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

Tuesday Mar 30, 2021

Brandonn Almeida on the Importance of Finding Happiness in Your Swimming

Tuesday Mar 30, 2021

I sat down with Brazilian Olympian Brandonn Almeida, who at the time was training at an altitude camp in Mexico. Almeida takes us through the bulk of his career, including his experience at a home Olympics in 2016 and competing in the NCAA at the University of South Carolina. Almeida has found, especially over the past 3 years, that his swimming really benefits if he is in the right environment with a coach who understands him.

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Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Monday Mar 29, 2021

Will Swim Star Michael Andrew Make the 2021 US Olympic Team?

Monday Mar 29, 2021

Michael Andrew shocked us all at the San Antonio Pro Swim opting out of the 50m free to focus on the 200m IM. He was out fast in 200 IM final, touching in 54.75 at the 100. He built his lead with 33.29 breast split, closing in a 1:58.05–enough for the win over Abraham DeVine and Andrew Seliskar.

Michael Andrew (Race Pace), 1:58.05
Abrahm DeVine (Team Elite), 1:59.65
Andrew Seliskar (Cal Aquatics), 2:00.59

Michael’s personal best is 1:56.83 from the 2019 Des Moines Pro Swim Series, one of the last meets before the coronavirus pandemic shut down competition around the world. His 1:58.05 in San Antonio is now the top time in the United States this season, and he climbs to 8th in the 2020-2021 World Rankings.

The other morsel of intel from the San Antonio Pro Swim was that Michael said he’s doing triple workouts. I understand with his USRPT method that may not be enormous yardage, but triples are still triples. Triple workouts are the domain of Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps. I was surprised to hear Michael Andrew‘s doing them–but he did add he’s a little concerned about doing three 200 IMs at Olympic Trials. Those triples might put him over the edge in Omaha at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

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Monday Mar 29, 2021

Nicolas Albiero on How to Prep for the Last 50 of a 200 Fly on Day 4 of NCAAs

Monday Mar 29, 2021

Cal’s Trenton Julian was first at the halfway mark at 46.64 while Louisville’s Nicolas Albiero was 5th at 47.40. Yet Albiero’s strong underwaters allowed him to catch Julian on the last 25, sealing his first individual NCAA title at 1:38.64. That time knocked 0.01s off his own 2020 Greensboro pool record from the 2020 ACC Championships. He remains the 5th-fastest swimmer all-time and 3rd-fastest American ever. Julian settled for second place at 1:38.85, dropping eight-tenths from this morning.

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Sunday Mar 28, 2021

Bobby Finke Breaks Down Intimate Meetings that Bring Florida Men Closer Than Ever

Sunday Mar 28, 2021

Finke won his second NCAA title in as many days on the final day of competition, blowing away the field and registering his 3rd 14:12 in history, a mark no other competition has gotten near. The Florida gator tells us of his disappointment in not going a best time, but also of the good feeling in winning 2 national titles. He also explains the meetings that the men's team has had in order to open up to one another and really learn how to communicate with one another.

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Saturday Mar 27, 2021

Louisville Men Describe Elation of First Ever Relay Title in Program History

Saturday Mar 27, 2021

In the final heat, Florida freshman Adam Chaney led off in a 20.55 backstroke split, which is the 9th-fastest lead-off all-time. In the same heat, Louisville’s Evgenii Somov came in hot with a 22.87 breast split, the 13th-fastest split all-time, to put the Cardinals in the lead. Senior Nicolas Albiero held on to the narrow lead with his 20.07 fly split. Cal’s Ryan Hoffer (19.70) and Florida’s Eric Friese (19.87) were sub-20 on their fly legs, yet still could not catch Cardinal Albiero. Hoffer’s split is now the 10th-fastest split in history.

