The SwimSwam Podcast

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 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

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.

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 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

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 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with NCAA Champion, World University Games Champion, and now Swammer Reed Malone. Malone announced his retirement after sustaining a concussion in practice one day, which gave him time to reflect on his career. Reed said the realization that he came to is he was chasing this Olympic dream because, without it, he thought his career would be a failure. Malone was able to reflect on all that he's accomplished, and more importantly all the relationships he was able to foster through swimming, and hang his goggles up feeling very fulfilled with his time in the sport. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

2-time Olympian, 3-time Olympic medalist, and the author of BLUEPRINT Katie Hoff drops in on the SwimSwam Podcast. Katie talks about her hardcore training, her business, and her new life post-swimming--which she is loving. Check her out here on IG @KTHoff7. Interested in BLUEPRINT, her book? See what Michael Phelps has to say about it: “I have so much respect and admiration for Katie Hoff as a person and an athlete. She helped push the progression of women’s swimming and now courageously shares her insights and challenges in and out of the pool in Blueprint. Through it all, Katie’s mettle is gold.” – Michael Phelps See Blueprint HERE, a great holiday gift for you swimmer, swammer or swim coach - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P521NV8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

After reinstating men and women’s swimming and diving and 3 other varsity athletic programs , Dartmouth Athletic Director Harry Sheehy held an evening Zoom call with the returning teams – a Zoom call that the college newspaper described as “hostile.” The teams went into the hour-long call hoping for an apology and accountability for the decision to cut their sports which negatively affected recruiting efforts and potentially violated Title IX compliance. “It was chaos,” former Dartmouth swimmer Connor LaMastra told The Dartmouth in an interview. LaMastra, who transferred to Northwestern in August to finish his collegiate career, says he asked Sheehy for a personal apology toward the end of the meeting. Reportedly, Sheehy responded, “I’m sorry you transferred.” We sat down with junior diver Bella Lichen and junior swimmer Parker Hershberger to get their take on the zoom call and how they hope to move forward as a team. Lichen and Hershberger both agreed that this zoom call was discouraging, however they and the rest of Dartmouth Swim & Dive seem ready to put it behind them and move forward into their new era of being a team again. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Kaitlyn Dobler, the freshman from Southern California who walked away from the Pac-12 championships with wins in the 100 and 200 breast. Dobler takes us through her freshman year, emphasizing that knowing she had an extra year of eligibility was a huge stress-relief. Dobler had felt pressure coming into USC to get back down to the times she had registered pre-COVID and with that extra time, she could work on having fun and learning in the pool, which showed at Pac-12s. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with James Guy, the world champion, Olympic medalist, and FINIS athlete who's looking for gold in Tokyo. Guy gets deep when talking about his preparation as well as what his relay teammates are doing to get ready for the Tokyo Olympics. Come Tokyo, Guy is not only eyeing individual hardware but also looking to top the podium in the 4x200 free and 4x100 medley relays, both of which Britain has taken 1 world title in at the last 3 world Championships (4x200 gold in '15, '17, 4x100 medley gold in '19). 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Washington State head coach Matt Leach, who coached one of his athletes to a Pac-12 championship title, the first in WSU history. Leach takes us through the race as well as the season for the Cougars, detailing the ups and downs they've faced throughout this season. Leach, who was the head coach at Indiana State before relocating to WSU, also dives into what it takes to build up a collegiate women's program. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Cal women's head coach and Olympic coach Teri McKeever. Teri gives some context to the Cal women's Pac-12 team title, it's first since 2015, and explains what her team has had to go through with COVID protocols this past season. She also gives her perspective on how NCAAs will look different, especially with timed finals of all relays. McKeever is a proponent of prelims/finals relays, noting that it makes the NCAAs more about overcoming a challenge than putting oneself in a position to go fast. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

