The SwimSwam Podcast

SwimSwam

About

In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman Hodges and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.

Available on

Community

1023 episodes

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

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.

17m
Mar 26
Did Gretchen Walsh Just Swim The Best NCAA Performance in History?

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.

16m
Mar 25
Russell Mark Discusses Update to ASCA Video Library, Learning from Coaches Worldwide

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.

27m
Mar 20
Women's NCAA Preview, New South Wales Champs, and Regan Smith in the NCAA | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN

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. 

46m
Mar 19
Erika Fairweather Looks to Catch New Eyes in Swimming with New Zealand's First LCM World Title

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.

17m
Mar 15
NCAA Psych Sheets, Men's Pac-12s, and the Westmont Pro Swim | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN

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.

39m
Mar 13
Emma Weyant Unpacks Her Sporti Collab, Riviera Reverie Swim & Activewear Collection

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.

12m
Mar 12
A Deep Dive into the Men's 50 Free Controversy at the Westmont Pro Swim

As it turns out, Caeleb Dressel’s block malfunction in the 50 free A Final https://swimswam.com/caeleb-dressel-overcomes-faulty-block-to-win-westmont-50-free-with-fastest-time-in-2-years/ 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 https://swimswam.com/bio/jack-alexy/ placing 3rd (21.90), Santo Condorelli https://swimswam.com/bio/santo-condorelli/ placing 2nd (21.87) and Caeleb Dressel https://swimswam.com/bio/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 https://swimswam.com/bio/jack-alexy/ swam a 21.86, .04 faster than his official result. Caeleb Dressel https://swimswam.com/bio/caeleb-dressel/ and Santo Condorelli https://swimswam.com/bio/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).

6m
Mar 11
How Underwater Training Helped Claire Curzan Flourish in Long Course at the 2024 World Champs

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.

24m
Mar 06
Defining the Differences Between Healthy and Unhealthy Coaching

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.

33m
Mar 05
World Champion Finlay Knox Wins 200 IM World Title With Crooked Ceiling for Backstroke

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.

36m
Mar 04
Braden Holloway Assesses ACC Performances After Winning Week for Wolfpack

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.

40m
Mar 02
Todd DeSorbo Analyzes Virginia Women's and Men's Teams After ACC 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.

36m
Mar 01
Owen Lloyd, Ross Dant Give Full Account of 1,650 DQ at ACCs

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.

30m
Feb 29
Indiana Head Coach Ray Looze Relives Small Moments That Led to Winning Big Ten Title by .5 Points

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.

25m
Feb 28
High School Senior Piper Enge Walking Away From Doha World Champs with a LOT of Confidence

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.

31m
Feb 27
SCSC Head Coach Kevin Zacher Discusses the International Swim Center Closing Indefinitely

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.

39m
Feb 26
Katja Dedekind on Chasing 3rd Paralympics, Why Swimmers are Adrenaline Junkies

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.

32m
Feb 25
Gretchen Walsh Reflects on 19.9 Relay Split, 50 Free/100 Fly NCAA Records

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.

22m
Feb 23
After Breaking American Record, Kate Douglass May Not Swim the 50 Free at Olympic Trials

At the 2024 World Championships in Doha, Kate Douglass https://swimswam.com/bio/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).

19m
Feb 23
Dan Wiffen Shares Distance Swimming Secrets That Led to Double World Titles

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.

36m
Feb 22
World Champs Review & Conference Champs Previews | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN

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.

48m
Feb 20
James Guy Finding Success By Training More Than He Ever Has at Age 28

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.

28m
Feb 17
Nathan Adrian Explains Why the 100 Free World Record Will KEEP Getting Broken

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.

32m
Feb 14
2024 World Championships Preview | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN

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

57m
Feb 08
After Having It All, Zac Stubblety-Cook is Hungry for More, with Eyes on WR in Paris

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.

53m
Jan 30
Olympian Bella Sims Takes Us Behind The Scenes Of Her New Speedo Partnership

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.)

14m
Jan 29
The FASTEST Weekend in College Dual Meet History | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN

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?

20m
Jan 23
2024 Olympic Coaches Anthony Nesty, Todd DeSorbo on Prepping for an Olympic Year

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.

21m
Jan 22
Paralympic Medalist Ahalya Lettenberger on Journey Through Swimming, Signing with Speedo

22-year-old Paralympic medalist Ahalya Lettenberger https://swimswam.com/tag/ahalya-lettenberger/ is Speedo https://www.speedo.com/'s newest athlete https://swimswam.com/speedo-welcomes-american-paralympian-silver-medalist-ahalya-lettenberger-to-the-team/. 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 https://www.speedo.com/. 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.

33m
Jan 17