Propulsion Swimming Podcast

Matt Richards to the Florida Gators sent shockwaves through British Swimming this week, but what is the real story? Dan and I break down the massive news of Matt heading to the NCAA for a single semester, what it means for his LA 2028 prep, and why he's replacing Josh Liendo.

We also discuss the HUGE announcement that the World Cup Series is coming to London in 2027 for the first time in 19 years! We explain the unique Olympic qualification rules for the 50m Breaststroke and 50m Backstroke, give you the inside scoop on the recent ISL test event, and preview the CSL playoff bracket.

Plus, we reveal our Pound-for-Pound Top 10 Swimmers of October. Did Egor Kornev, Pieter Coetze, or Gretchen Walsh take the #1 spot?

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The short course season has officially kicked off with a bang! Dan and I are joined by Matt McNichols, live from the World Aquatics World Cup tour, to break down all the insane action from Stop 1 in Baku. We dissect Egor Kornev tying Kyle Chalmers' legendary 100m Freestyle World Record (44.84) and share a mind-blowing behind-the-scenes story about Cam McEvoy's turns!

We also dive into Marit Steenbergen's relentless versatility, a massive shock in the Men's IM from Luke Barr, and the staggering times coming out of the Aussie Short Course Champs from distance legends Sam Short and Lani Pallister.

Plus, stick around for major UK Swimming news: Kent dominating the incredibly loud National County Team Championships, and the massive calendar shake-up with the new AP Race COMAST Manchester Open clashing with the traditional Edinburgh International!

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Sam Short just had the summer of his dreams. He swept the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events, cementing his status as Australia's next great distance legend by taking down records held by his childhood heroes: Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett!

In this episode of the Propulsion Swimming Podcast, we catch up with Sam (bright and early on UK time!) to discuss his all-conquering year. Sam reveals the brutal reality of international travel for Aussie swimmers, why he ignores his Oura ring when it tells him he's exhausted, his desperate hunt for a sub-3:40 in the 400m Freestyle, and the absolutely INSANE race-pace training set he threw down before trials.

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The Asian Games are kicking off in Tokyo, and some of the fastest swimmers on the planet are ready to throw down! From Pan Zhanle looking to back up his 100m Freestyle World Record to Qin Haiyang facing massive Japanese breaststroke pressure, we are deep-diving into the races you absolutely cannot miss.

In this episode of the Propulsion Swimming Podcast, Dan and I break down our top swimmers to watch, including 31-year-old veteran Xu Jiayu throwing down lifetime bests, Olympic silver-medalist Tomoyuki Matsushita hunting Leon Marchand's 400 IM times, and the 14-year-old Chinese phenom (Yu Zidi) who is rapidly closing the gap on Summer McIntosh!

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Keanna MacInnes has owned the 200m Butterfly in Britain for years, but this summer, she took things to a whole new level. After a historic 100m Fly final at the Commonwealth Games alongside her Scottish teammates, Keanna went on to drop a massive British Record in the 100m fly and secure medley relay Gold and 200m Butterfly Gold at the European Championships!

In this episode of the Propulsion Swimming Podcast, Dan and Scott nerd out with Keanna over her training blocks. We discuss why she actually argues with her coaches for more high-intensity fly volume, the technical breathing changes she made to drop 2 seconds on her relay split, and the training philosophies behind the University of Stirling's massive wave of success.

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Katie Shanahan just had the summer of her life—but the journey there was anything but easy.

After battling glandular fever, a severe back injury, and fracturing her hand just weeks after trials, Katie bounced back to win Commonwealth Silver in her home city of Glasgow and European Gold with a massive 2:06.13 200m Backstroke British Record!

In this episode of the Propulsion Swimming Podcast, Dan and Scott sit down with Katie to dissect her incredible summer. We discuss the cultural shift at Stirling that is elevating GB women's swimming, why she's officially dropping the 400 IM, and her technical goals heading towards LA 2028.

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Scott and Dan are live one last time from Paris 2026 to break down a spectacular final night of racing.