ACC Swimmer of the meet Jack Hoagland lit it up at the ACC championships for Notre Dame, taking wins in the 500 free, 400 IM, and 1,650. Hoagland sat down with us to break down his races and tell us about his year of training. Last year at ACCs, Hoagland made an immediate impact but was somewhat riding the coattails of his distance-star teammate, Zach Yeadon. After Yeadon transferred to Cal, however, Hoagland explains how he stepped up his game to take the reigns and become the new distance stud on campus. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the 2x ACC Champion in the 50 and 100 free, Matt Brownstead. The Virginia freshman gives us his take on his swims at the championships, training in Charlottesville, and his NCAA class as a whole. We've already seen a slew of 18-unders drop 18+ and 41+ swims in the 50 and 100 freestyles, and Brownstead thinks the NCAA Champs will just bring more. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with the University of Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero, who is fresh off of his team's first men's ACC championship title in program history. Albiero explans the attitude of gratitude and keeping things day-to-day that got the cardinals through the season and he believes aided them through the ACC Championship meet. On paper, not even Albiero was confident that the cardinal could win, but his swimmers kept fighting and kept the meet close throughout, culminating in the last session when they took the lead with just the 4x100 free relay to go and was able to hold on by taking 2nd in that event. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Oakton senior Anthony Grimm was in excellent form last week, picking up another 2 individual VHSL titles to cap off his career, and providing a few more stellar relay performances. Grimm kicked off his meet with a blistering 20.87 lead-off on the 200 medley relay, establishing a new personal best. The swim was the fastest back split in the field by over 2 seconds. Grimm also provided a 19.24 anchor split on the 200 free relay. That 200 free relay won by over 2 seconds, hitting the wall in 1:23.57, just off the VHSL record. Graham Evers led Oaktown off in 21.01, Carl Blakney was 2nd with a 21.53, and Wes Kron went 3rd for a 21.79. On the 200 medley, Grimm teamed up with Evers on breast (27.31), Ian Ching on fly (23.23), and Blakney on free (21.36) for a 1:32.77. Individually, Grimm won the 50 free by nearly a full send, roaring to the wall in 19.69. The swim came in just a hair off his personal best 19.67, which he swam in 2019, and is the VHSL overall record. Grimm then went on to break the VHSL 6A and overall records in the 100 breast, clocking a 53.84. The swim was actually off his personal best of 52.51 by a quite a bit, but it was faster than he swam in any meet during 2020. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic and World champion, Katie Ledecky. Ledecky took us through what her quarantine has looked like going back to March, and the restrictions she's had to adhere to in Santa Clara county. Ledecky has a positive outlook, saying she's grateful to have kept in the water for the most part and having gotten a good training block in over the past few months without any travel. Ledecky specifically references a best average test set that started one week with 24x100, then 18, 12, and 6, with a goal of having a faster average each week. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Florida sprint coach Steve Jungbluth to discuss this success that Florida's sprint core had at the SEC championships, specifically breakout freshman Adam Chaney. Jungbluth admits that Adam's backstroke speed surprised even him, but his freestyle speed was about what they thought he could be, especially given his predecessor. Jungbluth compares his former pupil, Caeleb Dressel, to the 2009 super-suit era where people's eyes were opened to what was possible. In the wake of Dressel's mind-blowing NCAA records, Jungbluth says that is now the standard that so many youngsters are going after. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with UNLV head coach Ben Loorz and associate head coach Pat Ota, who are coming off winning conference championships with both their men's and women's teams. The two describe what it was like to both win a nail-biting victory on the women's side, which came down to the last relay, and a dominant one on the men's side. They also discuss working with the ISL sprint star Kasia Wasick, and the qualities they've seen her that set her apart from the pack. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In the SwimSwam podcast, we talk with Speedo's head designer, Chris Johnson, and Speedo Athlete, Tom Dean, about the launch of Speedo's new range of goggles, Hyper Elite. Speedo, the world’s leading swimwear brand, has launched its new range of racing goggles, the Hyper Elite. Designed to help athletes of all abilities level up their swim, the Hyper Elite features the latest hydrodynamic and performance-enhancing technologies to give swimmers a competitive edge in every race. The Hyper Elite is the latest evolution of the brand’s revolutionary Fastskin Elite goggle, resulting in enhanced performance and comfort whilst maintaining all the hallmarks of the goggle that changed the game when launched in 2011. Developed in collaboration with the world’s top athletes, the Hyper Elite features a new hydroscopic lens shape to allow for maximum peripheral vision in the water, meaning swimmers can keep a close eye on their rivals with minimal head movement. The goggles also come with a new enhanced hydrodynamic nose bridge that offers improved speed, comfort and durability. Additionally, HyperElite also features Speedo’s patented IQfit™ one-piece racing strap, giving the swimmer a personalised and leak-resistant fit – providing them with confidence in the pool, at the turn and off the blocks. Speedo’s HyperElite is available in six new colourways with varying degrees of visual brightness due to the goggles’ new dual shot construction. Swimmers now have more options than ever to choose the perfect goggle to suit their style. As part of the development process, Speedo prioritised working with swimmers of all levels to create goggles that work for everyone who wants to race. Some of the world’s top athletes were consulted as part of the design and testing process, whilst club swimmers from across the world, including USA, UK and Australia, were also invited to test the goggles, resulting in a high-performance goggle for all abilities. Hyper Elite available here March 3rd Available in the United States this summer. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Northwestern head coach Katie Robinson to discuss the wildcats performance at the 2021 Women's Big Ten championships. Overall, it looked like the women came out swinging, putting themselves in a tight battle with Indiana for 3rd place for much of the meet and overall finishing in 4th. Robinson also gave her thoughts on the "Honest Effort" DQ that one of her swimmers garnered on night 4 of the meet. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with now 2x Big Ten team champion Ohio State's head coach, Bill Dorenkott. Dornekott gave some really interesting insight as to how his team prepped for the Big Ten champs, saying they weren't focused on repeating as champions in this pandemic year but rather performing to the best of their ability. One thing Dorenkott talks about them doing in their prep work is splitting into event groups on a regular basis. Knowing there wouldn't be fans in the stands, Dorenkott emphasized that the team would have to create their own energy in each individual event. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

