast.   Dara is the first swimmer to compete in five Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000 and 2008), and the oldest swimmer to make an Olympic Team, which she did at the age of 41. On the Olympic stage Dara earned twelve medals — four gold, four bronze, four silver — tying her with teammates Jenny Thompson and Natalie Coughlin for the most Olympic medals won by a woman. In this podcast Dara unpacks the recent women's sprint events at the U.S. Olympic Trials, and her connection to the newly named U.S. Olympic Team Captain, Simone Manuel.  Dara also explains her new position as the Chief Wellness Officer for www.canibrands.com  (pronounced Can-Eye-Brands), a CBD company. Dive deeper Dara Torres at her website here. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

CONTENT WARNING: We do discuss sensitive topics, including suicide, in this video/podcast and there is brief profanity. If you're having suicidal thoughts, please call the national suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit their website at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org We sat down with 2x Olympian Tom Shields, fresh off of his 2nd Olympic qualification in the 100 fly in Omaha. Shields dives in with us, talking for nearly an hour about his whole quad and how he's navigated the last 5 years. He mentions that for a normal person, a year or two may not seem like that long, but for someone who lives in quads, it can be a lifetime. Shields has been through many ups and downs since 2016, including the 2020 ISL season (the best season of his career) as well as a suicide attempt in late 2018, all of which he talks about in detail. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In this Gold Medal Minute takeover of the SwimSwam Podcast with 3-time Olympic Champion Ryan Murphy, we cover a lot of topics. Unpacking 2017-2021 2017 World Champs - Murphy was off because he achieved everything he wanted at the 2016 Olympics. In '17, he lost a bit of focus. He was still fast, but at the top, he learned that year that he has to be fully engaged. 2018 Pan Pacs - when Murphy hit his 200 back PB (1:53.57), he rested a full six weeks.  Murphy has big man strength. He knows he needs 5-6 weeks of taper. 2019 World Champs - Murphy said he felt great, was ready to race, but he simply had a bad meet against great competitors. 2021 Olympic Trials - Murphy was rested 3 weeks. He felt confident and in control--exactly where he needed to be. Of course Murphy won the 100 back (52.33) and 200 back (1:54.4). Who Does Murphy Fear?  Murphy said he fears no one, but he does respect his competitors, and he unpacks them in this podcast. Raising Talent I thought Shaine Casas would make the Olympic Team, and he got close, netting 3rd in the 100m backstroke (52.76) at U.S. Olympic Trials.  Murphy said he followed Shaine's success, and that new talent like Shaine gave him a sense of urgency in training this past year. ISL Murphy talks about his post Olympic plans.  At this point in time, he has been retained by LA Current's General Manager Lenny Krayzelburg for Season 3. 2021 OLYMPIC GAMES PREDICTIONS 100 back? I see a repeat of the 2016 Olympics. Ryan Murphy dips under 52 seconds, edging China's Jiayu Xu for the gold.  Russian Evgeny Rylov takes the bronze. (And, yes, this is shot in the dark. I could see Jiayu, Rylov, Kolesnikov and/or Murphy make a mistake and missing the podium. It's going to be a tight race. Would be interesting if upstart Hunter Armstrong makes the podium.) 200 back? Evgeny Rylov wins. Rylov's 1:52.9 to 1:53 low. With 3 more weeks of rest Murphy tops his PB, 1:53.4 for silver. The UK's Luke Greenbank makes the podium with a 1:54 low. 4x100 Medley Relay?  I want to see Team USA earn gold. Getting past the U.K squad will be tough. For Team USA I think Michael Andrew has to put down a 57+  in the 100 breast, and Zach Apple has to split 46.8 on the anchor. (Apple was a 46.8 split at 2019 World Champs.) I'm leaving it there, because it's not about what I think. It's all about what you think. I really want to know your thoughts on the 4x100 medley Olympic final... SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with SwimSwam Editor-in-Cheif Braden Keith and SwimSwam senior writer Jared Anderson to take a deep dive into the 2021 ISL draft. We talk about what went well about the presentation, what didn't go so well, and what we'd like to see changed moving forward. We also break down what teams 'won' the draft and how much it might matter heading into season 3 of the International Swimming League. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with 2021 Olympic head coach for the US men's team, Dave Durden. Durden is also the head coach of men's swimming at University of California and he took us through what he thought of the bears' showing at Olympic Trials. Dave is methodical and has been through this process many times, so I really enjoyed getting his perspective on how he moves through a process like Olympic Trials, going home for 1 week, then leaving again for the Olympic Games. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with SwimSwam's Junior Swimmer of the Meet from the 2021 US Olympic Trials, Matt Fallon. Fallon had my personal favorite swim of the meet in the 200 breast semis, where he touched 8th at the 100 wall and then came home in 1:05.2, running down the entire field to touch first overall and break the 17-18 national age-group record at 2:08.91. Fallon breaks down his mindset during the meet and takes us through all of his races in Omaha. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the head coach of the University of Virginia, and now Olympic assistant coach, Todd DeSorbo. DeSorbo wanted to make clear out of the gate that his athletes put him on the team and not the other way around. But no matter how you look at it, UVA swimmers were on a roll at the 2021 Olympic Trials as 4 athletes that train in Charlottesville made the US Olympic team and many more registered lifetime bests. DeSorbo breaks down the Olympic-qualifying performances of Paige Madden, Alex Walsh, Kate Douglass, and Catie DeLoof as well as what he's looking forward to in Tokyo. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic medalist, DC Trident GM and on-deck host for the 2021 Olympic Trials, Kaitlin Sandeno. Anyone who has ever encountered Kaitlin knows that she is an energizing personality who is easy to be around and can get a party started. This is exactly what she was doing every night in Omaha for the first 3 weeks of June. Sandeno breaks down exactly what her day-to-day entailed during Wave I and II trials as well as what to expect from her DC Trident in season 3 of the ISL, including thoughts on her newest assistant coach, Olympic champion Cullen Jones. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Courtesy of Speedo, a SwimSwam partner. Today, Speedo USA unveiled its U.S. Federation Suit which will be worn by superstar swimmers Caeleb Dressel, Hali Flickinger, Jamal Hill, Becca Meyers, Ryan Murphy, Andrew Seliskar and Abbey Weitzeil during a huge summer of swimming. The U.S. Federation Suit colorway will adorn both of Speedo’s cutting-edge tech race suits, Fastskin LZR Pure Intent or Fastskin LZR Pure Valor, designed by combining 20 years of performance learnings with innovative technologies and fabrics, creating the perfect suit for every type of competitive aquatics athlete. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Brent Nowicki, the new FINA Executive Director is young, only 42 years old.  He grew up an age group swimmer, a breaststroker, in the United States and played DI lacrosse at Fairfield University before receiving his Juris Doctor degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. When SwimSwam captured this interview Brent had only been on the job eight days.  Despite his youthful age, Brent is stepping into the chief executive position with respectable experience across many international federations.  He's the former Managing Counsel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).  I asked around, and leaders I trust in swimming felt he could've gone down a few different career paths. They felt we're lucky to have him.  I hope they are correct. Off camera the message from Brent was clear. Under his leadership swimming, diving, water polo and artistic swimming will experience more transparency, engagement, and communication from FINA, our international governing body. From my experience with FINA that would be a 180 degree turn from the policy of the former executive director, Cornel Marculescu of Romania, who held the position for 35 years. We obviously captured the interview at U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha. While Brent's first aquatic trip as ED was to the United States, that was simply because of timing. U.S. Trials was the first big event to see elites and governance in action since he assumed the position. Brent will be on the road a lot this year, seeing aquatic sports federations around world. The interview came together last minute thanks Dale Neuburger, former FINA Vice President, now FINA Treasurer.  I've known Dale for many years. He is a tough leader. He lets you know where he stands, and he lets you always know where you stand with him.  To Dale's credit, he headed the search committee that landed Brent, and it's seem clear Dale's mission was to find a youthful, energetic executive. I didn't grill Brent. He's too new to the gig, but I had to at least ask Dale about the complicated relationship between FINA and the International Swimming League (ISL).  I thought Dale would respond "no comment" for a variety  of reasons, but he didn't flinch, and, in fact, had quite a bit to say. Watch to the end. Dale's forthcoming and clear on the topic. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with world champion, Olympic medalist, and now Australian commentator James Magnussen, who was calling the races poolside in Adelaide at the 2021 Australian Olympic Trials. James gives us insight into what he saw from the Aussie team at Trials we all we his biggest USA vs. AUS matchups heading into the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Magnussen's must-see in Tokyo is Ledecky vs. Titmus, where the two distance juggernauts will go head-to-head in 3 events: 200, 400, and 800 free. We also touch on sprinting aces Caeleb Dressel and Kyle Chalmers going at it in the 100 free as well as current world record-holder Kaylee McKeown racing former fastest-ever in the 100 back, Regan Smith. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

