Summary notes created by Deciphr AI
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-swimming-deep-dive-caeleb-dressel-exclusive-five/id1347405249?i=1000658792616The Olympics.com podcast, hosted by Nick McArvel, dives into the world of swimming ahead of Paris 2024, spotlighting key athletes and storylines. The episode features insights from Caleb Dressel, who discusses his return to the sport, mental health, and fatherhood, emphasizing a more balanced approach. Rising star Summer McIntosh shares her journey and training changes, while French swimmer Leon Marchand talks about handling pressure with coach Bob Bowman. Australian Emma McKeon reflects on her motivation and discipline, and Britain’s Adam Peaty opens up about his mental health struggles and evolving belief system. The podcast underscores the intense preparation and personal growth of these top swimmers.
"I think it's more so befriending that side of me and being more comfortable when a critic does come out. I don't think there's anything I could do to get him to go away or manage. I think it's just building that relationship and seeing him as a partner."
"But, yeah, I respect that side of me. It certainly helps. I think just having more of a balance with the critic mentality."
"Including how becoming a father just four months ago has changed him as an athlete. Or has it now?"
"We've got a host of swimming stars featured in this podcast, all of whom we expect to see in Paris. They include Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh, Australia superstar swimmer Emma McKeon, who told us that Paris is going to be her last Olympic games."
"The push to the Olympics. And that's especially true for the athletes headed to the Olympic qualifier series in Budapest on June 2023. That's where Paris quota spots will be on offer on some of the most exciting Olympic sports."
"Swimming has continued to be such a global sport, this last Olympic quad. You know, we've seen the US dominance in the past, but we've also seen rising talent from Australia and Canada in particular."
"How good are the mixed gender relays? I have to say they're probably my favorite addition to the last games, purely because it's almost bringing an element of F1 into things. It's so tactical."
"He was announced in the team, and for unexplained reasons, he left the competition early. Unexplained medical reasons. We now know that it was to look after his mental health."
"His comeback has proved that he's not a robot."
This quote underscores Dressel's humanity and the challenges he faces, countering the perception that elite athletes are infallible.
Dressel's performance is improving rapidly, with significant time drops in recent competitions, indicating he is on track to regain his peak form.
"He took a really impressive win at the US Open championships in 103 recently. He went down to 48.3 in the Atlanta Classic. It's the fifth fastest in the US this season."
This quote highlights Dressel's recent achievements and his potential to reach his best form.
The US Olympic trials will be held at the Indianapolis Colts stadium, showcasing the efforts to create a unique and challenging environment for athletes.
"They have built three pools in the Indianapolis Colt Stadium. Literally, they've built the pools from scratch."
"I feel like I've learned a lot about myself throughout the sport. I have challenges and obstacles every single day."
This quote reveals Dressel's introspective approach and his growth through overcoming difficulties.
Dressel's renewed enjoyment of the sport suggests a positive shift in his mindset, potentially leading to better performances.
"I think that's the most exciting part is finding out who I really am at a disciplinary level, having fun with the sport, seeing how far I can push myself physically as well as mentally."
"There's sometimes you just have to bail off of what the game plan is and go with plan B or C or D or all the way down the Alphabet."
This quote highlights Dressel's adaptability and the lessons he has learned from fatherhood.
Fatherhood has grounded Dressel, making him more present and potentially reducing the pressure associated with his swimming career.
"Nothing grounds you and makes you more present than keeping a small human happy and healthy and alive."
"I don't think there needs to be any extra titles for anybody on the team. You know, we're all in the same boat for a reason."
This quote reflects Dressel's humility and his approach to leadership within the team.
Dressel is comfortable in a leadership role, offering advice and support to his teammates while continuing to see himself as a student of the sport.
"I feel very comfortable with that leadership role, whatever you want to call it. I want to call it that if people want to come to me as a teammate."
"Moving down there has been absolutely incredible with my coach, Brent Arke. He's been amazing throughout the move and being pretty much fully settled there now for a while is awesome."
This quote highlights the positive impact of McIntosh's move and her new training environment.
McIntosh's achievements include being a four-time world champion and holding the world record in the 400 IM, showcasing her talent and potential.
"She's a four-time world champion and the 400 IM world record holder in the long course pool and about to compete in a second Olympics."
This quote underscores McIntosh's impressive accomplishments at a young age.