At the 2021 SEC Men’s Championships, Florida freshman Adam Chaney put up two of the fastest 100-yard backstrokes in 17-18 age group history. Chaney also became the 4th 18&U swimmer to break 19 seconds in the 50-yard free. During prelims on Day 3, Chaney put up a 45.44, smashing his previous lifetime best of 47.10 from 2019. Then in finals, Chaney nabbed SEC runner-up with another lifetime best at 45.29. At the time, that ranked Chaney as the 3rd-fastest 17-18 swimmer in 100-yard back history. That is until Chaney turned around and led off Florida’s winning 400 medley relay. Chaney led off the relay in a blistering 44.99, splitting 21.38/23.61. That now makes Chaney the second 18&U swimmer to break 45 seconds in the 100 back. He is now No. 2 all-time in age group history only behind Olympic champion Ryan Murphy (44.63). All-Time 17-18 Boys Rankings – 100 BK SCY 44.63, Ryan Murphy, 2014 44.99, Adam Chaney, 2021 45.05, Nic Albiero, 2018 45.32, Jack Conger, 2012 45.34, Austin Katz, 2017 In the 200 medley relay, Chaney led Florida’s winning relay off in a 20.72 backstroke leg, which is the 15th-fastest 50 back relay split in history. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with Minnesota junior and NCAA All-American Max McHugh, who has looked stellar in what little racing we've seen from him this winter. In the 2 dual meets he swam this semester, McHugh put up 22.6/22.7 on the medley relay (breast), 50.6/50.5 in the 100 breast, and 1:53.7/1:53.1 in the 200 breast. Max says he was suited for these races, but these are still monster times for untapered swims. McHugh goes into what he's been working on in and out of the pool this season and how he's approaching his races headed into this week's Big Ten 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Florida junior Kieran Smith was already the American and NCAA record-holder with his 4:06.32 from last year’s SEC meet. The fastest swimmer in history in the event, Smith hit the gas early, going out 1.3 seconds faster to the 200-mark than he was in his American record swim a year ago. Meanwhile, Georgia freshman Jake Magahey went out in about the same pace Smith did a year ago. And the distance-oriented Magahey followed the Smith gameplan, dropping his splits into the 24-highs, and even outpaced Smith with closing splits of 24.8, 24.4 and 24.3. Magahey wrapped the race in 4:06.71 – putting him as the #2 swimmer of all-time behind only Smith. Top Performances All-Time, Men’s 500-yard free Kieran Smith (2020) / Kieran Smith (2021) – 4:06.32 — Jake Magahey (2021) – 4:06.71 Zane Grothe (2017) – 4:07.25 Townley Haas (2019) – 4:08.19 The next night, with Smith swimming the 400 IM, it opened the floodgates for the freshman Magahey to take the SEC title in the 200 free, swimming another come-from-behind race to touch out the competition at 1:32.2. Magahey walks us through his freshman season and what made it such a success. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Torri Huske wasn't the only swimmer to break 2 national high school records this week. We sat down with Aiden Hayes, who clocked a 19.20 50 free and 45.47 100 fly just 13 minutes apart from one another (both national high school records). The high school senior also clocked 20.7 in his 50 back lead-off of the 200 medley relay and 43.00 leading off the 400 free relay. Hayes admits that out of all 4 of these times, he only met one of his goals - 20.9 in the 50 back. Although he was shooting for 18.9 50 free, 44.9 100 fly, and 42.9 100 free, Aiden relinquishes that goals aren't meant to be met every time and overall he was very pleased with his performances. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

