
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.
Episodes

Sunday Apr 18, 2021
Brent Hayden Gives Perspective on International Swimmers' Alliance
Sunday Apr 18, 2021
Sunday Apr 18, 2021
We sat down with Brent Hayden, the Canadian Olympic medalist who is now on the athlete board of the International Swimmers' Alliance. Hayden discusses what it's been like to cooperate with a group of athletes like this and what he thinks they can accomplish for swimmers everywhere moving forward. Hayden emphasizes that he wanted to be a part of this as a way to give back to the sport that has already given him so much. He's looking to make changes not necessarily to this generation, but the generations in swimming to come.
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora
Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Saturday Apr 17, 2021
Velimir Stjepanovic on Swimming Without Pressure
Saturday Apr 17, 2021
Saturday Apr 17, 2021
We sat down with Velimir Stjepanovic, a 2x Serbian Olympian and member of the DC Trident in the ISL. We talked about a wide range of topics, from Velimir's upbringing in life and swimming to his last year navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. One topic we covered was swimming without pressure, which Velimir explained was the case as a member of the DC Trident. Knowing that the team was not a contender for the ISL title, Velimir was able to swim freely during the matches in Budapest, resulting in best times.
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora
Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Friday Apr 16, 2021
Torri Huske on Training with Sox, Chutes, & Racks Before Curzan LCM Showdown
Friday Apr 16, 2021
Friday Apr 16, 2021
We sat down with Torri Huske who went a slue of best time at the TAC Titans LCM Premiere meet this past weekend. Huske Battled Claire Curzan head-to-head in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly, where she took wins in the 50 (24.44, new 17-18 NAG) and 100 free (53.40). She also went a huge PB in the 100 fly (56.69, new 17-18 NAG) and 200 fly (2:09.97). Huske discussed that just a couple weeks before this meet, she had started using drag sox, parachutes, and weight racks in her training, which she said she enjoyed but did make her a bit sore heading into the meet.
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Olympic Icon Mark Spitz Shares Wisdom Ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Games
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
I have four hours with Mark captured. This is only the first chapter, which is about 35 minutes. We meander, but when you're talking to Mark the side stories are where all of the detail and color become fully saturated. Mark covers:
- his start, how and why he chose swimming
- what fueled him in childhood to win blue ribbons
- his swimming hero
- his secret warm-up, the same warm-up he used for years because it signaled success
- his first world record
- how he trained butterfly (which went against the grain of the day, which was grinding hard yardage)
- and who he feared, and Mark feared several competitors for legitimate reasons
Between now and the U.S. Olympic Trials, I'll rollout these episodes. I absolutely love Mark. Some of my best swimming memories come from him, outside of the pool, just talking.
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Olivia Smoliga Breaks Down UGA Aerobic Training, Zeroing-in on 200 Free
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
We spoke with Olympic champion Olivia Smoliga at the 2021 Mission Viejo Pro Swim, where Smoliga was looking very strong on the back half of her races. Olivia explained to us that she's been really focusing on aerobic training with coach Jack Baurle and saw the extra Olympic year as a good time to challenge herself and work on her 200 free, an event she says is "the ultimate".
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Wednesday Apr 14, 2021
Destin Lasco Shares What Made his Freshman Season So Successful
Wednesday Apr 14, 2021
Wednesday Apr 14, 2021
At the Pro Swim Series stop in Mission Viejo, we spoke with standout Cal freshman Destin Lasco. Lasco had a sensational Pac-12 championship, highlighted by leading a 1-2-3-4-5-6 Cal finish in the 200 backstroke. He turned even more heads at the NCAA Champs, where he became the fastest freshman ever in the 200 IM (jumping from 58th seed to finishing 2nd overall), the 100 back, and the 200 back. Lasco reveals that he focused a lot on academics, especially his second semester, saying that if his grades were taken care of, then the rest takes care of itself.
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Tuesday Apr 13, 2021
Abbie Wood on Making the Transition from Junior-teamer to Senior Star
Tuesday Apr 13, 2021
Tuesday Apr 13, 2021
We sat down with British record holder and ISL standout, Abbie Wood. We talked through Abbie's career, especially how hard the transition can be from being a fast swimmer as an 18-under to trying to compete on a national and international stage at the senior level. Wood also takes us through her ISL season and what went into the stellar results that she posted in Budapest.
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora
Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Monday Apr 12, 2021
Abbey Weitzeil Explains Training for a No-Breather LCM 50 Free
Monday Apr 12, 2021
Monday Apr 12, 2021
At the Pro Swim Series in Mission Viejo, 2016 Abbey Weitzeil dropped a 24.57 in the 50m freestyle. In her post-race interview, Weitzeil revealed that in prelims, when she went 24.80, it was the first time she had done a no-breather 50m free during a race. She admits that it gave her a lot of anxiety and in finals instead of focusing on not taking a breath, she instead put her energy toward having a good race, which seemed to pay off. However, Weitzeil does give us the details on how she's been preparing for a no-breather 50 in practice.
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Friday Apr 09, 2021
Caeleb Dressel Plays Swim Nerd Analyst On The ISCA International Cup
Friday Apr 09, 2021
Friday Apr 09, 2021
Big announcement! Olympic swimming champion Caeleb Dressel will be producing another Dressel Dissects video, and it will be his 100 scm IM World Record from the ISL. So, stay tuned. He feels guilty for not producing one for awhile, but he assured me that episode is coming. See his YouTube channel here.
Caeleb was nice enough to drop-in for 15 minutes of conversation, and he unpacks his ISCA meet swims. If you missed it, ISCA ran yards in the morning and meters at night. Caeleb popped a 1:40 200 yard fly and 3:44 400 IM just to let you know he still loves yards, and he was happy with his 48.8 100 meters free. He felt those swims were on-point for in-season races.
I tried to get to him to say he could drop a 1:36+ 200 yard fly shaven and suited, but he wouldn't go there. I think he's got that swim if he wants it. What do you think?
Caeleb's got a mutual partner, SPIRE Academy, and he has high praise for their upcoming summer camps. You can see them here to sign up.
I play the U.S. Olympic Trials prediction game, but I'm going to play again after the Mission Pro Swim as well. My predictions might change a little. I think I played it too safe below. I'm curious if commenters will change their predictions between now and next week.
PREDICTIONS FOR U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
Dressel is the master at double tapers. His Olympics will be faster than the US Trials. BUT AT TRIALS I SEE:
- 50 free - 21.3 (maybe a little slow)
- 100 free - 47 point 2
- 100 fly - 49 point 9
I want Caeleb to swim the 200 free, at least in prelims. I don’t know if he will. If he does, I see a 1:45 point 8 or 9, enough speed to show he’s a strong option for the 4x200 US relay. But who cares what I think? It is all about what you think. Give me your best swimming analysis.

Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
BetMGM COO Ryan Spoon on How to Draw a Bigger Audience into Swimming
Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
We sat down with Ryan Spoon, a name you may not be familiar with... but you should be. Ryan is the current COO of BetMGM as well as the former Senior VP of Digital and Social for ESPN. If that didn't sell you, he's also a Duke Swimming alumnus, so he's got chlorine in his blood. Ryan knows how to draw a sporting audience and hold them, and he shares his thoughts on what swimming can do to boost their audience, in a non-Olympic year especially.
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora
Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com