Fish Out of Water: The SwimSwam Podcast

Olympic medalist Katharine Berkoff kept her momentum rolling from Paris, capturing 2 golds and a bronze in Singapore at the 2025 World Championships. This included gold in the 50 back, her first individual world title. Berkoff discusses competing through illness, NC State's crazy deep backstroke core, and winning individual medals at each of the last 4 major summer international competitions.

SwimSwam sat down with Braden Holloway, the head coach of the NC State Wolfpack and head coach of Team USA at the World Championships in Singapore this summer. Holloway unpacks in detail the highs and lows from this team trip, from the excitement of training camp firing on all cylinders to managing the sudden contraction of a team-wide virus. From traveling to Singapore, to making relay decisions on the fly and trying to keep morale high, Holloway gives an honest and open recollection of a World Championships that, despite adversity, still saw the USA top the medal table.

Today on the GMM Podcast, we sat down with Regan Smith, and this conversation only confirmed what I've been thinking for a while: Regan needs her own podcast. She doesn't just swim. She explains. She unpacks. She brings you inside her head in a way few athletes ever do. Regan's evolution has been painfully hard fought, and she's grown into a pro that articulates the details that hit and transcend for anyone who understands our sport. Regan is no longer the young upstart. She's a veteran with world records, medals, and battles etched into her career. She has deep knowledge of the sport, not just in the pool but on the dry side too: the Olympic industry, the nuances of governance, and the relentless pressure that comes with being America's best backstroker in an era with Aussie star Kaylee McKeown. In this episode, she breaks down the fight for gold against Kaylee, what it feels like to come up just shy, to manage the emotions, and then turn that fire into a weapon for Team USA relays. And if you've watched Regan in a medley relay, you know the story: she always delivers. Time and again, she lines up against Kaylee on the leadoff and beats her, setting the tone for the Americans to close it out. That's what makes this conversation special. Regan isn't hiding the grind or the heartbreak (or the behind the scenes events that can easily distract most elites). She's giving us beat-by-beat insight into how she processes it, how she stays sharp, and how she transforms setbacks into fuel for the next swim.

Today on this GMM Podcast, we sit down with Kate Douglass — Olympic champion, world champion, and one of the most versatile swimmers in the world. From her Tokyo 2020 bronze medal in the 200 IM to standing atop the podium in Paris with Olympic gold in the 200 breaststroke, Kate's star just keeps rising. Will Kate compete through LA2028? We talked about it at length, and she's leaving the door open, but she's not confirming it. For her, swimming has to fit into a lifestyle that makes sense. Listen to Kate's response in the podcast  and tell me what you think in the comments.

Leah Shackley and Kennedy Noble, teammates at NC State University, took Berlin by storm this summer. At the 2025 World University Games, they swept the backstroke events, finishing 1-2 in the 50, 100, and 200 distances, setting Games Records in all 3 in the process. They also comprised half of the winning 400 medley relay, and Shackley won gold in the 100 fly and as a part of the mixed 400 medley relay as well. The Wolfpack teammates break down their experience in Germany, what it was like being a part of Team USA, and what they're looking forward to this upcoming season in the NCAA.

Lani Pallister is coming off a massive world championships that saw her win a hat trick of medals (gold, silver, bronze) and nearly upset Katie Ledecky in what turned out to be the best race of the entire season. After the departure of Michael Bohl from Gold Coast, Pallister moved training bases with Dean Boxall, but only started at St. Peters Western in April. Something has certainly clicked for Pallister in Brisbane, however, as the distance specialist has been hitting best times left and right all season. She breaks down her season, her experience in Singapore, and ultimately the decision to go to Brisbane with Boxall (and not the University of Florida).

