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

Saturday Mar 20, 2021

Katharine Berkoff, Sophie Hansson Explain What Sets NC State Training Apart

Saturday Mar 20, 2021

Hansson (100 Breast) and Berkoff (100 breast) of NC State each won 2 NCAA titles last night, one in their individual events and 1 as a member of the winning 200 medley relay. They each explain how their training in Raleigh this season has led to this moment at the NCAA Championships.

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Saturday Mar 20, 2021

Alex Walsh Sees Benefits After Training Endurance Freestyle her Freshman Year

Saturday Mar 20, 2021

Freshman Alex Walsh is coming off a successful 2 days of competition, where she's been crowned NCAA champion twice in the 200 IM and as a member of the winning 800 free relay for Virginia. Walsh explains why mid-distance freestyle training has helped her reach the next level this season.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Friday Mar 19, 2021

NC State Women Break Down US Open, NCAA Record-Setting 400 Medley Relay

Friday Mar 19, 2021

The women of NC State clocked a new US Open and American record in the 400 medley relay of 3:24.59. Katharine Berkoff (50.07), Sophie Hansson (57.01), Kylee Alons (49.29), and Julia Poole (48.22) combined to win the Wolfpack's first-ever relay title in program history. The 4 women talk through the lead-up to this relay and how they were able to get the job done.

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Wednesday Mar 17, 2021

UVA Women Break Down Emotional First Relay Title in Program History

Wednesday Mar 17, 2021

The Virginia women took home their first-ever NCAA relay title in the 800 free relay, clearing the rest of the field by over 4 seconds to put on a dominant display. The team comprised of senior Kyla Valls, senior Paige Madden, sophomore Ella Nelson, and freshman Alex Walsh.

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Wednesday Mar 17, 2021

Sarah Sjostrom Doing 3 Leg Workouts Per Day, Kick is Stronger Than Ever

Wednesday Mar 17, 2021

We sat down with world record-holder Sarah Sjostrom, who is on the road to recovery after breaking her elbow. Sjostrom gave us an update on her status, saying she's back in the pool and kicking about 3-3.5 kilometers daily. However, Sjostrom is also going to the gym and doing a heavy leg lift, then getting in a cycling workout daily as well, making her legs very tired by the end of the day. Sjostrom says she's never focused this much on her legs before and normally she just relies on her upper body strength in her swimming. This could be a revamped Sjostrom once she is allowed to swim 100%, a scary thought considering she already holds 6 individual world records.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Tuesday Mar 16, 2021

Todd DeSorbo Offers Insight on Event Lineup, UVA Team Goals Before NCAAs

Tuesday Mar 16, 2021

With the 2021 Women's NCAA Championships on the horizon, University of Virginia head coach Todd Desorbo sat down with the media to preview the meet. We asked about UVA's event lineup choices for 2 of their more versatile stars, Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh. For both swimmers, DeSorbo said the event choices came down to what they wanted to swim and what events excited them the most. Douglass will be taking on the 50 free, 100 fly, and 100 free while Walsh will swim the 200 IM, 200 free, and 200 breast.

DeSorbo also emphasized the importance of his team staying loose and having fun while not forcing good swims. DeSorbo recalled that at the 2020 ACCs, the 200 medley relay squad had a year-long goal of breaking the US Open record in the 200 medley relay, but with the weight of that goal on their shoulders all year, the squad fell short of that time at the championships. This year, DeSorbo told the same squad to simply relax and have fun, and they ended up breaking the US Open record.

Tuesday Mar 16, 2021

Event-by-Event Breakdowns & Predictions for the 2021 Women's NCAA Championships

Tuesday Mar 16, 2021

I sat down with SwimSwam writers and swimming aficionados Robert Gibbs and Karl Ortegon to discuss and predict every event in the upcoming 2021 Women's NCAA Championships.

From a team perspective, it looks like Virginia's year to finally take a women's crown. However, as Robert pointed out, they have a lot of points to lose from the psych sheets, and NC State and Cal also have very strong teams coming into the meet that could make a title run. It also still doesn't seem like we've seen what Stanford can really do with a full rest and I feel like you can never count them out.

From an individual standpoint, the biggest storyline here is Kate Douglass and Maggie MacNeil getting in the ring and going 3 rounds in the form of 50 free, 100 fly, and 100 free. With few defending champions from 2019, this is a very young field of talent with a lot of wide-open events, so look to see some surprise champions crowned this weekend.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Monday Mar 15, 2021

How Fast Will Katie Ledecky Swim at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials?

Monday Mar 15, 2021

Olympic and World Champion distance swimming icon Katie Ledecky swam well at the San Antonio Pro Swim, but she was her own biggest critic unpacking her swims in the post race interviews. I thought Ledecky looked great considering she hasn't really traveled and competed in a year. Suiting up at home and running an elite meet schedule isn't the same experience. I think Ledecky knocked off some rust in San Antonio. What do you think? If you missed the meet coverage, see her times:

Ledecky - 2021 San Antonio Pro Swim

1500 free - 15:42.92
800 free - 8:13.64
400 free - 4:04.72
200 free - 1:56.62

For reference, see Ledecky's 2020 Des Moines Pro Swim Times:

1500 - 15:29.51
400 - 3:59.66
200 - 1:54.59

U.S. Olympic Trials Predictions?

Ledecky will swim fast, but not as fast as she will at the 2021 Olympic Games. At U.S. Olympic Trials I see a 1:54.5 200 free, 3:59.1 400 free, 8:09 800 free, and a 15:29 1500 free. I might be playing it a little too safe, but I don't see a reason for her to swim faster when making Team USA is all that's needed. Still, those would be solid swims in June for Ledecky, but the big question is will she swim the 100 free? I don’t know. I haven’t asked her, but I don’t think so. It’s been a weird year battling the pandemic. I think Ledeckey stays focused on her core schedule at U.S. Olympic Trials. But who cares what I think? I want to know what you think? Give me your best expert swimming analysis.

Monday Mar 15, 2021

American Record Holder Ian Finnerty Explains Pre-Olympic Retirement

Monday Mar 15, 2021

We sat down with NCAA Champion and American record holder Ian Finnerty, who just announced his retirement from swimming. Finnerty explains that staying in swimming an extra year for the 2020-21 season was a challenge in itself, as he had been ready to move on to other pastures after the 2020 Olympic Trials (and Games if applicable). After leaving Indiana University and training with Energy Standard, he wasn’t able to return to Turkey after the ISL season in Budapest, so went to train with Coley Stickels at Alabama. After Sitckels announced his leave as head coach at Bama, Finnerty decided to call it quits.

Finnerty was the first (and currently only) man to break 50 seconds in the 100y breaststroke, a feat which he first accomplished at the 2018 NCAA Championships, then repeated at the 2019 NCAA Championships, winning the event both times. He was also a 2x NCAA Champion as a part of Indiana’s 400 medley relay that one in both 2018 and 2019.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Sunday Mar 14, 2021

Jessica Long Explains Surreal Experience of Being Featured in Super Bowl Ad

Sunday Mar 14, 2021

We sat down with 13x Paralympic champion Jessica Long, who was just featured in an ad for Team Toyota that ran during the 2021 Super Bowl. Long takes us through the process of being featured as a subject of an ad of that caliber and getting to see the different iterations of her own story coming to life on screen. Long also takes us through training through COVID in the last year and staying motivated for what could be her 5th Paralympic Games.

SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com