The SwimSwam Podcast

Take a Deep Dive into the Mike Bottom Philosophy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alex and Gretchen Walsh Go Behind the Scenes on their Sporti Collection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WR-Holder Sarah Thomas Explains What Actually Goes into Swimming 100 Miles

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.