Today on the GMM Podcast, we dive into the legacy, battles, and future of one of swimming's greatest competitors: Kyle Chalmers. Kyle burst onto the world stage as a teenager in Rio, snatching gold in the 100 freestyle. Since then, he's stacked up eight Olympic medals across Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024. Talking to Kyle is easy and fun. This Aussie makes friends quickly, and he cherishes his relationships with the world's best sprinters. My title for this post might sound like I'm swinging for the fences, but I believe it's accurate: we are witnessing a once-in-a-generation 100 freestyle field as we ramp up to the LA 2028 Olympics. And Kyle's bond with each competitor is intimate, respectful, and fiercely competitive the moment they hit the water.

Today on the GMM podcast we sit down with SwimSwam's Chief Photographer, Jack Spitser, fresh off capturing unforgettable moments at the 2025 World Championships. Before we dive into Worlds, I wanted Jack to share his story, the journey that led him to becoming SwimSwam's eyes at the biggest meets in the sport. When he joined us seven years ago, Jack said his goal was simple: he wanted to shoot the Olympic Games. In this conversation, Jack pulls back the curtain. He talks about how he pieced together his gear (no small feat when photography equipment costs more than most used cars), and how he taught himself a craft that blends technical mastery with raw endurance. Capturing images can sometimes be ugly, a grind, pure brute force. But every so often, the work nets gold: that one image that transcends words and burns itself into the memory of millions of fans. Those are the photos that outlive the moment and become history. I'm proud of Jack, not just for the images he delivers, but for the grit, artistry, and persistence behind them. And I'm grateful for the relationship we've built at SwimSwam.

Aussie sprinter Jamie Jack made noise at the 2025 US Summer Championships in Irvine last week. On day 1, he took victory in the 50 free over US Olympians Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, and Brooks Curry, posting matching 21.63s in prelims and the final. But Jack still thought there was more in the tank. Taking a day of rest on Day 2, he time trialed the 50 free on Day 3, swimming a 21.43 to make him the 5th fastest Australian man in history and tie for 4th in the world this season. After returning home, Jack sat down with SwimSwam to discuss his season between Australian Trials, where he was 21.8, and US Champs. The SPW product said he discussed a plan with coach Dean Boxall that focused just on the 50 free (only for the rest of the season). That also included training with Cam McEvoy and his coach, Tim Lane, in the lead-up to Irvine.

Tunisia's Ahmed Jaouadi has been on a steady trajectory over the last year. He's gone from finaling in the 800/1500 in Paris to winning two medals (gold in the 1500, bronze in the 800) at the 2024 SC World Champs to now becoming a double world champ in Singapore. Jaouadi sat down with SwimSwam to discuss his ascent to the distance throne, when he learned how to put in hard work, and why he chose to come to Gainesville this fall to compete for the University of Florida.

South Africa's Pieter Coetze had a heck of a two weeks to round out the summer, competing at the 2025 World University Games in Berlin before heading to Singapore to race in the 2025 World Championships. In Singapore, Coetze became a world champion in the 100 back, touching for gold in 51.85, one of the fastest performances in history. He also earned silver medals in the 50 and 200 back, breaking African records in both.

GMM by  @SwimOutletcom  Let's be blunt: if you own a swim club in the U.S. right now, this episode should punch you in the gut — and wake you up. Because today on the GMM Podcast, I sit down with Tom Ugast, CEO of Nation's Capital Swim Club, a team that's been at the top of USA Swimming's rankings more years than it hasn't. But Tom didn't inherit a machine. He rebuilt one — from the turmoil of the Curl-Burke collapse — and turned it into one of the nation's top-producing clubs with a long list of Olympic swimmers including the greatest female swimmer in history: Katie Ledecky. This conversation is part of a series I'm doing with club leaders who've built empires, not just teams. I've already talked with Mike Koleber of Nitro and Chris Davis of SwimAtlanta. Tom rounds out that trio — and he brings something different to the table. Tom didn't come up through the traditional coaching ladder. He came out of the private sector, running a 200-person publishing business, moving millions of units for brands like Time and The Economist. When the 2008 crash hit, he pivoted — and brought every ounce of that business discipline back to the pool deck. The result? One of the most important club turnarounds in U.S. swimming history.