One of USA's newest Olympians from last week's trials was Hunter Armstrong, the 20-year-old Ohio native who swims for Ohio State. Armstrong is a self-titled "late bloomer" and until high school would often be last in practice, getting beat by male and female teammates alike. Armstrong talks about his journey through this stage and eventually reaching the next level, his motivation being getting to go to a training trip with his team in Florida (Video from 2019 Summer Jr Nationals). Since then, Armstrong's star has continued to rise, swimming well for West Virginia his freshman season, then transferring to Ohio State to be closer to home and having continued success during the NCAA season his sophomore year (2020-2021). During long course season of this year, he went to the pro swim in Indianapolis and dropped a 53.7 100m back, a PR by 1 second. Armstrong came into the 2021 US Olympic trials with a ton of momentum and it paid off, making the 2021 Olympic team by touching 2nd in the 100 back with a huge personal best of 52.4. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with newly named Olympic coach Peter Andrew, father of Michael Andrew who also just made his first Olympic team. Peter walks us through the process of tapering Michael for Trials and how they decided on his event lineup in Omaha. He also talks about what went well in training for them in the months leading up to Trials and what they expect heading into the Tokyo Olympic Games. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Day 6 was short and sweet, seeing a few new Olympians and quite a few doubles. Annie Lazor made her first Olympic team after taking a break from the sport in 2016-17 as did Natalie Hinds. Michael Andrew, Chase Kalisz, Ryan Murphy, and Lilly King all added their second events for their lineups. And newbies Bryce Mefford and Erika Brown added their names for the Tokyo roster. Oh, and Caeleb Dressel broke a US Open record, as he does. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

https://youtu.be/EDwkJz1KCNs Night 5 continued to bring surprises in Omaha, both elating and devastating. We saw 2 US Open records from Hali Flickinger (200 fly) and Caeleb Dressel (100 free) as well as Michael Andrew become the #3 American all-time in the 200 IM. We also saw Nic Fink qualify for his first Olympic team after narrowly missing out in the 100 breast as he took a dominating win in the 200 at 2:07.55. On the flipside, in the women's 100 free, we saw defending Olympic and world champion Simone Manuel place 9th, missing out on the final. She would later explain in an emotional press conference that she was diagnosed with Overtraining Syndrome in March and her training has been radically different since in order to accommodate this. We also saw Will Licon placed 3rd in the 200 breast by a razor-thin margin for the 2nd trials in a row, leaving him off the team. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with SwimSwam's Editor-in-Chief Braden Keith and  SwimSwam senior writer Jared Anderson to break down the biggest races of the 2021 US Olympic Trials. We dive deep into the men's 200 IM, men's 100 free, women's 100 fly and who we think may surprise us in Omaha. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic Icon Maya DiRado to discuss how much of a roller coaster the lead-up to both the Olympic Trials and Olympic Games can be. Maya had one of the most successful Olympic performances of the 2016 Rio Games, taking home individual gold (200 back), silver (400 IM), and bronze (200 IM) while also earning gold on the 4x200 free relay. She recalls some of her best and worse moments in the weeks leading up to both Trials and the Games, from swimming in a Trials final to Olympic training camp workouts. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic swimming champion Caeleb Dressel  is flesh and bone, and he battles nervousness like everyone else. Dressel shares insights into his experience on the run-up to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and other major qualifying meets. He clearly has made peace with the mental tension learning how to manage it. Recently Dressel notched fast swims at the Atlanta Classic signaling he is on course for a great U.S. Olympic Trials in June. Dressel Atlanta Classic Times: 50 free  - 21.82 100 free - 48.67 - a time trial day 2 - then he dropped a 48.00 on day 3 in the prelims 200 free - 1:47.42 100 fly - 51.15 - a double, his second swim of night 1 on the heels of the 1:47 200 free DRESSEL PREDICTIONS FOR U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS, VERSION THREE Yes, I am playing the Dressel prediction game again for a third time, because it's fun.  See version 3, dialed in slightly more after a lot of hand-wringing (and reviewing more comments from fans): 50 free - 21.19 100 free - 47.22 100 fly - 49.81 200 free - prelims only - 1:45.39 But who cares what I think? It is all about  what you think. Give me your best swimming analysis.