US National Teamer Torri Huske made her mark on the final day of the 2021 VHSL Class 6 State meet, breaking two National High School records. Huske, a senior at Yorktown High School, began her meet by swimming a time of 1:53.73 in the 200 IM, chopping a tenth of a second off of Dagny Knutson’s National Public High School record of 1:53.82 that had stood since 2009. About 27 minutes later, Huske was back in the pool swimming the 100 butterfly, putting up another National Public High School record. Huske touched in a time of 49.95 to become the first swimmer to break 50 seconds during a high school competition. Her time shattered her own record of 50.67 set earlier this month, and 17-18 National Age Group record of 50.19 that was set by Olivia Bray in 2019. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

Kieran Smith tied his 500 free American and NCAA Records on the nose tonight at the SEC Championships, clocking 4:06.32 for the second straight year to defend his title. Smith said this difference in splitting was by design, reflecting that he needed to be out faster if he wanted to get to that next level. However, Smith is optimistic that there is a good middle ground to be found from his 2 4:06 outings, and he's confident he can find the right splitting come NCAA's to reach a new personal best. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

The University of Kentucky won its first-ever SEC Championships title after 40 years of women’s swimming in the SEC Conference. Their victory was by a margin of 53 points over the University of Florida. The defending champions, Tennessee, placed 5th. The Wildcats achieved this victory both with swimmers who arrived on their campus as stars, like Sorenson who became the Iowa state record holder in the 100 yard back (54.61), alongside swimmers who they trained into becoming stars. For example, last year Poole finished 13th in the 200 breast and 24th in the 400IM. Brooks finished 15th in the 100 fly last year and now has jumped up to 9th with a new lifetime best. Head coach Lars Jorgenson was not present at the start of the meet on Wednesday because of a positive COVID test last week, but he arrived in time to see the team win the SEC Championship title on Saturday. Lars was nice enough to sit down with us and break down what makes the UK team so gritty and full of heart, especially when it mattered most. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

