The USA Swimming podcast series, Kick Set, will feature coaches, athletes and staff members who will share their perspectives on various topics in the swimming world.
Episode 64: American Record, Diving Into Data and MORE with Kate Douglass
Fresh off the heels of her American Record in the 200-meter breaststroke, Kate Douglass joined the podcast to talk about her iconic swim, outlook for the Olympic year, passion for data analysis and more.
1/31/2024 • 34 minutes, 54 seconds
Episode 63: End of Year Recap, Look Ahead to 2024
The Kick Set Podcast crew (hosts Matt Barbini and Elizabeth Beisel and producer Kyle Sagendorph) breaks down some of the highlights, both in and out of the pool, from 2023. They also discuss storylines to look forward to at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming and Paris Olympics.
12/27/2023 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 25 seconds
Episode 62: Jack Alexy on His Approach to Training, World Championships, Golden Goggles and More
Jack Alexy catapulted into U.S. men’s freestyle history when he posted a 47.31 at this past year’s World Championships, making him the second-fastest American in the event’s history. In this episode of Kick Set podcast, he sits down with hosts Matt Barbini and Elizabeth Beisel at the 2023 Golden Goggle Awards to discuss his incredible season and outlook towards the future
12/20/2023 • 45 minutes, 31 seconds
Episode 61: Paige Madden Describes Winning Gold at Pan American Games
Tokyo Olympian and U.S. National Teamer Paige Madden recently went to Santiago, Chile, for the 2023 Pan American Games. She was named one of the captains of the U.S. swim team and went on to win four medals. In this episode, she describes her experience in Chile while also talking about her difference in perspective between this upcoming Olympic cycle and the last cycle.
11/17/2023 • 34 minutes, 55 seconds
Episode 60: Olivia Smoliga Shares Outlook on the Sport
Two-time Olympian Olivia Smoliga shares what growth in the sport has looked like for her over the years and how she's preparing for the new season ahead. In this podcast, she discusses her recent Worlds experience, the importance of believing in yourself and more.
9/27/2023 • 43 minutes, 31 seconds
Episode 59: Alex Shackell Describes Her First World Championships Experience
Alex Shackell was the second-youngest member of the U.S. roster at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. She anchored the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay to silver, swimming alongside Katie Ledecky and going against Australia's Ariarne Titmus. In this podcast, she discusses her Worlds experience, the human element of elite swimmers, her experience at Carmel Swim Club and more.
8/17/2023 • 37 minutes, 26 seconds
Episode 58: Rowdy Gaines Previews 2023 World Aquatics Championships
With a competitive career that is highlighted by three Olympic golds and a broadcasting career that spans eight Olympic Games, Rowdy Gaines shares his insight and expertise on what is shaping up to be an exciting 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
7/20/2023 • 53 minutes, 44 seconds
Episode 57: Olympic Legend Dara Torres
Five-time Olympian Dara Torres talks about how swimming has evolved through the years, becoming a USA Swimming Foundation ambassador, being a mom and more.
6/14/2023 • 47 minutes, 8 seconds
Episode 56: Nick and Gabi Albiero on Pride Month, Sibling Dynamic and Swimming Goals
Roughly a year after publicly coming out, ACC Champion Nick Albiero talks about his individual journey in honor of Pride Month while his sister Gabi shares her perspective as his sister and teammate. Nick and Gabi also discuss the upcoming Phillips 66 National Championships, what it would mean to qualify for an international team together, stroke advice for listeners and more.
6/1/2023 • 45 minutes, 36 seconds
Episode 55: Brennan Gravley on Open Water Nationals and Growing the Sport
Five-time U.S. Open Water National Team member Brennan Gravley talks about his experience in open water. From testing it out as a club swimmer to competing internationally, he shares why open water swimming can be a tremendous opportunity for all swimmers.
4/17/2023 • 53 minutes, 18 seconds
Episode 54: Natalie Coughlin Shares Stories From Iconic Career and Importance of Swim-Life Balance
Twelve-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin joins the podcast to share what she has been up to since retiring and stories from her decorated career. She discusses how important it is to listen to the athlete voice, prioritize mental health and more.
3/30/2023 • 51 minutes, 23 seconds
Episode 53: The Impact that Maritza McClendon has Made on the Sport
In 2004, Maritza Correia McClendon became the first Black female to make a U.S. Olympic swim team and later became the first Black American female to win an Olympic swimming medal. In this episode of Kick Set, Maritza discusses her challenges and triumphs in the sport, as well as how the swimming community can become more inclusive.