Abi Liu is the head coach and owner of PEAK Swimming in Northern California. You may have noticed Abi on deck thanks to her styling kicks. In this sit-down with SwimSwam, Abi talks about her shoe collection and how it’s become a coaching tool.    Abi also discussed all the obstacles of the past year and a half, including dealing with otherness. It’s an honest, informative discussion that we hope you enjoy!   SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

The 2021 Olympic Trials Wave I wrapped up in Omaha on Monday, with a whopping 15 athletes earning new qualifications for Wave II, by placing Top 2 in their event. From the 50 free to the 1500, there were exciting races on both the men's and women's side, with the last race of the meet, the men's 1500, coming down to the final meter. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with 11-time Olympic medalist and International Swimmers' Alliance Manager Matt Biondi. Today marks the launch of the International Swimmers’ Alliance (ISA), an independent organization established by athletes, for athletes that aims to fight for swimmers’ rights and provide them with an independent global voice. Formed in response to the calls from professional swimmers worldwide for independent representation, the International Swimmers’ Alliance has a goal to improve personal and economic opportunities for all elite swimmers by elevating the sport into the modern era. Over the last several months, 120 world-class swimmers from 31 different countries have formed the International Swimmers’ Alliance. The 10-member Board includes 6 currently active competitive swimmers elected by the swimming members. They are: Lia Neal (USA) Katinka Hosszu (HUN) Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) Brent Hayden (CAN) Chad Le Clos (RSA) Tom Shields (USA) All swimming members have either a top 20 individual LCM world ranking or are under contract with an ISL team. Visit the ISA's website here: https://www.internationalswimmersalliance.org/about SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We saw 10 new swimmers punch their tickets to Wave II Trials next week on night 3 of Wave I, while 2 swimmers earned themselves second events in Omaha next week. The energy was still electric in the stadium and the races themselves, especially the 400 free and 200 back, were all about strategy and who could edge out the gutsiest finish. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Night 2 of racing at the 2021 Wave I Olympic Trials saw many more Wave II cuts from high schoolers and college swimmers alike, with 9 total Wave II cuts in the finals session. We saw names from last night such as Autumn Haebig, Patrick Sammon and Katie Trace place 2nd in events while new names came to the forefront in the form of Kate McCarville, Malia Rausch, and Liam Bresette. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Day 1 of the 2021 Olympic Trials Wave I saw a lot of swimmers take advantage of their second swims. 10 swimmers achieved Wave II cuts tonight, up from just 2 in prelims. We go through and give you some of my highlight swims from the first finals session, many of which were from 18-unders. Stay tuned every morning for a recap of the night before and new swimmers to watch for at Wave II. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

SwimSwam sat down with International Swimming League (ISL) CEO Konstantin Koudriaev and ISL Technical Director Apostolos Tsagkarakis to unpack and demystify the upcoming ISL draft. This is a historic moment in our sport, the first professional draft in swimming history. Looking ahead keep these dates on your calendar; June 22nd, 29th, and 30th. June 22nd is Round I of the draft when ISL team coaches and general managers select the first 5 athletes from their 2020 teams. June 29th is Round II of the draft. ISL team reps will select 10 more “protected” athletes from the ISL Veterans during a live broadcast PLUS at the end of the broadcast, each team will also select one ISL Rookie. June 30th is Round III.  ISL will announce the results of the online fan vote from the day before (June-29)  with the addition of one swimmer per ISL team. General Managers will then select ten athletes from among ISL Veterans and Rookies from the ISL DRAFT POOL. Follow the action on Instagram @iswimleague and on the official ISL platform isl.global. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Tritonwear.com is largest data company in swimming, working swimmers, coaches, club team and national governing bodies around the world. Dr. Megan Holtzman is their Chief Scientist, the right person to help us breakdown why data matters in swimming, and how their 30+ data points per lap will make you swimming faster. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

The University of Iowa has announced the hiring of Nathan Mundt as the program’s new head women’s swimming & diving coach. He takes over the program after the departure of 17-year head coach Marc Long, who declined the opportunity to continue as just the women’s head coach next season when the men’s program was cut. The 2021-2022 season will be Mundt’s first as Hawkeye head coach and it will be the school’s first in more than a century without a men’s swimming & diving program. The school originally announced last August that they would be eliminating the men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams, along with men’s gymnastics and men’s tennis. After a Title IX lawsuit was filed by members of the women’s team, the school announced in February that it would reinstate the women’s team, though the men’s team is still eliminated. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Michael Andrew turned a lot of heads at the Indy Pro Swim, dropping: 58.6 - 100m breast 50.8 - 100m fly 1:56.8 - 200m IM I was surprised. Frankly, I didn't see Michael as the favorite in two events heading into U.S. Olympic Trials.  I think, like a lot of swimming fans, I was lulled into a bit of a sleep after after his 2020 ISL season.  I expected a little more from him last fall and winter. Now, in hindsight, that feels like a harsh judgment considering everyone reacted differently to the pandemic last year. I am glad I was wrong. I've been a Michael Andrew fan since his age group days--back when everyone lost their minds over his turning pro at the tender age of 14. 2021 Michael Andrew U.S. Olympic Trials Predictions As mentioned above, I wasn't bullish on Michael Andrew making the Olympic Team. I thought he’d be on the bubble. I'm confident now. I think he's making his first Olympic Team. I see him winning the 100m breast in 58.3, breaking the American record. Will he make it in the 200 IM, 100 fly, or 50 free? 1:55 point 9 - 200 IM - for 2nd or 3rd 50 point 5 - 100 fly for 2nd, 3rd or 4th 21 point 4 - 50 free for 2nd or 3rd But who cares what I think. What do you think? Give me your best expert swimming analysis. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down to talk with Matt Bowe, the once elite Loughborough swimmer who is now the associate head coach at Ohio State. We go through the transition from athlete to coach and moving to the USA smack dab in the middle of it. Bowe also gets into what makes the USA different from the rest of the world in terms of having a sporting culture that starts at a very young age. Bowe compares the USA to Britain and discusses differences in every stage of upbringing that ultimately lead to performance on a global stage. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

On April 6th, Andre Brasil and the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) announced that the Cologne Regional Court has ruled in favor of the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to reclassify Brasil as ineligible. This effectively ends Brasil’s 14-year-long Paralympic career. “We call this change in ranking one of the saddest episodes in the history of global paralympics,” the CPB wrote in their official statement. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic hopeful Carson Foster turned heads in Austin, Texas dropping a 4:11 best time in the 400 meters IM three weeks out from the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. Carson has made big gains since NCAA championships, and he shared that his training has gone better than expected. He was a kid back in 2016, but he did get vital U.S. Olympic Trials experience. That matters. Olympic Trials in Omaha is a pressure-cooker, especially for swimmers competing in the 400 IM, which is the first event on the first day of finals. SEE 14 YEAR OLD CARSON'S RACE VIDEO, MAKING HIS 2016 OLYMPIC TRIALS CUT. U.S. Olympic Trials - Carson Foster Predictions: Making the U.S. Olympic Team so young is a tall order. Carson is an outlier, a rare talent who can do it. 400 IM in the U.S. is a little soft, but someone's going to go 4:08 or 4:09 low in Omaha to make Team USA in this event. I think that person is Carson. I see a 4:08.9. I also think Carson can make the men's 4x200 freestyle relay. I see him him advancing to the 200 free final in Omaha. Youth and enthusiasm powers him past no less than two swimmers in that race final, putting him on the Team USA relay.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Dan Flack, the head coach of Baylor Swim Club and Baylor high school. We talk for over an hour, meaning we cover a lot of ground. Among our topics covered is Flack leading Baylor girls and boys to state titles (TN) during a pandemic and talking through what a virtual state championship looked like. Flack also discusses being on staff at multiple colleges while also coaching for the associated club team and the knowledge he was able to gain from being around so many high-level and wise coaches. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Garrett McCaffrey sat down with Herbie Behm, the assistant coach at Arizona State. Behm talks about how the year went for Arizona State after head coach Bob Bowman made the decision to red-shirt the entire team. Behm said for the most part it went quite smoothly, getting a long block to focus on both long course and putting good work in during training heading into Olympic Trials. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