In a shocking turn of events, the 2021 CCSA Women’s championship ended in a tie. Two-time defending champs Liberty earned a 3rd-straight conference title, although they share this year’s title with the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. FGCU outscored Liberty by 58 points on the final night, but ultimately fell a half-point short of singular ownership of the CCSA title. We sit down with FGCU head coach Dave Collins to get his perspective on this accomplishment as well as what he saw from his team to lead to this moment throughout the year. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic Champion and 4-time Olympic medalist Cullen Jones is the new philanthropic sales manager for Speedo USA, his longtime partner. Cullen’s mission is very focused. Under the title and message SPEEDO POOL TOGETHER, Speedo USA and Cullen are helping to get swimmers and swim teams back in the water safely during this challenging period in swimming history. HOW IT WORKS: This March is the month that Speedo invites you to receive 25% off everything on their website. MARCH 1ST VISIT: speedousa.com/speedo-pool-together On that webpage select where you would like the donation from Speedo to go. You can select a Swim team or The Boys and Girls Club of America. The choice is yours! Shop your gear with the 25% discount automatically applied at checkout- no promo code is required! At the end of the promotion, March 31st, Speedo will donate 10% of all sales to the selected swim teams or The Boys and Girls Club of America. Pool Together with Speedo USA. There’s never been a better time to support swimming. Why Boys & Girls Club? For over 150 years the Boys & Girls Club of America has been a stronghold of youth development. They have become a partner with Speedo as both organizations share similar values and attitudes geared towards hard work, inclusion, positivity, resilience and self-improvement. A donation to the Boys & Girls Club will go to help children who need it most. Isn’t this just another sale to get people to shop? Speedo has always looked at how to support the local swim teams in unique ways, and giving directly back to the swim teams who need it most is what triggered them to start this activation. Last September, Speedo was able to launch a similar fundraiser and was able to give back close to $20k to swim teams/team dealers. As you know, the recent pandemic has not been good for competitive swimming. Pools are shut down, competitions are postponed leaving a lot of us feeling like fish out of water. But fortunately, we’re competitors, and our goal is to win—and that’s exactly what the Speedo USA “POOL TOGETHER’ fundraiser is all about. The more we shop, the more we can help get our sport back up and running. Aside from the 25% and 10% give back, any other incentives for swimmers and swim teams to participate in this fundraiser? Yes, the sponsored team with the most donations will be photographed by a local photographer showcasing their favorite Speedo products purchased during the fundraiser. This will culminate in a digital event wherein the winning team will be featured on-site and will be awarded a 24 hour takeover of Speedo's social channels, plus there will be a prize box with sweet swag. Speedo USA is a SwimSwam partner. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with NCAA champion Ryan Hoffer, who's looking to help the bears defend their NCAA title from 2019. Hoffer breaks down what Cal's limited racing opportunities have been like this season and explains the difference in mentalities between practicing (or even racing in practice) and racing in a meet format. Hoffer admits that when he came to Cal, he wasn't the best in-season swimmer, focusing much more on swimming well once he had a good rest under his belt. However, Hoffer learned how to get his swimming tuned-in to be able to throw down in-season through his time with the bears. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