2/27/2023 • 41 minutes, 9 seconds
Episode 52: Olympian Katie Hoff Reflects on Swimming Career and Post-Swimming Life
Two-time Olympian Katie Hoff joined Kick Set to reflect on her career. From making an Olympic team at 15 to having an injury bring her to retirement, Hoff's journey in the sport has helped her to a successful career as a dryland instructor, motivational speaker and author.
1/31/2023 • 57 minutes, 14 seconds
Episode 51: Golden Goggles Blue Carpet Show with Olympians, Paralympians and More!
Hosts Elizabeth Beisel and Matt Barbini set up an open microphone at the 2022 Golden Goggle Awards, welcoming any decorated athlete, coach or presenter who was in attendance in New York.Hear from Katie Ledecky, Jessica Long, Ryan Murphy, Bobby Finke and more!
12/15/2022 • 48 minutes, 14 seconds
Episode 50: Coach Kathleen Prindle Shares Takeaways From National Select Camp
Performance Aquatics coach Kathleen Prindle was one of the head coaches of the 2022 Boys' National Select Camp, which featured 50 emerging talents training and learning at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She shares her experiences and takeaways from the camp, including how young athletes can grow both in and out of the pool.
10/31/2022 • 53 minutes, 24 seconds
Episode 49: Leah Smith on Leadership, Longevity and Perseverance
Shortly after being named to the 2022-2023 U.S. National Team in five events and earning two Golden Goggle Awards nominations, Leah Smith shares what her journey has been like this year after a challenging 2021.
9/28/2022 • 41 minutes, 49 seconds
Episode 48: Ryan Held and the Return of Duel in the Pool
Olympic gold medalist Ryan Held joins the podcast to discuss his time at the 2022 FINA World Championships, his outlook for the upcoming Duel in the Pool and out-of-the-pool life.
8/16/2022 • 44 minutes, 41 seconds
Episode 47: Carson Foster Breaks Down Worlds Success and Overcoming Mental Barriers
Fresh off his three-medal performance at the 2022 FINA World Championships, Carson Foster talks about his experience in Europe, his fast times since then and how brain-spotting has helped him grow both in and out of the pool.
7/22/2022 • 40 minutes, 12 seconds
Episode 46: How the 2024 Olympic Trials Time Standards were Built, with Patrick Murphy
Patrick Murphy, USA Swimming's Director of Analytics, joins the podcast to discuss stats and storylines for the upcoming FINA World Championships as well as details on how the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming time standards were created. For more info on the FINA World Championships, head to www.usaswimming.org/2022Worlds. For more on Trials, visit www.usaswimming.org/Trials.
6/15/2022 • 41 minutes, 28 seconds
Episode 45: Abi Liu's Rise from International Medalist to Decorated Coach
Bellevue Club Swim Team head coach Abi Liu discusses her start in swimming, competitive career on the Chinese National Team, transition to coaching and outlook towards coaching the U.S. team at the 2022 Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet in June.
5/25/2022 • 49 minutes, 48 seconds
Episode 44: Open Water Swimming with Haley Anderson
Three-time Olympian and the only American to ever medal in an Olympic open water event Haley Anderson joins the podcast to reflect on her career, share tips on open water swimming and answer questions from the fans.
4/25/2022 • 34 minutes, 8 seconds
Episode 43: A Look at Junior Pan Pacs with Coach Brent Arckey
The 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships was recently announced to take place in Honolulu, Hawaii this August. Listen in as the head coach for the U.S. team at this year's competition, Brent Arckey, weighs in on what the opportunity means for junior athletes, his coaching experience and more.
4/6/2022 • 31 minutes, 9 seconds
Episode 42: Natalie Hinds Shares Journey from Leaving the Sport to Becoming an Olympic Medalist
After taking time away from the sport in 2016, Natalie Hinds climbed the ranks to become an Olympic bronze medalist in 2021. Hear about her journey in the sport, experiences as a Black female swimmer, her home decor and weaving business and more in this episode of Kick Set.
2/16/2022 • 45 minutes, 32 seconds
Episode 41: The Evolution of Sprint Freestyle with Abbey Weitzeil
Abbey Weitzeil, one of the best freestylers in U.S. history, hops on the podcast to discuss American freestyle, being a leader and good teammate, experiences on U.S. relays, 2021 experiences and responses to fan-submitted questions.