The Virginia Gators of Roanoke, Virginia, have announced that they have hired Ned Skinner as the new head coach. Skinner succeeds team founder and longtime head coach Doug Fonder at the helm of the program. Skinner comes to the Gators after two years as the head coach of Hollins University, a women’s only Division 3 program, but is primarily known for leading the Virginia Tech Hokies for 20 years. Most notably, the Hokies men’s team won the ACC championship in 2014, ending a University of Virginia streak that began in 1999 and up to that point was only interrupted by a now-vacated Florida State title in 2007. The Gators have been one of the top club teams in the nation over the last few year, producing top-ranked swimmers like Noah Bowers, Olivia Bray, Khali Fonder, Caroline Kulp, Keith Myburgh, Emma Muzzy, and Greg Reed, just to name a few. Former head coach Doug Fonder started the Gators in 1988, and since then the team has had success at multiple levels of the sport, sending swimmers to Olympic Trials and producing swimmers who’ve made an impact at the college level. Fonder currently serves as the President and CEO of the International Swim Coaches Association. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

After taking over the Auburn program in April, Ryan Wochomurka has quickly begun rebuilding his coaching staff. After hiring Abbie Houck as an assistant coach last week, the Auburn program has now brought in Vlad Polyakov to serve as the team’s associate head coach. Polyakov will join the Auburn program after having spent the last eight years at Louisville, where he has served as an assistant coach and the men’s recruiting coordinator since 2012. In joining the staff at Auburn, Polyakov will be coaching alongside Wochomurka for the second time in his career, as Wochomurka served as the Louisville associate head coach when he was first hired in 2012. Houck also spent time with the pair at Louisville, having swum there from 2013 to 2017. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

While swims fans have been treated to some fast swimming this past week at the European Championships, top-notch US swimmers have been looking sharp three weeks out from the USA’s Olympic Trials. Case in point: tonight, former Texas Longhorn Madisyn Cox came up big with a 2:08.51 in the 200 IM. That time makes her the fastest women in the world so far in 2021, ahead of the 2:08.73 Australian Kaylee McKeown clocked a week ago at the Sydney Open. McKeown was slightly faster last December, having gone 2:08.23. Cox’s time tonight also moves her to #3 all-time among US women, jumping her up from #8. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In a twist of events, The women’s 100 backstroke final at the 2021 European Championships had to be re-swum due to an error with the timing system. In the re-swim, Dawson got the job done again, this time in 58.49. Though she loses her official PB of 58.18 and that Championship Record, she still owns the record and keeps her European gold medal. Dawson was notably much more conservative on the first 50 in the re-swim, flipping in 28.47 compared to a blazing 27.99 in the first final. She closed faster, 30.02 to 30.19, in the re-swim. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Hugo Gonzalez continued to perform unbelievably in Budapest, closing in a scintillating 27.76 to win the men’s 200 IM in a time of 1:56.76. Gonzalez demolishes his Spanish Record (1:58.03) by well over a second in 1:56.76, and falls just a tenth shy of the nine-year-old Championship Record. The 22-year-old now ranks fifth in the 2020-21 world rankings. This came after claiming silver in the men's 100 back just an hour prior in a new PR of 52.90. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Heading into day 3 of the European Championships, Kliment Kolesnikov had already won 2 gold medals in the 4x100 free relay (Russia) and 50 back (world record, 23.80). He swam 52.2 in the prelims of the 100 back, seeding him first by over 1 second. In finals, he swam the 100 free, touching first in 47.37, a new meet record. 15 minutes later he was back in the pool for the semi-final of the 100 back. He would’ve qualified first for the 100 back final with his prelim time, but with the quick turnaround, he wasn't able to equal his morning effort and finished 16th in 54.86, missing the final altogether.  Kolesnikov is candid about his double, admitting he is human and that quick of a turnaround is not something he trains for often. He did look on the bright side and say it was good experience, and moving forward he can adjust his training to be better prepared for races like that in the future. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

THE WATER IS MY SKY dives deep into the world of elite competitive swimming through the lives of three swimmers- Tom Wilkens, Connor Jaeger, and Taylor Garcia- swept up in the hunt for a shot at Olympic glory. As they endure heartbreaking setbacks and soaring triumphs, each swimmer grapples with the underlying meaning behind their pursuit, revealing the true spirit of ordinary individuals chasing extraordinary dreams.   Virtual Premiere: "Swim Club Screening Week" is a ten-day virtual premiere of The Water Is My Sky. The film will be made available to rent and stream via the platform Eventive from May 21-31. The film is teaming up with swim clubs in order to help promote the premiere--over 80 swim clubs are participating in the premiere as hosts of the film, and each will be receiving a portion of the proceeds.   The film will be available on additional platforms later in the summer.   LINK TO PRE-ORDER VIRTUAL PREMIERE: https://watch.eventive.org/waterismysky/play/60982cf05189ab0092b6fc9b SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Jack Alexy, the top-20 recruit and Cal-commit that just put on a show at the 2021 YMCA Festival. Alexy broke down his performances at the YMCA Festival and how his training has been affected in the last year. He also explained that he and teammate Matt Fallon are training in Florida in the lead-up to the 2021 Olympic Trials. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Natalie Hinds dropped best times in both the 100 fly (58.6) and 100 free (54.2) at the Atlanta Classic this weekend and is feeling good about Olympic Trials. This is the 3rd year of Hinds' comeback, having left the sport after Olympic Trials in 2016 and coming back in the fall of 2018. 

Ryan Murphy took the 100 and 200 backstrokes easily this weekend in Atlanta, logging times of 52.9 and 1:56.1, a good spot for him heading into taper. A seasoned veteran in the sport, Murphy discusses why he likes taper, even when it can come with more extreme highs and lows than the normal season. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Michael Andrew followed up his prelim PB in a big way, setting a new U.S. Open Record in the men’s 100 breaststroke in 58.67, just .03 shy of the American Record set by Kevin Cordes in 2017 (58.64). The previous U.S. Open Record was set by Cordes at the 2017 U.S. World Trials in 58.74. Andrew’s swim is also another Pro Swim Series Record after he lowered it down to 58.82 in the prelims. The previous mark belonged to Adam Peaty at 58.86. Compared to his morning swim, Andrew was out .13 faster tonight in 27.32, and back .02 quicker in 31.35. Andrew now moves up fourth in the world rankings for 2020-21, leading the next-fastest American (Andrew Wilson, 59.58) by a full nine tenths of a second.