SEC Network will debut its latest SEC Storied documentary “Once Upon a Comeback,” the story of swimming sensation Dara Torres, on Monday, Feb. 22 at 9 p.m. ET. The film’s debut coincides with the SEC Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, with the women’s airing Sunday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. and the men’s airing Saturday, Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. Dara Torres pushed boundaries for both her gender and age, breaking records and forging new paths for women. However, underneath the success was a relentless mounting pressure to look a certain way. A star swimmer at the University of Florida, Torres won nine SEC individual championships, was named SEC Athlete of the Year in 1988 and earned 28 All-American swimming honors – the maximum possible during a college career – all while living with a severe eating disorder. Bulimic during her time at Florida, Torres speaks about this experience on-camera for the first time in-depth. Her journey is not uncommon, just rarely talked about, and highlights the dangers of competing at the highest levels and pushing the limits, both physically and psychologically. Torres would go on to win 12 Olympic medals over a 25-year span, participating in five Olympic Games. As a veteran swimmer and mother, her 2008 Olympic comeback is legendary, when at age 41, she became the oldest swimmer to win an Olympic medal. Now, she is an important role model for all collegiate and Olympic athletes, having navigated the difficult transition from elite athlete to a successful life after sport. The film was directed by filmmaking duo Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters. “We began our careers in sports television, Nancy at ABC Sports and me at NBC Sports, and followed Dara’s amazing journey through many National & World Swimming Championships and five Olympic games,” said Lax. “We are in awe of her accomplishments, especially in 2008 when she made her third Olympic comeback as a ‘working mom.’ She is a remarkable inspiration to all of us working moms. Being able to handle the pressure and juggle the responsibilities – and to do it all with such poise and perfection is fairytale-like.” Collectively, Lax and Winters’ television and film productions have earned them 16 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and multiple CASE, Christopher, Cine Golden Eagle, Davey, Gracie, International Monitor, Telly and Sabre Awards. After building illustrious careers at rival networks -- Winters at ABC producing Wide World of Sports and directing soap operas — and Lax at NBC Sports directing, producing and managing the production of over 500 short films & profiles for the Atlanta, Sydney & Salt Lake City Olympic Games -- they fulfilled a lifelong dream of working together by joining forces in 2002. An advance press screener is available upon request. Please contact Kimberly Elchlepp [email protected] and Isabelle Lopez at [email protected]. About SEC Storied ESPN Films launched the SEC Storied documentary series in September 2011, presenting fans the opportunity to explore the rich athletic history of the Southeastern Conference. From extraordinary athletes and coaches to defining games and moments, the series has featured films that focus on the SEC’s recent and more distant past, including one of the most-viewed documentaries in ESPN history, The Book of Manning. In 2015, SEC Storied received its first two Sports Emmy nominations for both “Outstanding Sports Documentary” and “Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics” with the film It’s Time: The Story of Brad Gaines and Chucky Mullins. About SEC Network The Southeastern Conference and ESPN launched SEC Network on August 14, 2014. The network televises hundreds of games across the SEC’s 21 sports annually. Programming includes in-depth analysis and storytelling in studio shows such as SEC Nation, Thinking Out Loud and Rally Cap, daily news and information with SEC Now, original content such as TrueSouth, SEC Storied and SEC Inside, and more. Hundreds of additional live events are available for streaming exclusively on SEC Network’s digital companion, SEC Network+, via the ESPN App and SECNetwork.com. The network is also available in more than 135 countries throughout Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia via ESPN Player, ESPN’s sports streaming service in the region. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Two-time Olympic medalist Abbey Weitzeil has signed with Speedo ahead of the 2021 Olympic summer. Weitzeil's place on #TeamSpeedo is well-deserved. Weitzeil has had a long, successful career. In fact, this summer will be her third trip to U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha. Back in 2016 Weitzeil swept the 50 and 100 free at U.S. Trials. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Weitzeil notched the fastest split on the women's 4x100 free relay, helping Team USA earn silver behind the Australian sprint crew. Edging the Australians in Tokyo is top of mind as Weitzeil trains over these final months before the Olympic Games. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion and world record-holder Cesar Cielo to talk about his career, where it's at, and where it has been. Cesar recounts many of his highlights, taking extra care to give details on his time at Auburn alongside sprinter greats like Fred Bousquet, George Bovell, and Matt Targett. He recalls the power work they did on Monday and Friday mornings as well as the competitive environment he was a part of with this group. Cielo also dives deep into his experience at the 2008 Olympics, admitting that mentally he was in quite a bad place heading into the 100 free and was quite sure he had missed the final after his semi-final swim. However, once he made the final in lane 8, he was able to pivot in a more positive direction, yielding him a bronze in that race and Olympic gold in the 50 free just days later. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Tennessee head coach Matt Kredich, who has seen quite a few top transfers to his program in the last year. Kredich discusses how he's developed his coaching style to understand and communicate effectively with athletes and shares what he's learned along the way. This includes being aware of his body language, letting athletes decide what success means to them, and straying away from anger as a coaching method. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Rich Roll, globally famous podcaster and former DI swimmer from Stanford, has a superpower—vulnerability—and when times get tough, he taps into its marrow. There was a point early in his rapid rise when Rich appeared to own the world. His book was on countless top-10 lists, his podcast was blowing up with listeners, and CNN had crowned him one of the Fittest Men on the Planet. At the some time, his finances were devastatingly strained. The economics of his new life didn’t match his current reality, not yet. The universe, in Rich’s words, decided he needed to burn a little longer. Rich’s swimming-roots guided him through this challenging period: “It took a lot of faith and a lot of grit and hard work – all things I learned as a swimmer, when you’ve got to get up at 4:30 in the morning and go to practice. I relied upon those habits and those tools that I learned as a very young person to weather that storm and get to the place I am now. These tools that you learn as a swimmer are so important in terms of how you apply them to other goals and aspirations that you have in your life. That ability to show up and grind and do it in the dark when no one’s watching, be anonymous in this pursuit of mastery, is such a gift. So, whether you become an Olympian as a swimmer or you struggle to make your Junior National cut, whatever it is, you’re learning life skills that have applicability in ways that you can’t possibly imagine.” 