Fish Out of Water: The SwimSwam Podcast

Today on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the new changes to the NCAA Championship format, recap last weeks college swimming, and preview the upcoming World Cup stop in Carmel, Indiana.

Today on the SwimSwam Podcast we're joined by Lucas Sallas-Cunha, head coach of Quicksilver Swimming in Santa Cruz. Lucas has spent his career building champions in the pool, but his latest chapter is about something bigger: access. He recently expanded his program into Watsonville, California, a largely Hispanic/Latino community where swimming participation and water safety skills have historically been limited. To truly understand the cultural and structural barriers, Lucas earned his Doctorate in Education and centered his dissertation on the topic: “Understanding Water: Values, Viewpoints, and Behaviors That Influence Swimming Participation in Watsonville, CA.”

Today on the SwimSwam Podcast we have Jeff Pease, a name that has been synonymous with San Diego swimming for over 40 years. Jeff is the founder, head coach, and team owner of North Coast Aquatics (NCA), one of the first coach-owned swim clubs in the United States, established back in 1979. What started as a bold idea has grown into the premier program in San Diego, consistently earning Gold and Silver Medal status from USA Swimming.

Today on the GMM podcast we have Torri Huske, who walked away from the 2025 World Championships with two relay golds (including world records), a relay silver, and an individual bronze in the 100 free.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss last weekend's Golden Goggles Awards, the financial draw of the Enhanced Games, and top NCAA dual meets from across the country.

After stops at Auburn, UNC-Wilmington, and Virginia, John Carroll is now the head coach of Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Carroll dives into his impressions of the team so far and what he's looking forward to as a first-time head coach. Georgetown starts its competition season vs crosstown rivals Howard University at the Battle at the Burr, one of the highest-attended college swimming dual meets in the country, on October 4.

Today on the GMM Podcast we sit down with Kaylee McKeown, the undisputed queen of backstroke. In Singapore, Kaylee swept the 100 and 200 back, blasting a personal best 57.16 in the 100 and nearly matching her world-record pace in the 200. What makes this story interesting is what came before it. Post-Paris, Kaylee struggled in training, so much so that she made the bold decision to return to her home club and reboot. That reset worked. By the time Worlds rolled around, she was back in control. But it wasn't all smooth water. While Kaylee avoided the stomach virus that cut through the meet, she did face a shoulder dislocation scare and, in her own words, a bout of “constipation at Worlds” — her funny, unfiltered way of pointing out the irony compared to her competitors' health woes. In this episode, Kaylee breaks down: The reset that carried her from post Olympic training struggles to World Championship dominance. What it's like facing Regan Smith again and again on the world stage. That she is confirmed for the World Aquatics World Cup this fall. Context behind the Australia Swimmers Association, an independent org supporting Aussie elites swimmers. And a candid look ahead as she weighs where to focus her energy next summer, Commonwealth Games vs Pan Pacs.

Today on the GMM podcast, we have Jack Alexy, a sprint star shouldering the hopes of Team USA fans in the run-up to LA2028. If you followed Paris, you know the story: Alexy's first Olympic Games were mixed. He led the world out of prelims in the 100 free, then faded to seventh in the final. It was a tough pill to swallow for a swimmer sitting on that much raw speed. Fast forward to the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, and Alexy delivered one of the great redemption arcs, dropping a blistering 46.81 in the 100 freestyle, an American Record. Perhaps more importantly, when Team USA needed a hammer on the medley relay anchor, he uncorked a 45.95 split, the fastest anchor in American history. That bodes well for LA2028. Today, we dig into how he processed Paris, his training over the past year, his sickness on the cusp of Worlds, and what it felt like to deliver swims that rewrote the record books. This conversation runs about an hour. If I missed any topics or questions, drop them in the comments, and we'll pick them up in our next Alexy podcast.

