The SwimSwam Podcast

Olympian Ryan Lochte and Olympic Coach Mark Schubert unpack International Age Group Championships

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

How Olympic Trials Qualifier Riley Spitser Transitioned from Athlete to Musician

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

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

Howard University Head Swim Coach Nic Askew Previews ”Battle of the Burr II”

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

Georgetown Head Coach Jack Leavitt Explains Impact of Battle of the Burr

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

Virginia Math Professor Ken Ono Teaching Class on Swimming Optimization to Olympians

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

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

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

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

12x World Deaf Champion Carli Cronk Living Life Without Limits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Jay Litherland Produces Triiipss Music And Trains For The Paris Olympics

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.