The SwimSwam Podcast

How Arthur Albiero has evolved over the last 27 years of college coaching

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.

USC’s Lea Maurer Previews the Upcoming 2022-23 Season for the Trojans

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 Discusses Triple-Gold Medal Performance at 2022 Jr Pan Pacs

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.

David Popovici Going PRs in Workout Before World Jrs, Talks Dressel & 100Fr WR

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.

3x Olympic Gold Medalist Blake Pieroni Announces Retirement, Reflects on Historic Career

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.

Cesar Cielo on David Popovici, Caeleb Dressel, and the Possibility of a 45-Second 100 Free

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.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Simone to ASU, Cal Combines Under Durden, & Jr Pan Pacs

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.

Is There Hope For Struggling Swim Clubs and Their Swim Club Boards?

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.

Mark Spitz 50 Years After Munich in Docuseries “72 - A Gathering of Champions”

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.

SwimSwam Breakdown: Popovici WR, European Highlights, Duel in the Pool

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.