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo, who has been at the top level of swimming for well over a decade, winning her first Olympic medal as a part of the winning 4x100 free relay in 2008. Not only does Ranomi share some of her vast swimming experience with us, but she delves into what may come after swimming. Ranomi is a big proponent of self-development outside of the pool and staying balanced as a swimmer with other interests or things you can turn to. She realizes that she won't be swimming and even says she may pursue a career in helping others find themselves once her days in the competitive pool are over. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey has three decades of sports business executive experience, holding leadership positions across Major League Soccer, English Premier League, National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League. Tim’s also thoroughly chlorinated. Before his sports executive run-up, he swam DI at UC Irvine, coached for Dave Salo, and he still swims masters. (If you train with him, here’s a pro-tip. Wear fins so you can keep up. I’m not joking. Tim gets after it in swim practice, and he’s a distance-man.) I asked Tim to drop-in on the SwimSwam Pod because I want swimmers, coaches and parents to know him like I do. Tim loves the sport—the entire swimming family. He’s got big goals (big dreams) and the organizational skill to make them happen. I strongly believe the Hinchey era of swimming will come to define our sport in the future. He’s shouldering the pandemic with strength and grace, and we are all going to see the fruits of his labor as we evolve and grow throughout 2021-2024. STAY ENGAGED WITH TIM: Tim has launched CEO CORNER on USAswimming.org, a quarterly editorial to keep the base informed. See his first post here: https://www.usaswimming.org/news/2021/02/11/ceo-corner-the-new-year 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with NCAA champion Andreas Vazaios, who is now training and working towards his masters degree at Loughborough University. Vazaios is studying psychology, specifically emotional intelligence and self care. The Greek swimmer shares some of the things he's learned about these topics and how they've trickled into his life as a swimmer and as a human. Read Andreas Vazaios' blog about emotional intelligence here. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Calvin Werts, swimmer at the University of Puget Sound and video producer at the CG Sports Company. Calvin, like many other athletes, has numerous passions, two of them being swimming and video production. After going to a swim clinic led by Olympian Jacob Pebley, Werts ended up calling Pebley's agent, CG Yung and asking if he needed help on the video-side of things. Calvin tells us how he worked his way from intern to paid employee and some of the things he found helpful along the way. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Notre Dame standout Coleen Gillilan to get her perspective on the past year. Gillilan put up impressive times recently at the Shamrock Invite, where the Irish put on racing suits and the sophomore surprised herself with near PB's. Gillilan explains the training that the Notre Dame team has been able to get in the last 2 semesters since getting back to campus, including a look into her favorite (everybody's favorite): 200 fly practices. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Olympic and World Champion Lilly King was SwimSwam’s 2020 U.S. Swimmer of the Year because the global pandemic did not slow her down. King crushed her competition over ISL’s second season representing the Cali Condors. At USA Swimming’s most recent Pro Swim Series in San Antonio King swept the 100 and 200 breaststroke, but she was edged by Emily Escobedo at the Richmond Pro Swim. I have a feeling King would’ve swum faster had she been racing head-to-head with Escobedo. Emily Escobedo - 100 breast - 1:07.11 Lilly King - 100 breast - 1:07.14 Emily Escobedo - 200 breast - 2:23.46 Lilly King - 100 breast - 2:25.83 WAY TOO EARLY 2021 SWIMMING PREDICTIONS I can’t pretend to doubt King—not even a tiny bit. King dominates the field in the 100 breast at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, inching close to her personal best at 1:04.3. She also wins the 200 breast, going out fast and holding on for 2:21.5 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with North Carolina native and high school senior Coleman McCreery, who has had a bit of a bumpy road in terms of finding a swim program. He originally committed to East Carolina in April of 2020 (as a junior), about a month before the program was announced as getting cut. After dealing with that blow, McCreery got back into the recruiting pool and landed on Michigan State, signing in October 2020 (as a senior) just weeks before their program also announced it would be getting cut. Taking more time to recover from this second blow, McCreery came around to the realization that he was on a good trajectory with his swimming, and reclassified to the high school class of 2022. Even though McCreery is hoping to have committed to a school by April-May of 2021, he's hoping the gap year will give him more time to develop as a swimmer while taking community college courses from home. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with Olympic, World, Pan Pacific, and Commonwealth champion Emma Mckeon to talk about the pandemic, how her 2021 Olympic prep is going, and dive into her swimming story a bit. Emma has been on the Australian national team for over a decade now but admits she wasn't always in love with pushing herself to the limit. Mckeon reveals when she was younger and went to her first major international meet (2010 short course world championships), she decided she wanted to focus on her social life instead and retired from swimming. Since then, however, she has found her rhythm in the sport and her results speak for themself. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with NCAA All-American Grace Countie to talk about the 2-week stint in which UNC raced 4 dual meets. Countie particularly shined in the last of these against Duke, where she won the 100 back and 100 free and was a part of the winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Countie discusses that she gained confidence racing back-to-back like this, getting the opportunity to make small adjustments and fine-tune the details of her races. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with head coach for the Cal men and for the 2021 Men's US Olympic team, Dave Durden. We've seen some exceptional swimming from the bears in the last few months, and Durden breaks down the purpose behind each race since November. Durden also speaks on the uncertainty moving forward in the season and how that he helped to mold their mindsets into focusing more on the here-and-now. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