Rising Multi-talented star Audrey Derivaux shone brightly this summer, competing at the World Junior Championships in Romania and coming away with 3 individual golds, a silver, and a relay gold. SwimSwam sat down with Derivaux to discuss what her training has looked like this summer and what her experience was like in Otopeni with Team USA.

18-Year-Old Campbell McKean shocked the country when he won national titles in the 50 and 100 breast in early June. McKean went on to compete in both events at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, making the semi-final in the 100 breast while falling just .12 short of a 2nd swim in the 50 breast. He also swam the prelims of the 400 medley relay, which went on to win a bronze medal.

This week on the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss World Aquatics' announcement regarding qualification for the 2028 Olympics in the 50s of stroke, the new USA Swimming CEO, and Ben Proud going to the Enhanced Games.

Jon Maccoll, the head coach of the Rutgers Women's Swimming and Diving team, is taking an idea from many other sports and bringing it to the pool. Maccoll has brought in a number of male swimmers as "practice swimmers" to train with the Rutgers women's team. While they are not technically a part of the NCAA team (Rutgers does not have a men's swimming program), they will train with the team and receive team gear. The men will compete in USA Swimming competitions, but they will have the same expectations as the women's team in terms of practice attendance and effort. Maccoll says this is commonplace in sports like women's basketball and is tired of losing recruits to programs that have men and women on the team.

Today on the GMM podcast we have 50 freestyle Olympic and World Champion Cameron McEvoy. This sprint star, known as The Professor, has done more than win medals, he has revolutionised training in a way I don't think we can turn back from. Cameron, a graduate from Griffith University with a bachelor's in physics and mathematics, trusts the data and it has rewarded him. This isn't just another training conversation, Cameron shares the far edge of human performance and what it takes to move water at top speed. The results are undeniable, and the ripple effects are going to change how the sport thinks about sprinting.

Ben Proud sent shockwaves through the swimming community on Wednesday morning with his announcement that he's joining the Enhanced Games, essentially ending his competitive career on the international stage representing Great Britain. Although it's not yet confirmed if Proud plans to be put on the Enhanced Games doping protocol, or race in the Games clean, World Aquatics has enacted a new bylaw barring anyone who participates in the Games from competing in one of their events (this could change with the $800 million lawsuit the Games filed last month). Following the bombshell news drop on Wednesday, SwimSwam's Braden Keith and James Sutherland reacted to the news, outlining what they believed Proud is capable of doing at the Enhanced Games, what his motivation to join the Games might have been, and if this move will lead to more swimmers joining the Games.

If you've been following Shaine Casas since his NCAA glory days when he swept the DI championships with a triple-win, this is the world stage moment we've all been waiting for.  Shaine has shown flashes of brilliance, moments that hinted at greatness, but 2025 feels different. This summer feels like a corner was turned and the promise of potential bent into the hard reality.

This summer, 16-year-old Rylee Erisman became the fastest 18-and-under in US history in the 100m free, swimming a 52.79 to earn gold at the 2025 World Junior Championships. That was just 1 of 8 medals in Romania for Erisman, who walked away with 5 gold and 3 silver and helped USA top the medal table. In this episode of the SwimSwam Podcast, Erisman discusses her experience at the US Trials in Indianapolis, World Junior Champs, her Florida state high school season, and the college recruiting process that she's in right now.

In what was a surprise to many, Summer McIntosh, the best female swimmer in the world currently, decided to spend the majority of her 2025 season in Antibes, France. After training with storied coach Fred Vergnoux at a 3-week altitude camp, McIntosh decided to spend the rest of her preparation for Singapore in the south of France with Fred as well. This resulted in the Canadian super star winning 4 gold medals and 1 bronze in Singapore. Vergnoux, known for guiding Mireia Belmonte to Spain's first-ever Olympic gold medal in swimming at the 2016 Rio Games, discusses at length what the first half of 2025 looked like for his teenage pupil. He also shed light on what makes Summer as great as she is and why she's been able to enjoy all of the international success she has had in her relatively short career so far.

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.