Mark Spitz, the greatest Olympian of all-time from 1972 to 2008, has been gracious with his time on the SwimSwam Podcast.  Ahead of the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo he has shared many stories, his wisdom, and his humor.  Our younger Olympic fans probably know his name and understand he's important, but they may not know the context of his career and how central he has been to swimming's success over the last five decades. While swimming has produced many, many star Olympians, Mark was the first true Olympic icon, globally famous, and he drove our swimming registration. I was a child of the 1970s, and when I started swimming, I dreamed of Olympic success because of his story and his immense achievement, winning seven gold medals (breaking seven world records) at the 1972 Olympic Games. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

All-American Sarah Thompson is returning for a fifth year with the Missouri Tigers next season, per a release from the school. Thompson, a versatile sprinter, has been an invaluable member of the Mizzou roster the last couple of seasons. She recently placed third at the 2021 NCAA Championships in the 50 free, hitting a lifetime best and Mizzou team record of 21.42, and she chipped in a 10th-place finish in the 100 back. At NCAAs, she was also 21.2 on Mizzou’s fourth-place 200 free relay and 22.4 swimming fly on their 10th-place 200 medley relay. Their finish in the 200 free relay matched a program record for NCAA relay finishes. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Anthony Ervin, the oldest individual Olympic gold medalist in swimming history, is savoring his last run-up to U.S. Olympic Trials.  At 40 years old, his experience is unique, and, personally, very meaningful. He laughed at my 50m free prediction game video, but he appreciated that I forecasted him under 22 seconds. Anthony isn't sure he'll be under 22 seconds at U.S. Olympic Trials, but he did share that he's feeling moments of that familiar-sprint-flow in training with Coach David Marsh.   I asked Anthony to come on the SwimSwam Podcast to discuss the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Rule 50 recommendations, which were recently released. It is the hot-button issue right now---centered around Olympic Podium Protests.  In a respectful way as an Olympic statesman, Anthony publicly pushed back a bit on his Instagram account. He felt the need to make his voice heard. Anthony unpacks his thoughts in detail on this topic. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Sierra Schmidt, the Michigan All-American who recently moved to Scottsdale, where her parents just bought a house, to train with her father in the lead-up to Olympic Trials. Schmidt eloquently explains that she's excited to continue her career as a pro, sharing that she believes she's not done learning the lessons the sport has to teach her. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Brian Thomas, the head coach of George Washington University, whose men's team recently brought home the 2021 Atlantic-10 Conference team title. For those counting, GWU earned five straight event wins (200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, 400 free relay) on the last day of competition to secure the conference team title. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Tristan Lehari, Founder and CEO, says, ‘’ Data collection and accuracy have always been the cornerstone of what we do at TritonWear, right from the very beginning. But we have also always known just collecting data is not enough, we need to help people utilize it. We are extremely excited to announce that through years of R&D we have been able to develop a solution to fully automate the analysis of our world-class data. We have made it possible to quantify the complex concept of “training well” and deliver it in an easy-to-use training system that actually helps athletes swim faster.’’ Measuring performance starts with accurate data collection for every workout. TritonWear’s small wearable tucks comfortably into swim caps, capturing 30+ data points for every lap. The new app further augments user experience by breaking data into digestible scores and personalizing feedback to enable consistently better training. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Robert Pinter, Jeff Poppell's first hire as the head coach of South Carolina. Pinter talked through the tough decision of leaving as the head coach and owner of Gator Swim Club but reiterated that it was the right decision for him. Getting to be a part of Poppell's vision and rebuilding at USC put's a fire in Pinter's belly, who says he is ready to get back into the swing of college coaching. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Colleen Fotsch, the swimmer turned cross-fitter turned bobsledding Olympic hopeful. If you didn't get it from the first sentence, Colleen has had a long and fruitful athletic career so far and at age 31, she's still making headway. Fotsch swam for Cal from 2009-2012, helping the Bears to NCAA titles in the 200 free relay (2012) and 200 medley relay (2011 & 2012). Sometime after her NCAA eligibility was complete, she found CrossFit, eventually going pro and training to compete full time, both in a team and individually. Then last year, she was approached about the idea of training for the Olympic bobsled team, which she ran with and hasn't looked back. Fotsch talks through all she's learned in the last 18 months within bobsled and what it will take for her to qualify for her first ever Olympic team in 2022. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic and World Champion distance swimming icon Katie Ledecky has the secret sauce, and it’s in the details of Stanford’s Olympic training camp. What I find most interesting is that during the pandemic Ledecky trained with teammate Simone Manuel,  and often it was only the two of them, mano a mano. Image that. Team USA’s most celebrated distance star and sprint star training eye-to-eye.  I think we’re going to see Ledecky swim well in the shorter events, 100 free and certainly 200 free. Ledecky has already dropped a 1:54 200m free in-season. And I think Simone’s 200 free will be very strong, netting her a spot on the U.S. Women’s Olympic 4×200 free relay. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Paul DeLakis, who recently announced his retirement to pursue a career in optometry. DeLakis took us through his whole swim career, particularly making the transition from being a high school student-athlete to a collegiate student-athlete. DeLakis offers sage wisdom to those who are about to make the plunge into college athletics and academics. DeLakis also breaks down his last year of training through the pandemic, including a stint where he traveled to Gainesville to train with Gregg Troy and his pro group. DeLakis details a set of 40x100 best average (SCM) on 1:20 where he went head-to-head with Caeleb Dressel. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Evie Pfeifer, who announced the big news that she will be taking her 5th (and extra) year of NCAA eligibility with the Texas longhorns. Evie explained that she wants 4 NCAAs and especially after her stellar swims at this year's championships, is ready to come back and work for more. She also talks about training with the Texas free/IM groups and the excitement she has for her sister, Abby, to get onto campus. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Are you looking for a book that blends together great stories, leadership strategies and your love of swimming?  Look no further than Take Your Mark, LEAD! 10 Ways to Lead Yourself and Others Like a Champion. With a compelling Foreword written by Bob Bowman and endorsements from top champions , Take Your Mark, LEAD! is a self-help, go-to guide for people who urgently want to take charge of their lives.  Leader, champion, and survivor Kelly Parker Palace delivers 11 entertaining, informative chapters chocked full of inspiring stories and actionable, practical strategies.  This transformative book will empower you to triumph in all aspects of your life and to champion yourself, your business, and others! The word “SWIM” is in the book 270 times. The book explores stories full of leadership examples from Olympians, Olympic coaches, professional athletes, Kelly’s executive coaching clients, and her days as a Senior Manager at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.  There are lessons from Kelly’s time as an NCAA D1 Head Coach and swimmer, her experience with 9/11 in NYC, and being a Playboy magazine model–the first “real” athlete to pose.  You’ll be fascinated by how Arctic swimmer Lewis Pugh leads at the United Nations, how Olympic coach David Marsh creates culture for his teams, and how Bob Bowman almost quit coaching. The book explores what makes the athlete that may not be the physically strongest still take the gold.  And in life, what makes the unlikely person rise to the top of their profession or lead others to victory? You’ll learn 10 practical ways to help you develop leadership skills, habits, mindsets, and traits of champions—borrowed from the best of the world of athletics, corporate America, and life.  Each chapter first discusses how to lead yourself, and then inevitably—and often equally rewarding—, how to lead others. The bonus chapter, Championing Women Leaders, contains additional motivating stories and strategies. PURCHASE THE BOOK NOW SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Andrew Seliskar, the NCAA Champion and World Champs medalist who recently signed with Speedo. We discuss Seliskar's last year leading up to this point, including competing in the ISL, backyard lifting in Berkeley, and rolling deep with the Cal bears at recent Pro Swims. Seliskar also analyzes his events at the 2021 Olympic Trials and what it will take for the USA to compete for a title in the 4x200 free relay come Tokyo. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Ryan Wochomurka, the recently announced head coach for the University of Auburn's swim and dive program. Coach Wochomurka walks through how he views Auburn, his alma mater and somewhere he's been familiar with since age 17, and what he sees as the path for the Tigers moving forward. He's hoping to start announcing his staff by the end of this week as well as start meeting athletes and staff where they are now athletically, academically, and spiritually. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Rachel Nicol, the 2016 Olympian for Canada who has, like every other Canadian, once again been forced to wait another month for the 2021 Canadian Olympic Trials. Nicol describes the exhaustion that has come with not only going through a pandemic while trying to train for the Olympics but also having their trials been pushed back twice now. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Terry Fritch and Kiley Wilhelm of Life Time North Carolina. Kiley recently made her Wave II Olympic Trial cut in the 100m backstroke, dropping nearly 2 seconds to go 1:00.9. Wilhelm and Fritch both give their perspective on transitioning from SwimMAC to Life Time and what training 1-on-1 during the fall of 2020 was like, particularly how they were able to find success and how they've grown their core training group since then. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic swimming champion Caeleb Dressel  notched fast swims at the Mission Pro Swim, signaling he is on course for a great U.S. Olympic Trials in June: Dressel Mission Pro Swim Times: 50 free  - 21.83 100 free - 48.82 (prelim swim, scratched the final to fly home early) 200 free - 1:47.57 100 fly - 51.61 In this interview Caeleb is his own worst critic, recapping his entire season. He also sheds some light on the pressures of being a swim star on run-up to the Olympic summer. PREDICTIONS FOR U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS, VERSION TWO Yes, I am playing the Dressel prediction game again. I was way too safe last time. See version one of my predictions: 50 free - 21 point 3 100 free - 47 point 2 100 fly - 49 point 9 200 free - prelims one - 1, 45 point 9 See my new predictions after seeing Dressel's Mission Pro Swim races, and being heckled by SwimSwam commenters for being a wimp: 50 free - 21 point 1 100 free - 47 point 1 100 fly - 49 point 7 200 free - prelims only - 1, 45 point 2 But who cares what I think? It is all about  what you think. Give me your best swimming analysis.

