The SwimSwam Podcast

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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

Thursday Apr 15, 2021

Olympic Icon Mark Spitz Shares Wisdom Ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Games

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

Thursday Apr 15, 2021

Olivia Smoliga Breaks Down UGA Aerobic Training, Zeroing-in on 200 Free

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

Wednesday Apr 14, 2021

Destin Lasco Shares What Made his Freshman Season So Successful

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

Tuesday Apr 13, 2021

Abbie Wood on Making the Transition from Junior-teamer to Senior Star

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

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

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

Friday Apr 09, 2021

Caeleb Dressel Plays Swim Nerd Analyst On The ISCA International Cup

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

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

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Monday Apr 05, 2021

Camden Murphy Almost Quit Swimming Before his Senior Year at Georgia

Monday Apr 05, 2021

We sat down with Camden Murphy, the Georgia butterflied who was a big contributor in UGA's 4th place finish at the 2021 Men's NCAA Championships. Murphy takes us through his senior season, starting with having an extended period of time out of the water due to COVID and nearly deciding to not come back at all. Ultimately, Murphy did come back to complete his 4th year on the team and ultimately go personal bests in both the 100 and 200 fly.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Sunday Apr 04, 2021

How Fast Will Simone Manuel Swim at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials?

Sunday Apr 04, 2021

Olympic swimming star Simone Manuel delivered at the recent San Antonio Pro Swim, sweeping the 50m and 100m free:

50m free - 24.70
100m free - 54.62

Simone said she wasn't happy with her races, saying "there were goal times I didn't hit." However she felt there were positives she could takeaway from the competition. Considering the masks, no fans, and that she hasn't raced during COVID, she was satisfied with her performance overall.

U.S. Olympic Trials PREDICTIONS!

Simone sweeps the 50m and 100m free at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. She's not messing around. This is a full rest to test her flat-out speed, and she will go faster in Tokyo. At U.S. Trials I see a 24.2 50m free and a 52.4 100m free. I think she swims the 200 free as well, dropping a 1:56.8 to make the 4x200 free relay.

Sunday Apr 04, 2021

Olympian Andi Murez on Balancing Pro Swimming and Medical School

Sunday Apr 04, 2021

We sat down with Andi Murez, the 2016 Olympian and Stanford All-American who is now training in Coronado, California. Murez takes us through her swim journey, most recently recapping the 6-week ISL Budapest bubble as a member of the LA Current. She also takes us through what it was like training as a professional as well as going to medical school, balancing two activities that take a huge amount of time and dedication.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com