Join SwimSwam as we review the 2025 World Championships, going over the best swims, races, and athletes from Singapore.

Watch along with SwimSwam as we livestream day 8 finals of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.

Watch along with SwimSwam as we livestream Day 7 finals of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore. 

Watch along with SwimSwam as we livestream Day 6 finals for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.

Listen along with SwimSwam as we livestream day 5 finals of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.

Watch along with SwimSwam as we livestream Day 4 Finals of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.

Watch along with SwimSwam as we livestream Day 3 finals of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.

Listen along with SwimSwam as we livestream Day 2 finals of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.

Listen along with SwimSwam as we livestream Day 1 Finals of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore. 

We are going event-by-event and previewing the 2025 World Championships on the men's side.

Chris Davis doesn't mince words. The longtime SwimAtlanta head coach, founder, and CEO joined us for a candid conversation that cuts to the heart of where club swimming is—and where it needs to go. In this episode of the GMM Podcast by SwimOutlet.com, we sit down with one of the most respected figures in American coaching. Chris Davis is the godfather of club swimming in the United States. He has been in the game since 1977, when he launched SwimAtlanta with just 28 swimmers. Today, his club spans seven locations, serves over 1,800 athletes, and has produced five Olympians.  Additionally, he is widely considered the entrepreneur of entrepreneurs in aquatic sports, building a successful aquatic business, and mentoring countless other coaches who have sought his guidance and then gone on to launch superteams of their own across the nation. But Davis isn't on the mic to relive glory days. He's here to explain the radical shift SwimAtlanta made by embracing dual-registration with AAU, and why he believes the entire swim ecosystem needs to evolve.

We are going event-by-event and previewing the 2025 World Championships on the women's side.

Dr. Christoph Bartneck is a professor of computer science and a competitive swimmer with several national records. He actively promotes Masters Para Swimming in his role as national para swimming coordinator. He is an experienced science communicator with an interest in the intersection of mathematics, engineering and psychology. He frequently gives public talks and lectures at the local, national and international levels. Dr. Bartneck is an accomplished author with hundreds of scientific articles and books to his name. His work has been featured in the New Scientist, Scientific American, Popular Science, Wired, New York Times, The Times, BBC, Huffington Post, Washington Post, The Guard- ian, and The Economist. Today we are discussing his new book, Swim Training Patterns, which integrates mathematics into swim training to create an intellectual journey into patterns. Ex- ercise your body and mind with over 35 training programs derived from mathematical ideas. Dive into the history of mathematics and computer science to discover structures that will enrich your exercise routine. You don't need prior knowledge of mathematics or programming, just a curious mindset and the desire to swim in- teresting programs. This book will gently introduce you to the tools and knowledge you need to create programmatic training sessions. Learn how to write your training patterns using the Swimming Markup Language (swiML). Then, level up with the Python programming language to express even the most intricate training patterns. Creating swim training programs for every day of the week has never been easier.

GMM presented by  @SwimOutletcom   @SwimOutletGear  This GMM episode is for club owners, swim parents, aspiring coaches—and anyone who wants to understand how modern swimming clubs are built, sustained, and scaled in a digital-first world. When you talk about big teams in USA Swimming, one name swims to the top: Nitro Swimming. Founded by Mike Koleber and Tracy Koleber Nitro didn't just pop up overnight—it was built lane by lane, swimmer by swimmer, from the ground up in the suburbs of Austin, Texas. What started as a vision and a handful of kids is now the second-largest swim club in the United States, with thousands of swimmers across multiple locations and a digital footprint that rivals Olympians. A digital-first world matters when you are an entrepreneur in any industry.  Mike Koleber knows this, and he has built a social following that rivals the biggest names in our sport.   U.S. stars have massive followers, like Michael Phelps' 3.7 million on Instagram. You might think Caeleb Dressel (735,000) or Katie Ledecky (903,000) would come in second--and you would be wrong. Nitro CEO and swim coach Mike Koleber has the second biggest followers on Instagram with 1.6 million followers (and another 1.5 million on Tik Tok).

