In this podcast, Houston head coach Tanica Jamison discussed how she is establishing herself with a new program after almost 10 years with one of the most stable programs at Texas A&M, led by one of the most consistent coaches in the sport's history, Steve Bultman. Tanica also discussed growing up in the 90s as a young, fast, swimmer, who was also black. She spoke about how her sport led her to her path and her coach, Jill Sterkel at the University of Texas was the representation that opened...
Feb 16, 2022•44 min•Ep. 765
This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Claire Curzan 's American Record in the 100 fly, Townley Haas 's retirement, and the upcoming NCAA DI conference championships. 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 ...
Feb 15, 2022•33 min•Ep. 764
Katie Grimes made the 2020 Olympic swimming team at age 15 in the 800 free after getting 2nd to Katie Ledecky at the US trials. She discusses her entire Olympic experience, including getting 4th in Tokyo and how she was able to bounce back from that. Grimes also shares her favorite training sets, including one that she did at Olympic training camp and the Sandpipers’ “Janet Evans” set. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Appl...
Feb 14, 2022•49 min•Ep. 763
This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss FINA's announcement of the new 2022 World Champs in Budapest and how that will affect the upcoming ISL Season 4, which made some announcements of their own recently , and the USA Swimming schedule, which also just came out with their revised season schedule. We also play everyone's favorite game, SINK or SWIM. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Click here to list...
Feb 10, 2022•37 min•Ep. 762
Bryce Mefford is a 2020 US Olympian and NCAA champion for Cal in his 5th year as a bear. He sat out of competition at Cal this past fall to take a break from the water after the Olympic Games but is now back in competition. Mefford discusses why his break was necessary and how his return to racing has gone so far. He also tells his favorite stories from Olympic training camp and the Games themself in Tokyo. Mefford is weighing his options in and out of the pool, and after his final collegiate se...
Feb 07, 2022•40 min•Ep. 761
Michael Brinegar is a 2020 Olympian in the 800/1500 free and an NCAA All-American for Indiana. He sat down with us to speak about his experience at the SC World Champs (where he ended up leaving early due to potential close contact with COVID), training with Mark Schubert in high school and college, and making his first Olympic team last summer. Brinegar also looks ahead to the Big 10 and NCAA championships, where he looks to be in the hunt for a title (and American record) in the 1,650. SWIMSWA...
Feb 04, 2022•40 min•Ep. 760
Alia Atkinson is a 5x Olympian, 4x world champion, and current world record-holder. She was a dominant breaststroke throughout the entire 2010s decade and made her mark in the world cup circuit, ISL, and on the world stage. Alia recently announced her retirement after the 2021 Short Course World Championships and sat down with SwimSwam to discuss her career, including ups, downs, and inbetweens. SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify Click here to listen and subscri...
Feb 03, 2022•47 min•Ep. 759
3-time World Champion, 2-time Olympic Champion and Team Speedo Athlete, Zach Apple , gets raw and real about his 2020 Olympic performance. Zach let’s us inside his head, inside the highs and lows of his Olympic roller coaster experience. 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 Cli...
Feb 02, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 758
This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the ISL announcing a massive Season 4 schedule, post grads having success with other programs, and Adam Peaty taking on the 200 breast. 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 ...
Feb 01, 2022•45 min•Ep. 757
We sat down with Ryan Held , who is hot off of a 6-medal performance at the 2021 World SC Championships, including 2 relay golds and 2 individual silvers in the 50/100 free. Held takes us through his last 6 months, starting at the lead-up to the 2021 Olympic Trials, when he was training with just Coley Stickels and Ali Khalafalla out of a pool in Birmingham and lifting in Stickels' basement. Held goes through the disappointment of placing 6th at Trials but then finding out he wouldn't be taken t...
Jan 31, 2022•50 min•Ep. 756
Shaine Casas is a 6x world championship medalist and 3x NCAA champion. His decision to leave his alma mater of Texas A&M to train with their rival Longhorns in Austin has turned quite a few heads, but today Casas sets the record straight. He takes us into his head through the whole process of trying to transfer and ultimately going pro. Few swimmers choose to put their degree on hold to focus on their athletic career, but we see it frequently in other sports. Casas says he wants to prioritiz...