Into the freestyle leg, Cal had a three-tenths deficit behind Florida, who was 0.09s behind leader Louisville. Sophomore Haridi Sameh anchored the Cardinals in an 18.45, which was enough to win the 2021 title and break the Greensboro pool record at 1:22.11. This was also Louisville’s first NCAA relay title in program history.

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Saturday Mar 27, 2021

NCAA Champions Bobby Finke, Kieran Smith Recall Double Taper After SEC Champs

Saturday Mar 27, 2021

NCAA champions Kieran Smith (200 free) and Bobby Finke (400 IM) describe what training was like for the weeks in between the SEC Championship and NCAAs. They also take us through each of their respective winning races and what it meant to be crowned champion for the year.

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Friday Mar 26, 2021

Hoffer Disappointed with Front-end Speed, Surprised with Back-Half in 50 Free NCAA Title

Friday Mar 26, 2021

Cal’s Ryan Hoffer was out like a rocket, flipping to a 8.90 at the feet off of the first 25. Hoffer couldn’t be stopped, defending his NCAA 50 free title by 0.38 seconds with a new Greensboro pool record time of 18.33. Hoffer shaved a tenth off his lifetime best of 18.43 from this morning, remaining the second-fastest swimmer ever in the 50-yard free behind Caeleb Dressel (17.63). Hoffer’s 18.33 tonight cracks the top-10 performances in history, which were all formerly held by Dressel, ranking 10th all-time.

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Friday Mar 26, 2021

Shaine Casas on Racing Top Competitors, First NCAA Title in Texas A&M History

Friday Mar 26, 2021

Texas A&M senior Shaine Casas was on Dressel’s American record pace during the first 100, taking the race out in 21.13/24.89 (46.04). Casas maintained his lead into the breaststroke, yet his 29.16 did not match Dressel’s 28.3 record split. Only Cal senior Hugo Gonzalez challenged Casas in the breast leg with his strong 29.13 split. Heading into the freestyle, Casas was able to hold off Gonzalez Cal freshman Destin Lasco for his first NCAA 200 IM title at 1:39.53, breaking Lasco’s morning pool record of 1:40.61. Casas’ record is also the first NCAA title in Texas A&M swimming program history.

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Tuesday Mar 23, 2021

Todd DeSorbo Wanted UVA to "Disrupt" the NCAA Championships

Tuesday Mar 23, 2021

We sat down with UVA head coach Todd DeSorbo fresh off of his first NCAA title in team history. DeSorbo reflects on the performance his team put up throughout the weekend as well as his coaching style of being conscious to not put pressure on his athletes. He also comments on the historic 1-2 finish for the ACC, saying it was a goal of his for his team to be disruptive at this meet, knowing that only 3 teams had finished in the top 2 at NCAAs over the past decade.

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Tuesday Mar 23, 2021

Will Ryan Lochte Make the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team?

Tuesday Mar 23, 2021

12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte looked a little rough at the recent San Antonia Pro Swim, swimming 2:02.03 in the 200m IM, but he always swims slowly in-season, and Caeleb Dressel swam slowly, and they're both in Coach Gregg Troy's clutches. In sum, we know they're doing hard work--certainly broken down at this point in their training cycle.

"If there was an 800 IM at the Olympics, I would be swimming it," Ryan Lochte said in his last Gold Medal Minute back in October 2020. He also revealed his Olympic Trials schedule, which was the standard Lochte schedule we've always seen. He said, "At this point, with all of the work I'm doing? 400 and 200 IM, 200 back, 200 free, 100 fly..."

I'm still bullish on Lochte's chances to make the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team this summer. Lochte has mastery in the 200 IM. He’s going to turn heads at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

PREDICTIONS

Lochte makes Team USA in the 200 IM, dropping a solid 1:55 low…barely edging Shaine Casas, Michael Andrew, Chase Kalisz and Andrew Seliskar. It’s going to be a tight race... Of course, you know I want everyone to make the Olympic Team. But who cares what i think? I want to know what you think. Give me your best swimming analysis.