Shaine Casas is the swimmer to watch. His star is rising fast! Shaine can swim backstroke, butterfly, IM, and freestyle at the elite level. Sounds like he even wants to make a run at breaststroke. Shaine’s consistently racing fast—making improvements like an age grouper. At the college level, he's pure gold, but can he net hardware this summer? Can he make the U.S. Olympic Team? WAY TO EARLY 2021 SWIMMING PREDICTIONS I see this Texas A&M swimmer making the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team in the 100 back, 200 back, and maybe even the 200 IM. He’s probably going to final at U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha in a few more events. But who cares what I think? I’d like know what you think in the comments. Give me your best swimming analyst? Shaine Casas SwimSwam BIO + Personal Best Times: 100 yard back - 43.87 200 yard back - 1:36.54 100 yard fly - 44.98 200 yard fly - 1:39.23 200 yard IM - 1:38.95 100 meter back - 52.72 (from 2019!) 200 meter back - 1:55.79 (from 2019!) 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora

We sat down with NCAA All-American Izzy Ivey, who is coming off of an electric 3-day, 4-session dual meet performance in which she broke Cal dual meet records in the 100 free, 100 fly, and 4 relays. Ivey reflects on the racing that she and the bears have gotten to get in this year as well as the heavy training they've done throughout the fall and winter. Ivey also delves into the perspective she's gained through the COVID-19 pandemic, admitting that the 2020 NCAA's getting cancelled was a tipping point for her in terms of having to discover who she was outside of swimming. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with NCAA All-American turned coach, Pavel Sankovich. Pavel shared what worked for him when he was an age-group, collegiate, and professional swimmer when trying to develop the best underwater in the world. Sankovich delves into his focuses, his kick counts, and even a few of his favorite sets. One in particular he shared is simple in make-up but much trickier in execution: 3x300 on 3:30, descend 1-3, must kick to 15yds off of every wall and maintain stroke & kick count throughout all 3 300s. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com

We sat down with NCAA champion and former van-lifer, Emma Reaney. Reaney had a full swim career and has had a full life since stepping away from swimming, taking us through both journeys in today's podcast. Reaney describes the joy of swimming in college and opening yourself up to an entire team, noting the best year of her swimming (junior year, when she won the 200 breast at the 2014 NCAA Championships in American record fashion) was also the year she was in the best headspace and living with 4 of her teammates. Reaney also describes the adventures she was able to go on after her swimming career, including being an Au pair in Australia, traveling throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania, and renovating/living in a van during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 listen and subscribe on Stitcher Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora Music: Otis McDonald www.otismacmusic.com