Kick Set

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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! 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.