1/25/2022 • 55 minutes, 2 seconds
Episode 40: Legendary Sportscaster Mike Tirico Details Experiences at Trials & Olympic Games
Legendary sportscaster Mike Tirico joined the swimming community this past summer by calling the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming and serving as the nightly analyst of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. In this episode, he shares his experiences at both meets, as well as his conversations with Michael Phelps, sportscasting career and even takes time to answer questions from fans. Hosts Elizabeth Beisel and Matt Barbini finish off the episode by reliving their favorite moments from 2021 and what they are looking forward to in 2022 and beyond.
1/3/2022 • 38 minutes, 38 seconds
Episode 39: Dave Salo
Kick Set hosts legendary coach Dave Salo as he discusses the outlook for the upcoming FINA World Championships (25m), Thank You Coach Month and answers some questions that our listeners submitted.
12/3/2021 • 48 minutes, 56 seconds
Episode 38: Your New Hosts, Elizabeth Beisel and Matt Barbini
Kick Set is being passed along to the tandem of three-time Olympian, Elizabeth Beisel, and USA Swimming Director of Performance, Matt Barbini. Get to know the new hosts in this episode as they talk about their dynamic and experiences together, overview of the podcast moving forward and more.
10/21/2021 • 29 minutes, 37 seconds
Episode 37: Todd DeSorbo
Todd DeSorbo, assistant coach for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team and Head Coach at the University of Virginia, details what the past year has been like. From winning the NCAA women's title, to watching his athletes make the Olympic team to what he learned from legendary coaches at Olympic training camp, DeSorbo offers plenty of insight for coaches and swimmers alike.
8/31/2021 • 48 minutes, 43 seconds
Episode 36: U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Preview with Russell Mark
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is nearly here, and USA Swimming High Performance Manager Russell Mark breaks down what the team has been up to over the past few weeks, how they have looked at training camp and what the outlook is heading into Tokyo.
7/16/2021 • 32 minutes, 32 seconds
Episode 35: U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming Preview with Rowdy Gaines
Listen in to this U.S. Olympic Trials - Swimming preview episode with none other than the legendary Rowdy Gaines. All the names, matchups, races to watch and more are covered in this exciting episode to get you ready for Omaha.
6/3/2021 • 27 minutes, 31 seconds
Episode 34: Cammile Adams
With one month to go until Trials, two-time Olympian Cammile Adams breaks down her experiences in Omaha. Between qualifying for Olympic Teams, a temporary disqualification ruling and more, Adams provides plenty of tips, stories and advice for swimmers and coaches going to Omaha this June.
5/4/2021 • 44 minutes, 40 seconds
Episode 33: Catherine Kase
Catherine Kase, head coach for the U.S. open water team at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, talks about the importance of open water swimming, upcoming Olympic Games, Women's History Month, favorite open water travel stories and more.
3/30/2021 • 34 minutes, 47 seconds
Episode 32: Shaine Casas
U.S. National Team member and 2019 national champion in the 100-meter backstroke Shaine Casas breaks down his quick rise to becoming one of the country's top swimmers, as well as Black History Month, his outlook for the future of his career and more.
2/22/2021 • 35 minutes, 18 seconds
Episode 31: David Plummer
Olympic medalist David Plummer gives first-hand insight on what the road to the Olympic Games looks like and how positive mentoring and leadership can help a team excel.
1/7/2021 • 47 minutes, 16 seconds
Episode 30: Madisyn Cox
U.S. National Team member Madisyn Cox talks about her experience competing at the multi-site Toyota U.S. Open, as well as her training & competition schedule changes after COVID-19.
11/24/2020 • 27 minutes
Episode 29: Emmanuel Lanzo
Listen in as Emmanuel Lanzo discusses his upbringing in Puerto Rico and Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as his coaching experiences at Ridgefield Aquatic Club and USA Swimming's National Diversity Select Camp!
10/13/2020 • 1 hour, 48 seconds
Episode 28: Ashley Twichell
2020 Olympic qualifier Ashley Twichell joins Kick Set to discuss her swimming career, qualifying for the Olympics and the importance of water safety!
9/18/2020 • 45 minutes, 42 seconds
Episode 27: Dave Durden
Dave Durden, Tokyo 2020 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Men's Head Coach, joins Kick Set to discuss what the outlook for the team is at the one-year-out mark to Tokyo.