On today's episode of the SwimSwam Podcast, we're joined by a coach who has consistently left his mark across every level of the sport: SPIRE Academy Head CoachThad Schultz. A standout swimmer at West Virginia back in the day, Thad transitioned from athlete to trusted mentor and coach with a résumé that reads like a tour through American swimming. Thad coached on the deck at Clemson, Ohio State, and Penn State, and has worked with over 20 Olympians, 18 NCAA All-Americans, and countless age group and sectional standouts. Whether it was building champions at SwimMAC, developing youth at Brunswick Y, or now shaping the next generation at SPIRE Academy, Coach Thad has seen—and built—it all. And he's not just coaching for performance in the pool—he's building stronger minds. With a master's in counseling from Clemson, Thad brings a perspective many coaches miss. In this episode, we dive into how that training informs his philosophy on athlete development, leadership, and life after the pool.

SwimSwam sat down with newly hired Notre Dame men's and women's swimming head coach, Mike Norment. The 16x NCAA All-American swimmer has been coaching on deck for a while now, with college coaching stops at Georgia Tech and Georgia. Norment is innovative and thinks outside the box, which has resulted in his swimmers being engaged and bought into his system. He hopes to bring the same level of enthusiasm and concentration to South Bend, which will see the men's team back in action this season after a 1-year suspension for gambling. The new head coach also dives into what he learned from working with Nic Fink as a seasoned pro and starting his own club team, Metro Atlanta Aquatic Club.

It was only one month ago that Summer McIntosh broke 3 world records and approached 2 more at the 2025 Canadian World Trials in Victoria. After one of the single best performances at a competition in history, McIntosh has gotten back to work, preparing for Singapore at the end of the month. Today, McIntosh sat down with the media and fielded questions about Katie Ledecky, training with Fred Vergnoux and Bob Bowman, and chasing 5 Olympic gold medals in LA.

SwimSwam sat down with May-Ambre Moluh, the French sprinter who just finished her freshman season at Cal and is headed to Singapore for the World Championships this summer. We discuss her toughest sets in France, the American Mentality, and competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Today's episode is a big one. We're joined by Jaimie Fuller — Chairman and co-founder of eo, the company behind eo SwimBETTER, the wearable that's quietly but rapidly changing how elite swimmers train. If you follow the tech side of the sport, you've heard the buzz: real data, real-time feedback, real results. But this conversation isn't just about gadgets and gear. It's about values. Fuller and eo have launched the Integrity Wall campaign, taking dead aim at the Enhanced Games. It's a bold stance in a sport that, frankly, has a complicated history talking about clean performance. Fuller tells us why he felt compelled to draw a line in the sand, and why now is the time for swimming to take a clear position. We also get into the data revolution — how athletes like Pan Zhanle, Paige Madden, and Kyle Chalmers are showing what's possible when you blend tech, technique, and transparency. Fuller opens up on how eo's AI-driven tools are reshaping the athlete-coach dynamic, unlocking gains without crossing lines. And — hot off the press — we break down Swimming's Moneyball, a new documentary from eo that drops today. It's a fresh look at how data is redefining what it means to be fast in the water. If you care about the future of swimming, clean sport, or what happens when tech meets talent, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Editor note: Jaimie Fuller does state in this podcast interview that the Enhance Games is promoting pharmaceutical sales. We did review the Enhanced Games website, and (as of the day of this report), the homepage of the Enhanced Games website has a button in the upper righthand corner GET ENHANCED. When you click that button you are taken to enhanced performance products. TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) is listed with a dollar amount to buy.