Team GB finished at the very top of the medal table, and they did it in style. We break down an unbelievable Women's 4x100m Medley Relay where Angharad Evans dropped a 1:03.75—arguably the greatest breaststroke relay split in history! We also celebrate a massive, long-awaited Gold medal for Keanna MacInnes in the Women's 200m Butterfly.

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Scott and Dan powered through the 5 AM alarms to bring you a live recap of the final day of the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine.

The undisputed swim of the night belongs to Kate Douglass, who dropped a jaw-dropping 23.19 World Record in the 50m Freestyle! We also break down a seismic shift in the distance freestyle events, as Australia's Lani Pallister takes down Katie Ledecky in the 800m Free, and Sam Short continues his untouchable form in the Men's 1500m Free ahead of Bobby Finke.

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We are LIVE from Paris wrapping up Day 6 of the European Championships, and the 1500m Freestyle World Record has been absolutely obliterated.

Scott and Dan break down an unforgettable night of racing, headlined by Germany's Johanas Liebmann taking down the 1500m Free World Record by a massive four seconds. We also dive into the electric atmosphere of Leon Marchand capturing gold in the 200m Butterfly, and a stunning upset in the Women's 50m Freestyle as 34-year-old Kasia Wassick touches out Sarah Sjostrom.

Plus, we cover Ellen Walshe winning in the 200m IM, France's Malou setting another European Record in the 100m Backstroke, and Team GB taking a professional, Championship-Record victory in the Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay.

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Scott and Dan were up before the sun to bring you a live recap of Day 3 at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships.

The biggest talking point of the session was a massive shocker in the Women's 400m Free, with world record holder Summer McIntosh missing the A-Final entirely and swimming the B-Final in 4:00 flat. We also break down a titanic upset in the Women's 400m Freestyle as Australia's Lani Pallister takes down Katie Ledecky with a blistering 3:58.4.

We cover Sam Short continuing his unstoppable form in the Men's 400m Free, Matt Temple winning his first international individual gold in the 100m Fly, and Gretchen Walsh dominating the Women's 100m Fly. Plus, we analyze Team USA's incredible 4x100m Freestyle Relays, spearheaded by Kate Douglass dropping a 51.69 leadoff—just 0.01s off the World Record!

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Scott and Dan, the hosts of the Propulsion Swimming Podcast are back to break down a phenomenal Day 5 of the 2026 European Championships in Paris.

Tonight’s headline belongs to British swimming legend James Guy, who dropped a massive 1:44.87 personal best at age 30 to take Bronze in a stacked Men's 200m Freestyle final won by the seemingly inevitable David Popovici. We also break down a crazy Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay that saw France disqualified for a wild false start, and Marrit Steenbergen drop an unbelievable, jaw-dropping 50.74 anchor split!

Plus, we recap Angharad Evans taking Silver in the 200m Breaststroke after a fierce battle with Chuganova, Keanna MacInnes equalling the British Record in the 100m Fly, and Leon Marchand finally making his individual debut at this meet, cruising through the 200m Butterfly semi-finals.

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Scott and Dan are up at the crack of dawn as the Propulsion Swimming Podcast brings you a live recap of Day 2 of the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California.

We kick things off with Summer McIntosh dominating the 400m IM, even if she fell a little short of her own world record pace. We also break down a massive upset in the Men's 400m IM as Japan's Matsushita takes down Carson Foster, Jack Alexy securing the 100m Freestyle gold, and Meg Harris showcasing her elite back-end speed to win the Women's 100m Free over Gretchen Walsh.

But the biggest talking point of the night? Team USA's Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay. With massive splits from Luke Hobson, Shackell, and Gabe Jett, the Americans went sub-7 minutes and officially put the British boys on notice heading into the next Olympic cycle

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The 100m Butterfly has officially entered a new stratosphere! 🤯 We are LIVE wrapping up Day 4 of the 2026 European Championships in Paris, and the speed on display tonight was absolutely off the charts.

The Propulsion Swimming Podcast breaks down an incredible Men's 100m Butterfly semi-final that saw three men go sub-50 seconds. But Kristof Milak wasn't done there—he returned to drop an unbelievable 46.3 anchor leg in the Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay in a head-to-head battle with Egor Kornev!