7/23/2020 • 51 minutes, 34 seconds
Episode 26: Jonty Skinner
Former world record holder, USA Swimming Head of High Performance and NCAA Head Coach Jonty Skinner discusses his paper on record progressions and athlete adaptations!
7/13/2020 • 47 minutes, 28 seconds
Episode 25: Erica Sullivan
U.S. National Team member Erica Sullivan joins Kick Set to discuss her training, Pride Month, her ultimate movie list and her club and international swimming experiences.
6/29/2020 • 40 minutes, 38 seconds
Episode 24: Team of the Decade with Elizabeth Beisel, David Marsh & Rowdy Gaines
A star-studded panel dives into what USA Swimming's "Team of the Decade" would look like for the 2010s.Between Elizabeth Beisel's stories as a teammate, David Marsh's expertise as a coach and Rowdy Gaines' memories from watching these athletes in international competitions, you are NOT going to want to miss this special episode!
6/16/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 18 seconds
Episode 23: Missy Franklin
6x Olympic medalist Missy Franklin joins Kick Set to talk about her career, the USA Swimming Foundation and mental health!
6/3/2020 • 42 minutes, 32 seconds
Episode 22: Cynthia Eubanks
This month's Kick Set features Cynthia Eubanks, Executive Director at Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.For more on Sigma Gamma Rho and their learn-to-swim initiatives, please visit sgrho1922.org or call (919) 678-9720.
2/29/2020 • 38 minutes, 7 seconds
Episode 21: Keenan Robinson
Keenan Robinson, Director of Sports Medicine & Science at USA Swimming, joins Kickset to give insight on staying healthy on the road, dry-land training, sleep, recovery and more!For more nutritional tips, visit usaswimming.org/news/training
1/29/2020 • 1 hour, 28 seconds
Episode 20: Bruce Gemmell
Current Nation's Capital and former Team USA Olympic coach Bruce Gemmell joins Kickset to discuss his career, coaching tactics and distance swimming in America.
12/20/2019 • 42 minutes, 24 seconds
Episode 19: Beth Winkowski
Listen in as Dynamo Swim Club Associate Head Coach Beth Winkowski discusses her 15-year coaching career and the 2020 tech suit restriction for 12-and-under swimmers.For more on the upcoming tech suit regulations, visit: https://www.usaswimming.org/news-landing-page/2019/09/12/tech-suit-restriction-for-12-and-under-swimmers
10/30/2019 • 36 minutes, 9 seconds
Episode 18: Kelsi Dahlia
Olympian Kelsi Dahlia talks about training, entering the Olympic year and her involvement with the USA Swimming Foundation programs.For full details about the Swim-a-Thon program, please visit https://www.usaswimmingfoundation.org/home/building-champions/swim-a-thon.
10/2/2019 • 24 minutes, 35 seconds
Episode 17: Russell Mark
This episode features Russell Mark, USA Swimming National Team High Performance Manager. Russell will talk about his life in Colorado, his experience working with national team athletes and the techniques/skills our national teamers use that can be applied to age group swimmers.
6/19/2019 • 50 minutes, 21 seconds
Episode 16: Chris Webb
This episode features Chris Webb, Athletic Development Specialist for Gambetta Sports Training Systems. Chris covers a variety of subjects including the importance of mentorship, coach wellness, different training perspectives and other insightful swimming topics.
4/17/2019 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 3 seconds
Episode 15: Kathleen Prindle
This episode features Kathleen Prindle who is the head coach & founder of Performance Aquatics in South Florida. Kathleen is a current ASCA Level 5 coach and serves as the Vice President of the American Swim Coaches Association Board of Directors. This conversation is centered around Kathleen's experience in the sport as a coach and business professional. She discusses her core values and how other women in sport have impacted sports in general. Kathleen is a dynamic spirit who is willing to offer her areas of expertise to anyone in need and is constantly reaching out to grow her network and knowledge base.
3/20/2019 • 55 minutes, 39 seconds
Episode 14: Kate Lundsten
This episode features Kate Lundsten who is the head coach of the Aquajets Swim Team in Minnesota. Kate tells her story about her relationship with swimming and how she found success in her coaching career. On multiple occasions, she has been selected as an assistant coach for the USA National and USA Junior National Teams. Most recently, she was named Head Women's Coach for Team USA at the 2017 FINA World Junior Championships. Tune in to hear her story!