Jan 28, 2022•30 min•Ep. 755
Rhyan White is a world champion, Olympic medalist, and NCAA All-American. She was the only woman from America to qualify for the 2021 Olympic Games in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. In Tokyo, she finished 4th in both events, just missing individual medals but still helping the USA to a silver in the 400 medley relay. White discusses managing her emotions through Trials, the Games, and afterword when she came back to Alabama to kick off her senior season. She talks about the new coaching staff ...
Jan 27, 2022•53 min•Ep. 754
In this podcast, we learn more about Mondy, the Jolyn brand, and Jolyn’s on-going support of the sport. This year they launch the Jolyn Swim Collegiate Series. This series is not for the top 5-10% of swimmers that are recruited on “national times” alone. This series focuses on the 90-95% of youth swimmers that don’t have those top national event times. The Swim Collegiate Series serves as a “recruiting pipeline” for the coaches allowing them to spot talent 2-3 years down the road. SWIMSWAM PODCA...
Jan 26, 2022•34 min•Ep. 753
This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the 2022 World Champs getting postponed, Katie Ledecky beating Zane Grothe in an exhibition 500 free, and Gretchen Walsh setting a new American record in the 50 yard backstroke. 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 l...
Jan 25, 2022•41 min•Ep. 752
Josh Liendo was an Olympian at 18 and now at 19 is a world champion. He not only won gold as a part of the mixed 4x50 free relay in Abu Dhabi, but also earned double individual bronze in the 50 & 100 free. Liendo discusses growing up in Trinidad, moving to Canada as a teen, and becoming invested in swimming by chasing age group records. 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 ...
Jan 24, 2022•36 min•Ep. 751
USA Swimming has had a challenge to overcome for generations. Our sport’s registration does not reflect the current makeup of the United States. Only 1% identify as black, and only 6% identify as mixed-race. For USA Swimming to continue to grow and be successful as an National Governing Body, they must invest in big ideas, moonshot ideas, to chart a successful course into the future. Since 2004 the USA Swimming Foundation has supported their partners with free and reduced cost swimming lessons n...
Jan 23, 2022•39 min•Ep. 750
Ron Kontura, Director of Total Performance Swim Camps, is many things. In another life he'd probably be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He's the current Aquatics Director at Kenyon College and the Head Coach of Men's and Women's Diving. His resume is long. Ron loves to organize events, and he's passionate about the camp experience and value it provides to swimmers for years and years into their careers. At Total Performance Swim Camps, Ron manages heavyweights in the sport, providing them a pe...
Jan 22, 2022•26 min•Ep. 749
As reported today, FINA could be postponing the Fukuoka World Championships set for May of 2022 to July of 2023 . If that is the case, what happens? SwimSwam Editor-in-Cheif, Braden Keith, and I sat down to discuss what this would mean for the US and the rest of the world. While most other countries have another opportunity at a major LCM championship later in the summer, the US only has our summer nationals in Irvine in August. We talk through possible scenarios for the 2023-2024 international ...
Jan 21, 2022•17 min•Ep. 748
We sat down with 2x Olympic champ Tom Shields to discuss the ISL's no walkout clause, late payments from FINA and ISL, racing for 6 months straight, and being on government assistance leading up to the 2021 Olympic Trials. We also play a new game, "Go with the Current". 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 li...
Jan 20, 2022•52 min•Ep. 747
oach Brian Schrader heads Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training (FAST) at an elite facility opening March 2022 in Ocala, Florida. As head coach Schrader is responsible for all operations while coaching swimmers. Brian drops in on the SwimSwam Podcast to unpack the details behind this brand-new facility. He, of course, has a long resume, having coached along side our sport’s greats, include Eddie Reese, Jack Bauerle, and Gregg Troy to name a few. Brian’s the current Lead Assistance Coach for I...
Jan 19, 2022•43 min•Ep. 746
Today on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we go over Michael Phelps playing celebrity pickleball matches, Sun Yang netting over $500k from selling makeup, and the 2023 World Champs getting pushed to November. 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 Lis...