We sat down with newly minted 2021 Olympians and training partners James Guy and Tom Dean to talk about the recent British trials and the trails for British swimming to come. Guy gives us some context on his meet specifically, saying he took out the 200 fly way too hard and it took a toll on him the rest of the week, including in the 200 free final where he registered a 1:46.0. We get into the meat of analyzing Britain's 4x100 and 4x200 free relays, especially considering they will have chances to shine at the upcoming European championships as well as the Tokyo Olympic Games. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with American record holders and Paralympiac medalists McKenzie Coan and Colleen Young after having their first of two qualification meets for the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics recently in Lewisville, Texas. The two roommates (who are training together currently at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs) took us through competing at their first meet since the pandemic started and what competition and Paralympic qualification will look like moving forward. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Anthony Ervin, the oldest individual Olympic gold medalist in swimming history, emerged at the Mission Pro Swim. Honestly, I wasn't sure if he had retired or not, but I was not surprised to see him in action.  We all know Anthony's different, following the warrior poet's path, racing for a higher purpose.  Now, rolling into 40 years old, his age at U.S. Olympic Trials, he has confirmed he's going for it. Will he make the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team at 40?  I would love to witness that, but I don't think it's in the cards...and I'm not sure Anthony is judging his success this summer that way either. Anthony's already the oldest individual Olympic gold medalist, and I think he's enjoying his elder statesman status.  I believe him when he says he wants to be on deck to pass the torch to the next generation of U.S. sprinters. However, you'd be foolish to dismiss his dangerous sprint gear. When Anthony's flowing with the right rhyme, he's fast. Muscle memory could put him over the edge.

We sat down with Anthony Nesty, the newly appointed head coach for the Men's and Women's Swim/Dive teams at the University of Florida. The team was newly re-combined after Jeff Poppell left as the head women's coach for the University of South Carolina (see our conversation with Jeff here). Nesty brings a wealth of knowledge, having been on staff for a number of years at UF and heading the men's program for the last three. He's excited to take his successes from the men's program and carry them over to the gator women's team. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Duncan Scott, the Brit who's coming off a huge performance at the 2021 British Olympic Trials where he set 3 national records in the 100 free, 200 free, and 200 IM. Scott analyzes each of his races in detail, telling the audience how he executed each to a tee. Scott then zooms out to break down each of Britain's Olympic relays, weighing eaches odds to medal in Tokyo. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Jeff Poppell, the recently announced new head coach of the University of South Carolina. Poppell explains why he chose to leave his post at Florida, where he'd been having success over the last 3 seasons as head coach of the women's team. Poppell wanted to stay in the SEC, but the opportunity to coach men and women was enticing and he wasn't worried about making a "lateral move" in terms of his career. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Hollie Bonewit-Cron, head coach of the men & women's teams at the University of Miami (OH). On the men's side, the host Miami Redhawks claimed victory at the 2021 Mid-American Conference Championship, defeating the defending champions, Missouri State, who finished in 2nd place. Bonewit-Cron goes into detail about the men's season and how they had run the numbers to dethrone Missouri State after a disappointing loss at the 2020 Conference champs. Bonewit-Cron also discusses the women's team, who placed 3rd this year after a 4th place finish last year, and the strides they've made as a program in the last 14 months. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Terry Ganley, who recently announced her retirement from the University of Minnesota after serving as a coach for 44 years. During her tenure at Minnesota, more than 100 women’s student-athletes have earned All-America recognition, totaling 450. The Minnesota women were also a force in the late 2000s to mid 2010s, clinching Big Ten titles in 2008 and then from 2012 to 2015. That stretch made the Gopher women the first Minnesota team to win four-straight conference crowns. In 2006, Ganley and head coach Kelly Kremer were named Big Ten Coaches of the Year. Ganley was an incredible swimmer herself, swimming for Minnesota in the 1970s. She was the first woman in history to earn All-America honors at Minnesota in any sport, her collegiate career including two Big Ten titles and four total All-America accolades. Ganley was inducted into the Minnesota Aquatics Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Minnesota Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1994. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Will 5-time Olympic champion Nathan Adrian make the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team? It's a fair question. He's on the march toward his 4th U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, and I'm bullish on his performance for two reasons: Back at the 2019 World Championships, 5 months after recovering from cancer, Nathan anchored the men's 4x100 free relay with a 47.08 -- holding off Russia's Evgeny Rylov to help Team USA to World Championship gold. At the recent Mission Pro Swim he dropped a 48.7 100m free, a very solid in-season swim after this trying COVID shutdown year. I'm not sure he'll make the U.S. Olympic Team individually, but I do see him on the 4x100 free relay, and I see him leading the U.S. Team as captain to a successful effort in Tokyo.   SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