After 4+ decades as head coach of the Nashville Aquatic Club, John Morse is retiring at the end of the month. Under Morse's leadership, NAC has produced over 65 Olympic Trials qualifiers, won over 40 LSC Championships, and earned 15 Gold Medal Club awards. Most recently, the club helped guide the swim careers of Olympians and NCAA icons Alex and Gretchen Walsh. SwimSwam sat down with John to discuss his long tenure in Nashville and the lessons he learned along the way. Young and old swim coaches alike, you won't want to miss this conversation.

Dutch backstroker Kira Tousaint recently announced her retirement from competitive swimming. She ended her career as a 3x Olympian, 11x European Champion, and Dutch record-holder in the 50 and 100 back (LCM) as well as the 50, 100, and 200 back (SCM). She was also an NCAA All-American for the University of Tennessee, where she competed from 2015-2017.

Today on the SwimSwam podcast is a man who doesn't just run a program—he builds an ecosystem. We're joined by Bill Dorenkott, Ohio State's Director of Swimming and Diving. Bill's teams have quietly—and not so quietly—become one of the most consistent and innovative forces in collegiate swimming. We're talking about a program that, in summer 2025 alone, qualified 16 athletes for U.S. Nationals, notched 24 second swims, and put 4 athletes on U.S. National Teams. Charlie Clarke's heading to Worlds in open water. Matthew Klinge, Mila Nikanorov, and Daniel Baltes? Off to represent at the World University Games. And let's not forget—Daniel Baltes had never even swum a long course meet before coming to Columbus. But this conversation isn't just about results. It's about how they're doing it. Bill shares his “gradually, gradually, then suddenly” philosophy, how Columbus has become a magnet for young talent, and how their burgeoning pro and post-grad group is positioning Ohio State as a key player on the road to LA 2028.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we are discussing national and international meets that saw a plethora of fast swims

In this episode of the SwimSwam Podcast, we sits down with Nimrod Shapira, a man who embodies what it means to take the discipline of swimming and turn it into entrepreneurial rocket fuel. From NCAA champion and two-time Olympian to the CEO of Florida's largest learn-to-swim business, Fintastic Swim Academy, Nimrod shares his journey from having $482 to building, scaling, and ultimately selling his company to private equity—while never truly leaving the sport he loves.

Sean Kao was a swimmer at Arizona State, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in exercise science. In 2019, he started Aquatic Sports Performance out of his parents' garage in hopes of being able to help athletes with their out-of-water training. Over the last 6 years, it has developed into helping over 150 athletes in and out of the water reach their potential. Last month, one of ASP's athletes, Santo Condorelli, qualified for the US World Championship team in the 50 free. Sean discusses his humble beginnings, lifelong learning mentality, and his journey in helping Santo get to Singapore.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we are discussing World Trials for the USA, Australia, and Canada.

Emma McKeon is an Olympic icon, an Australian swimming legend, and now a Swammer. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, McKeon became one of only 2 women in swimming to ever win 14 Olympic medals over her career, joining Katie Ledecky who accomplished the same feat at the same meet. SwimSwam caught up with McKeon after she had enjoyed some well-earned rest, recovery, and travel since Paris. The Aussie shared what her life has looked like since stepping away from swimming but also reflected on the leadup to her final meet. McKeon revealed that just 2-3 weeks out from Paris, she was contemplating not even going due to the severity of pain she was having in her shoulders. However, she was able to manage her injury through the Games and walk away with a gold, silver, and bronze, securing her legacy as one of the greatest Olympians ever.

What if we told you that the biggest business opportunity in swimming isn't a tech suit, a sponsorship deal, or a world record — it's the lane next to the one you grew up training in? In this episode of the SwimSwam Podcast, we dive into one of the most overlooked and underestimated business models in sport: learn-to-swim. Our guest? Two-time Olympian, NCAA Champion, and now CEO of Fintastic Swim Academy & Fintastic Brands — Nimrod Shapira. He launched his swim school with just $482 and zero outside investment. Today? It's a multi-million dollar business that just exited to private equity — and he's not done.