2/20/2019 • 34 minutes, 7 seconds
Episode 13: Jon Urbanchek
This episode of Kick Set features USA Swimming National Team Technical Advisor Jon Urbanchek. Jon is an exceptional storyteller and takes you through his timeline working in the sport of swimming. He also provides insight into our prospects for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
1/16/2019 • 35 minutes, 24 seconds
Episode 12: Maya DiRado & Connor Jaeger
This episode features Olympians Maya DiRado and Connor Jaeger. They discuss their journey in the sport of swimming and how they navigated the transition from professional athlete to business professionals.
12/19/2018 • 44 minutes, 33 seconds
Episode 11: Matt DiLorenzo
This episode features Matt DiLorenzo, Chief Executive Officer at TYR Sport. This episode discusses DiLorenzo's journey in the sport of swimming and the new TYR Venzo suit which will hit the pool in January 2019. DiLorenzo talks about the process that went into the suit design, how TYR worked with Olympians to fine tune the technical aspects of the suit and what it means to be a part of the TYR family.
11/28/2018 • 28 minutes, 55 seconds
Episode 10: Chuck Batchelor
This episode features Chuck Batchelor, head coach at Bluefish Swim Club. Chuck talks about his career in swimming leading up to Bluefish, his experience coaching high level young athletes, how he advocates for his athletes leading into college, the journey of coaching Elizabeth Beisel and how he continues to celebrate his love for food despite dietary restrictions!
10/23/2018 • 44 minutes, 16 seconds
Episode 9: Arthur Albiero
This episode features Arthur Albiero, head swimming coach at the University of Louisville. Arthur talks about his journey in swimming, his experience coaching at the NCAA level and how he has worked to grow his program.
9/19/2018 • 40 minutes, 26 seconds
Episode 8: Tim Hinchey
This episode features Tim Hinchey, President & CEO of USA Swimming. Tim talks about his path that led him to USA swimming, the exciting things happening in our sport and where we are going in the future.
8/16/2018 • 35 minutes, 1 second
Episode 7: Gregg Troy
This episode features Gregg Troy who was the 2012 USA Men’s Olympic Team head coach and 2017 U.S. World Championship team assistant coach. Coach Troy recently retired as the head coach of the University of Florida men's & women's swimming teams. Coach Troy will talk about his experience in the sport and share his perspective on various topics in swimming.
7/19/2018 • 33 minutes, 4 seconds
Episode 6: G Ryan
G Ryan is a former National Team athlete and recent graduate from the University of Michigan. They swam outside of the traditional gender binary, while identifying as trans, non-binary and genderqueer. G shares their story and talks about how to create a safe and inclusive environment for all athletes, coaches and administrators on your team.
6/20/2018 • 28 minutes, 30 seconds
Episode 5: Allison Schmitt
In this episode of Kick Set, Olympian Allison Schmitt talks about her journey in the sport of swimming and brings awareness to the importance of mental health.
5/16/2018 • 36 minutes, 10 seconds
Episode 4: Brendan Hansen
This episode features Olympian Brendan Hansen. Brendan is now the head coach of Austin Swim Club and the general manager of Austin Aquatics & Sports Academy. Brendan will talk about his experience as an elite athlete in the sport, his coaching goals and perspectives and how he built his program from the ground up.
4/18/2018 • 40 minutes, 15 seconds
Episode 3: Lindsay Mintenko
This episode features Lindsay Mintenko who is the USA Swimming National Team Managing Director. Lindsay will talk about her experience in the sport as an athlete from the age group level to the 2000 & 2004 Olympic Teams, the importance of a work-life balance for everyone, especially coaches, and the exciting changes we can expect as we move forward to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
3/21/2018 • 29 minutes, 15 seconds
Episode 2: Allison Beebe
This episode features Allison Beebe who is the High Performance Coach at Santa Clara Swim Club. Allison will talk about her creative coaching ideas, mentorship in the sport and her experience coaching elite athletes like Olympian Simone Manuel.
2/21/2018 • 20 minutes, 15 seconds
Episode 1: Greg Meehan
In this episode of Kick Set, we'll be joined by Greg Meehan, Director of Women's Swimming at Stanford University, as he touches on the impact sports had on his life growing up in Philadelphia, the importance of relationship building and mentorship and other topics coaches are dealing with in and out of the pool today.