British Swimming's CEO, Jack Buckner, dropped in on the SwimSwam Podcast to discuss the successes and challenges he has had to face on the run-up to this summer's Olympic Games. This interview was my first conversation with Jack. He's very likable, no-nonsense, and comfortable in his own skin--like a chief executive with experience and a world-class athletic background, which he has. Jack was not a swimmer, but he does swim for fitness.  Back in the 1980s and early 1990s Jack was an athletics star (track and field for our U.S. readers). He earned 5k gold at the 1986 European Championships and bronze at the 1987 World Championships. He went on to represent the U.K at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. See his athletics bio here. Jack took the reins of British Swimming back in May 2017, inheriting a powerhouse.  British Swimming is, arguably, at the top of their game with a long list of stars.  Aside from global star and Olympic champion Adam Peaty, Duncan Scott and rapidly rising star Tom Dean are the topic of conversation for many swim fans right now. Scott and Tom will be leading Team U.K.'s 4x200 freestyle relay into the Summer Games as the clear favorites. Jack covers a lot of topics, and he'll be back in the future. If you have questions for future pods, share in the comments. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Three-time Olympic Champion and NBC Sports Voice of Swimming, Rowdy Gaines, has the dream job. Who wouldn't want a front-row-center seat at the Olympic Games?  The 2021 Olympic Games (and the U.S. Olympic Trials) will mark Rowdy's 8th turn in the chair. What I want to know is what's it really like? I have an idea. I've subbed for Rowdy before, but only for small competitions.  I know it's intense, days starting at 5am and ending, sometimes, after midnight.  Thankful, ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Rowdy shares some details in this SwimSwam Podcast. Rowdy also addresses the elephant in the room. Rowdy is well aware his commentary is not for us, the Swim Nerds. Rowdy's working for NBC. He's under direct instructions to call the races for the non-swimming audience, that fan that drops in once every four years.  "I have to have a moment where I explain the backstroke flags," Rowdy laughed.  "I do it on every Olympic telecast." Rowdy, of course, loves the television gig and he shares a lot of insights: his day-in-the-life from the Rio Olympics how he goes to the bathroom during live telecasts a few funny mistakes over the years when he's gotten the giggles during live telecasts how he tries to manage four people talking in his ear while he's commentating and he shares his thoughts on how COVID will impact the Olympics SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Lydia Jacoby, the 16-year-old who made headlines at the Pro Swim in Mission Viejo by becoming the #3 all-time US 17-18 in the 100 breast (1:06.38). We discussed her ascension to becoming an Olympic contender, something she's certainly thought of but isn't putting pressure on herself about. Jacoby also discusses life as a swimmer (and human) in Seward, Alaska where she lives and how that has helped build her championship mindset. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Chris Ritter, the founder and CEO of RITTER Sports Performance and creator of SURGE Strength , drops in on the SwimSwam Podcast with Gold Medal Mel Stewart. The importance of having a repeat-able and adaptable process for your dryland training has never been realized more than this past year. Chris sat down with us to announce he is hosting a FREE upcoming webinar on The Process of Dryland Training. Join with other coaches and swimmers who are committed to better results in their dryland training. FREE Registration for The Process of Dryland Training Webinar - http://theprocessofdryland.training SURGE Strength – https://www.surgestrength.com Learn More about Becoming SSDC – https://www.surgestrength.com/certification SwimSwam Articles by Chris – https://swimswam.com/training/surge-strength-dryland-training SURGE Strength Podcast – https://wavve.link/rittersp?__s=x0dcybu65xrgfh0qi1st SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with legendary coach Dave Salo, who recently announced that he would be dawning the role of assistant coach at Orange Coast College. Salo explains that after so long of being a head coach, he's excited to coach without all of the extra worries that come with heading a Power-5 Division I program. He also gets into the nitty-gritty of how he runs workouts, if he's a "player's coach", and what he's looking forward to at Orange Coast. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Claire Curzan, the 16-year-old swimmer for the TAC Titans who turned heads when she dropped a 56.20 100m fly 2 weekends ago in Cary, North Carolina. Swimming fans had already been looking forward to this meet, as Curzan and fellow age-group star Torri Huske were slated to race in the 50/100 free and 100 fly. Huske ended up taking the 50 and 100 free races, while Curzan won the 100 fly, becoming the #2 American performer in history with her swim. Curzan admits that her goal in the race was to come home in under 30, which she did (29.99), and therefore didn't even know her final time until her teammate told her in the warm down pool. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Andrei Minakov, the Russian sprinting sensation who just qualified for his first Olympic games in both the 100 free and 100 fly. Minakov takes us through the Russian Trials as well as how he's adjusted to studying at Stanford (remotely from Russia). We also get into some throwback memories for Andrei, including the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (where he won 5 gold medals) and the 2019 World Championships (2 silver, 1 bronze). SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Brent Hayden, the Canadian Olympic medalist who is now on the athlete board of the International Swimmers' Alliance. Hayden discusses what it's been like to cooperate with a group of athletes like this and what he thinks they can accomplish for swimmers everywhere moving forward. Hayden emphasizes that he wanted to be a part of this as a way to give back to the sport that has already given him so much. He's looking to make changes not necessarily to this generation, but the generations in swimming to come. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Velimir Stjepanovic, a 2x Serbian Olympian and member of the DC Trident in the ISL. We talked about a wide range of topics, from Velimir's upbringing in life and swimming to his last year navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. One topic we covered was swimming without pressure, which Velimir explained was the case as a member of the DC Trident. Knowing that the team was not a contender for the ISL title, Velimir was able to swim freely during the matches in Budapest, resulting in best times. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Torri Huske who went a slue of best time at the TAC Titans LCM Premiere meet this past weekend. Huske Battled Claire Curzan head-to-head in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly, where she took wins in the 50 (24.44, new 17-18 NAG) and 100 free (53.40). She also went a huge PB in the 100 fly (56.69, new 17-18 NAG) and 200 fly (2:09.97). Huske discussed that just a couple weeks before this meet, she had started using drag sox, parachutes, and weight racks in her training, which she said she enjoyed but did make her a bit sore heading into the meet. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