When we talk about performance breakthroughs in swimming, we usually focus on athletes, suits, or training methods. But sometimes the real game-changers are the things right beneath our goggles—like the lane lines. In this episode of the SwimSwam Podcast, we're joined by Simon Percy, Vice President of Malmsten Inc. and a former Olympian, to dig into one of the most underrated pieces of race-day tech: the lane line. It might sound simple—but it's not.

A3 Performance is making a bold leap forward this summer with the upcoming launch of its most advanced tech suit yet: PRANA. Founder and CEO Dan Meinholz shared the big picture in an exclusive conversation with SwimSwam, walking us through the inspiration, innovation, and athlete-focused engineering behind this world-class race suit.

Dara Torres drops in on the SwimSwam Podcast to recap her first-year experience as head coach of Boston College. If you followed swimming at any point between the late 1980s and the 2000s, the name Dara Torres likely meant one thing: dominance. The 12-time Olympic medalist was a generational athlete whose longevity and speed redefined what was possible in the sport. Now, Torres is proving that greatness doesn't stop at the water's edge. In her first year as head coach at Boston College, Torres brought the same energy, excellence, and relentless drive to the Eagles' program that defined her Olympic career. While the men's team went 2-4 and the women posted a 2-3 dual meet record, Torres' inaugural season wasn't about win-loss columns—it was about laying the foundation for the future, and that foundation looks rock solid.

In this marathon podcast, we go through the entire 2025 US Trials psych sheet and give an event-by-event preview of every upcoming race in Indianapolis.

After emerging as Team USA's top 100 freestyle relay option at the Paris Olympics, Hunter Armstrong had planned to take 6 months off of training before getting back into the pool with his sights set on LA28. Life had other plans. After suddenly getting dropped by his primary sponsor in late 2024, Armstrong had to stop training completely, working odd jobs, including swim clinics, construction, and substitute teaching, in order to pay his mortgage. He was going to Pro Swims, but really only competing for the fun of it, having little to no training under his belt. After the Ft Lauderdale pro swim in May, which he thought would be the last meet of his career, a new sponsor contacted him about a potential partnership. Now with renewed life in and outside of swimming, Armstrong is taking his time getting back into serious training. Not swimming all the time forced the Olympic champion to find out who he was without his sport, and he's still enjoying that process. Since he has almost no training under his belt, Armstrong is forgoing the US World Trials in Indianapolis, choosing to focus on the Pro Championships in Irvine at the beginning of August instead. Though it didn't all go to plan, Armstrong is now back in the pool with his sights set on LA28.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we are discussing the Enhanced Games, Braden Holloway as the single head coach for 2025 Worlds, and a potential new format for the NCAA Championships.

SwimSwam sat down with Greg Meehan, the newly named National Team Director of USA Swimming, to discuss his vision for the national team's future. When Meehan laid out his plan, his three key points were "winning" the 2028 Olympic Games, building a "team-first culture," and having transparency in the national team's methodology and communication. Meehan has already implemented significant changes in how the USA Swimming navigates an Olympic quad, including naming a single head coach for the 2025 World Championships (Braden Holloway) and having the results of the 2025 season determine the roster for the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we are discussing the 12-year-old Chinese phenom Yu Ziti (and swimming at the Chinese Nationals), Leon Marchand's spicy 4:07 400 IM, and Chris Lindauer going to Stanford.

Germany's Sven Schwarz is coming off a weekend that saw him break his first European Record, dropping a 7:38.1 in the 800 free. He also went a huge PB in the 1500, breaking 14:40 for the first time to touch in 14:36. Schwarz discusses his experience at the German Championships and what it's like when he gets to have training camps with fellow German distance titans Lukas Martens, Oliver Klemet, and Florian Wellbrock. 

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we are discussing the madness that occurred at the Ft Lauderdale Pro Swim.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we are discussing the newly announced dual meet tournament, several international meets around the globe, and the upcoming Pro Swim Stop in Ft Lauderdale.