We also celebrate a massive night for Team GB and the home nations. Jersey's Philip Nowacki perfectly paces his way to GOLD in the Men's 200m Breaststroke, a. Plus, we analyze David Popovici cruising in the 200m Free semi-finals, and Keanna MacInnes setting another Scottish Record.

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The racing in Paris just keeps getting faster! 🇫🇷 We are LIVE wrapping up Day 3 of the 2026 European Championships, and it was a record-breaking night across the board.

Scott and Dan break down an unbelievable Men's 100m Freestyle final where David Popovici, Egor Kornev, and Kristof Milak all went sub-47 seconds! We also celebrate a massive moment for Team GB as Angharad Evans conquers her nerves to obliterate the British Record in the Women's 100m Breaststroke, bringing home the gold.

Plus, we cover Sarah Curtis shocking the world with a stunning World Record in the 50m Backstroke semi-finals, Hubert Kos' attempt number two at the 200m Backstroke World Record, Sarah Sjostrom returning to gold-medal form in the 50m Fly, and Marrit Steenbergen anchoring the Dutch 4x100m Free Relay with another jaw-dropping split.

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What an unbelievable night of racing in Paris! 🇫🇷 We are LIVE wrapping up Day 2 of the 2026 European Championships, and the pool was absolutely on fire.

The Propulsion Swimming Podcast breaks down a historic night in Paris, highlighted for GB by Katie Shanahan taking down a 17-year-old British Record to win GOLD in the 200m Backstroke!

We also dissect one of the fastest relay splits in history—Marrit Steenbergen's mind-boggling 50.87 anchor leg in the Mixed Medley Relay.

Plus, we cover Hubert Kos putting the 200m Backstroke World Record on notice in the semi-finals, David Popovici looking effortlessly smooth with a 46.72 in the 100m Free, and the incredible return of Sarah Sjostrom to international racing. We also look at a deeply competitive Men's 100m Breaststroke final where Nicolo Martinenghi took the win over a stacked field including Adam Ramsay-Peaty and Philip Nowacki.

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The 2026 European Championships have officially kicked off, and Day 1 absolutely delivered. Scott and Dan of the Propulsion Swimming Podcast break down an action-packed opening night that saw Team GB take home double gold in the 4x200m Freestyle Relays!

But the biggest talking point of the night? Leon Marchand. Despite nursing an injury, the French superstar dropped a mind-boggling 1:43.76 split on the 4x200m Free Relay, sending shockwaves through the swimming world.

We also break down Max Litchfield's gritty Bronze in the 400m IM, Egor Kornev dropping a massive 22.36 in the 50m Fly semi-finals, and Katie Shanahan looking like the absolute favorite in the 200m Backstroke. Plus, we analyze Adam Ramsey-Peaty and Philip Nowacki's form as they navigate an incredibly deep 100m Breaststroke field.

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The summer of swimming continues! 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇦🇺🇯🇵 With the European Championships right around the corner, the Propulsion Swimming Podcast are also looking across the pond to preview the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California!

In this episode, we highlight exactly who and what you need to be watching during this four-day sprint of a meet. We dive into the brutal event clashes on the schedule, the unmatched depth of the American women's sprint field (featuring Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglas), and the highly anticipated distance freestyle showdowns including Sam Short vs. Bobby Finke and the potential 800m Free clash of the titans: Katie Ledecky, Lani Pallister, and Summer McIntosh.

Plus, we highlight some massive breakout stars to keep on your radar, including 17-year-old Australian Sienna Toohey and the rising wave of Japanese breaststroke phenoms led by Shin Ohashi.

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After an incredible week covering the Commonwealth Games, the Propulsion Swimming Podcast is back to look ahead to the European Championships 2026 in Paris.

We break down the Top Male and Female Swimmers to watch—including the lingering questions around Leon Marchand's injury, David Popovici's freestyle form, and the incredible post-pregnancy return of Sarah Sjostrom.

We also highlight our Breakout Swimmers, including 16-year-old Amelie Smith looking to back up her sensational Comm Games. Finally, we dive into our Races & Swims to Watch, featuring a potential Team GB World Record attempt in the Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay, Marrit Steenbergen chasing her own 100m Free mark, and the rise of Egor Kornev in the 50m Free.

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