I have four hours with Mark captured. This is only the first chapter, which is about 35 minutes. We meander, but when you're talking to Mark the side stories are where all of the detail and color become fully saturated. Mark covers: his start, how and why he chose swimming what fueled him in childhood to win blue ribbons his swimming hero his secret warm-up, the same warm-up he used for years because it signaled success his first world record how he trained butterfly (which went against the grain of the day, which was grinding hard yardage) and who he feared, and Mark feared several competitors for legitimate reasons Between now and the U.S. Olympic Trials, I'll rollout these episodes. I absolutely love Mark. Some of my best swimming memories come from him, outside of the pool, just talking. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We spoke with Olympic champion Olivia Smoliga at the 2021 Mission Viejo Pro Swim, where Smoliga was looking very strong on the back half of her races. Olivia explained to us that she's been really focusing on aerobic training with coach Jack Baurle and saw the extra Olympic year as a good time to challenge herself and work on her 200 free, an event she says is "the ultimate".  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

At the Pro Swim Series stop in Mission Viejo, we spoke with standout Cal freshman Destin Lasco. Lasco had a sensational Pac-12 championship, highlighted by leading a 1-2-3-4-5-6 Cal finish in the 200 backstroke. He turned even more heads at the NCAA Champs, where he became the fastest freshman ever in the 200 IM (jumping from 58th seed to finishing 2nd overall), the 100 back, and the 200 back. Lasco reveals that he focused a lot on academics, especially his second semester, saying that if his grades were taken care of, then the rest takes care of itself. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with British record holder and ISL standout, Abbie Wood. We talked through Abbie's career, especially how hard the transition can be from being a fast swimmer as an 18-under to trying to compete on a national and international stage at the senior level. Wood also takes us through her ISL season and what went into the stellar results that she posted in Budapest. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

At the Pro Swim Series in Mission Viejo, 2016 Abbey Weitzeil dropped a 24.57 in the 50m freestyle. In her post-race interview, Weitzeil revealed that in prelims, when she went 24.80, it was the first time she had done a no-breather 50m free during a race. She admits that it gave her a lot of anxiety and in finals instead of focusing on not taking a breath, she instead put her energy toward having a good race, which seemed to pay off. However, Weitzeil does give us the details on how she's been preparing for a no-breather 50 in practice. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Big announcement!  Olympic swimming champion Caeleb Dressel will be producing another Dressel Dissects video, and it will be his 100 scm IM World Record from the ISL. So, stay tuned. He feels guilty for not producing one for awhile, but he assured me that episode is coming. See his YouTube channel here. Caeleb was nice enough to drop-in for 15 minutes of conversation, and he unpacks his ISCA meet swims.  If you missed it, ISCA ran yards in the morning and meters at night. Caeleb popped a 1:40 200 yard fly and 3:44 400 IM just to let you know he still loves yards, and he was happy with his 48.8 100 meters free. He felt those swims were on-point for in-season races. I tried to get to him to say he could drop a 1:36+ 200 yard fly shaven and suited, but he wouldn't go there. I think he's got that swim if he wants it. What do you think? Caeleb's got a mutual partner, SPIRE Academy, and he has high praise for their upcoming summer camps. You can see them here to sign up. I play the U.S. Olympic Trials prediction game, but I'm going to play again after the Mission Pro Swim as well. My predictions might change a little. I think I played it too safe below. I'm curious if commenters will change their predictions between now and next week. PREDICTIONS FOR U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS Dressel is the master at double tapers. His Olympics will be faster than the US Trials. BUT AT TRIALS I SEE: 50 free - 21.3 (maybe a little slow) 100 free - 47 point 2 100 fly - 49 point 9 I want Caeleb to swim the 200 free, at least in prelims. I don’t know if he will. If he does, I see a 1:45 point 8 or 9, enough speed to show he’s a strong option for the 4x200 US relay. But who cares what I think? It is all about  what you think. Give me your best swimming analysis.

We sat down with Ryan Spoon, a name you may not be familiar with... but you should be. Ryan is the current COO of BetMGM as well as the former Senior VP of Digital and Social for ESPN. If that didn't sell you, he's also a Duke Swimming alumnus, so he's got chlorine in his blood. Ryan knows how to draw a sporting audience and hold them, and he shares his thoughts on what swimming can do to boost their audience, in a non-Olympic year especially. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Camden Murphy, the Georgia butterflied who was a big contributor in UGA's 4th place finish at the 2021 Men's NCAA Championships. Murphy takes us through his senior season, starting with having an extended period of time out of the water due to COVID and nearly deciding to not come back at all. Ultimately, Murphy did come back to complete his 4th year on the team and ultimately go personal bests in both the 100 and 200 fly. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic swimming star Simone Manuel delivered at the recent San Antonio Pro Swim, sweeping the 50m and 100m free: 50m free - 24.70 100m free - 54.62 Simone said she wasn't happy with her races, saying "there were goal times I didn't hit." However she felt there were positives she could takeaway from the competition.  Considering the masks, no fans, and that she hasn't raced during COVID, she was satisfied with her performance overall. U.S. Olympic Trials PREDICTIONS! Simone sweeps the 50m and 100m free at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. She's not messing around. This is a full rest to test her flat-out speed, and she will go faster in Tokyo.  At U.S. Trials  I see a 24.2 50m free and a 52.4 100m free. I think she swims the 200 free as well, dropping a 1:56.8 to make the 4x200 free relay.

We sat down with Andi Murez, the 2016 Olympian and Stanford All-American who is now training in Coronado, California. Murez takes us through her swim journey, most recently recapping the 6-week ISL Budapest bubble as a member of the LA Current. She also takes us through what it was like training as a professional as well as going to medical school, balancing two activities that take a huge amount of time and dedication. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Jozsef Nagy, the breaststroke coach extraordinaire to talk about all things breaststroke. Nagy goes into detail on how the stroke has changed and what methods he thinks are best for training the stroke. One of the most interesting things Nagy brings up is the fact that in his opinion, the 100 breast world record has taken leaps and bounds in the last 20 years, while he thinks the 200 hasn't quite matched up. The Hungarian native thinks that if athletes really focused on the event, the 200 Breast world record could be as low as 2:02 currently. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic Champion and Youtube star Cody Miller partners with the world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo, a SwimSwam partner. This has been in the works for awhile; however, for Cody fans, it might be the worst kept secret in swimming. He’s been wearing Speedo in his last few video episodes. In this podcast Cody unpacks the industry details behind the partnership, and he PLAYS THE PREDICTION GAME for his own events at the U.S. Olympic Trials -- sort of.   Cody's got an interesting take on the run-up to the big show this June. See the official Speedo press release about the partnership here.  Subscribe to Cody's Youtube channel here.  SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean Click here to listen and subscribe on Google Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com