The SwimSwam Podcast

Midseason Madness - Who Will Remain Undefeated?! | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN

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

Lake Oswego’s Emily Melina on the Direction and Growth of Coaching and Swimming

Emily Melina is the Head Coach at Lake Oswego Swim Club, a team that has won the Oregon State championships at every level the last few years and was recently named a Silver Medal team in the USA Swimming Club excellence program. She’s been at LOSC for 11 years and has doubled the club in size and created a family-like culture that achieves at a championship level. She was named the 2020-21 Senior Coach of the Year in Oregon Swimming. But Emily does a lot more than just coach.

 

She’s on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) National Council for USA Swimming, as well as the Club Development Committee. She is also the General Chair for Oregon Swimming and the board for the American Swim Coach Association (ASCA). Emily has been on staffs of the USA Swimming National Select Camp, Zone Select Camp, and National Diversity Select Camp. She recently served as the Head Coach of the National Diversity Select Camp. Her goal with all of these roles is to give back to the sport and have some say in its direction and growth. Emily's authenticity makes this conversation really relatable and any coach can learn a thing or two about running a successful team and giving back to the sport.

Will Olympic Swim Star Ryan Murphy Compete Through LA2028?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UVA Coach Todd DeSorbo Tracks Swim Data Netting Dramatic Results

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.