Jan 18, 2022•51 min•Ep. 745
Fink talks us through managing school during the full ISL season, taking finals a week before flying to Abu Dhabi for the world championships, and going best times and winning world titles through all of it. 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 subscrib...
Jan 17, 2022•43 min•Ep. 744
We sat down with Olympic champion James Guy, who is currently stuck at home from a positive COVID test, although he is A-symptomatic. Guy walks us through his last 6 months, from the Olympic Games to his "reset" time to ISL. Guy breaks down in fine detail what it meant for himself and Britain to win the men's 4x200 free relay in Tokyo and the hopes they have for the men's 4x100 medley relay after winning silver. Guy has always shown up on relays, but when asked about them he didn't say he feels ...
Jan 14, 2022•52 min•Ep. 743
We sat down with NAG record-holder and surprise breakout star of the Speedo Winter Jr Champs, Ilya Kharun of the Sandpipers of Nevada. Ilya takes us through his evolution in the pool and with the sandpipers, shedding light on his monumental drop from 1:56 to 1:42 in the 200 fly in the 2021 calendar year. He also discusses his commitment to Arizona State and training with the Sandpipers' top group, including a set they did recently, 60x100 on your choice of interval, Ilya choosing 1:02. SWIMSWAM ...
Jan 13, 2022•26 min•Ep. 742
British Paralympic swimmer Will Perry has gained attention after posting on Instagram last week about an interaction that for him is all too common. After having a frustrating day, he went to the grocery store, hoping for a quiet trip to buy household food. Instead, he was ridiculed because of his size by 3 teenage girls. This prompted a rage-fueled post to his Instagram page, calling for the bullying and abuse to stop and for people with dwarfism, such as himself, to be treated as equals to tho...
Jan 12, 2022•36 min•Ep. 741
This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss Emre Sakci challenging FINA for transparency, swimmers 1-uping each other on a 75 swim with fins, and Swimnex predicting 10 world records at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. 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 liste...
Jan 11, 2022•47 min•Ep. 740
2020 Olympic medalist and Team Speedo athlete, Katie McLaughlin , epitomizes perseverance. She’s been an elite swimmer since she was 16 years old, a fast rising age group star who earned four medals at the 2013 World Junior Championships. She followed up with strong performances at the 2014 Pan Pacs and 2015 World Championships. Landing at Cal her freshman year, swim-fans expected a clear path onto the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team, but a tragic accident during Cal’s winter training camp halte...
Jan 10, 2022•57 min•Ep. 739
We sat down with Schuyler Bailar , the first openly trans NCAA DI male athlete, to discuss what being a trans athlete, and trans human, means. This has come to the forefront of news lately in the case of Lia Thomas , the trans woman that is currently competing for the University of Penn women's swim team. Bailar describes the importance of biodiversity in sport and how we see a discrepancy in how biodiversity is accepted. Bailar explains that while males with biological advantages are often prai...
Jan 07, 2022•38 min•Ep. 738
Solomon D’Amico, co-head coach of Seward TSUNAMI SWIM CLUB, is the mind behind the success of Lydia Jacoby. Lydia has racked up endless awards since her star-turn at the 2020 Olympic Games, including the 2021 Swammy Award for Female Breakout Swimmer of the Year. Lydia, only 17 years old, won Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke (1:04.95) and silver in the 4x100 medley relay. In addition to his position at TSUNAMI Swim Club, Solomon’s also the head coach of swimming and track and field at the Se...
Jan 06, 2022•44 min•Ep. 737
Thomas Heilman — the 14 year old swimming phenom out of Virginia’s Cavalier Aquatics under coach Gary Taylor — broke 13 national age group records in 11 days. Thomas accomplished this feat competing at three different meets in 11 days, USA Swimming’s U.S. Open, YOTA Arena Capital Classic, and then Speedo’s Junior Nationals. In this podcast Thomas unpacks a few of his record swims, his training, and his life throughout the pandemic leading up to this history-making accomplishment. See all of the ...
Jan 05, 2022•33 min•Ep. 736