McIntosh's versatility and improvement in the breaststroke have contributed to her success, making her a formidable competitor.
"She made a huge improvement in the breaststroke and that's actually why she broke the world record."
This quote explains the key factor behind McIntosh's world record and her overall improvement.
McIntosh's ability to handle the pressure of being a favorite at the Olympics will be crucial to her performance.
"It's all about now whether she can deal with the pressure of being the favorite at an Olympic Games."
"She's got a sister, Brooke, who I've covered in figure skating. She's a top-level pair skater for Canada and their mother, Jill Horstead, was an Olympic swimmer for Team Canada."
These notes provide a comprehensive overview of the key themes and insights discussed in the transcript, offering a detailed understanding of Caleb Dressel's journey, mindset, and the promising rise of Summer McIntosh in the world of swimming.
"Yes, my mom is the absolute best and I think she just gets swimming on such a higher level than most other parents because she did it herself at such a high level within the same sport and within the same events as me."
"She's always cooking and cleaning and helping me through training because I'm always eating and I'm always eating just to get enough calories in."
"She just gets it on such a next level that I'll really. I always appreciate it."
"Let's also remember, as you said, that she topped Ledecky over their 800 meters freestyle, which isn't even really in McIntosh's repertoire in terms of a specialist event."
"It was the first time that Ledecky's lost that event in over a decade."
"Despite the fact that McIntosh is probably the headline act in their team, she's not got the pressure on her to be a leader because you've got old hands."
"It's a really well balanced team and I can't wait to see what they're going to do, especially in the relays."
"Leon Marchand, his first Olympic games. He's only 19 years of age, coming up from the junior world championships to qualify for his first games."
"He's the 400 IM world record holder, having broken Michael Phelps's 15 year old mark."
"I think Leonida fully capable of handling the pressure and performing just so we're fully prepared and that's the key to these meets."
"Bob Bowman saw Michael Phelps win so many successes in the medley events and Marchand recently moved to Texas to train with him."
"The first thing that I worked with, with my mental trainer was about managing my stress and how nervous I was before me."
"I have this breathing technique that I can use to, like, help you fall asleep or, like, help you prepare before a race."
"He always looks for improvement after three goals at Fukuoka Worlds. I remember in the press conference he said I could have done better."
"He knows how to be calm outside of the pool, but he has that ability, like all great athletes do. They can flick that switch when it's time to go."
"My goal is to prepare as much as possible right now and then we'll see what happened there. But, yeah, winning would be the best thing."
"He will also make you feel confident about your work. I mean, swimming mates are pretty easy now because we do all the hard work during practice."
"They won 21 medals in Tokyo. That was out of 46 total at the game. So swimming is back in Australia in a big way."
"Emma McKeon who won four golds and three bronzes, the most of any australian swimmer at a single games in Olympic history."
"The one snag for McEwan is that she did suffer a muscular tear in 2023 in her shoulder that had a direct impact of what she was able to achieve in Fukuoka, and she missed out on the podium individually in her three key events."
"But she did still bring home three relay gold medals. She needs one more gold medal to overtake Ian Thorpe, the famous torpedo for the most golds in Australian Olympic history."
"She, in the middle of last year, had abdominal surgery and hit headlines for that, for abdominal tumors, which were benign, but it meant that she took some time out of the pool."
"She's also the Olympic 200 metre champion, but she's going to be competing against teammate Molly O'Callaghan, who is now the world record holder in the event as of 2023."
"It's more the discipline, and that's something I've grown more and more over the years that I've had in school. But I think post Tokyo, the thing that kept me going was that I felt like I had more to give and I felt like I could go faster and do better."
"I think the failures are the things that you learn most from, and it's unrealistic to think that you're just going to have, you know, win after win after win and PB after PB."
"Adam's been really open about a myriad of topics, including mental health, depression, issues with alcohol, ADHD."
"He's become a very spiritual individual and a much more balanced individual, in his own words. And he has been a lot happier within himself to acknowledge what he does well."
"If I'm doing the best job I possibly can on the minuscule to the major level, that gives me confidence because it ticks off all my beliefs."
"I've discovered in the last year that there's more to life than self. So giving more as much time and much to my son, to the people around me, but also, you know, living with peace when I can as well."
"He's looked, quite honestly, like quite a conflicted man. Certainly in Doha, there were lots of ups and downs."
"He's made his best time since 2021 at the British Championships, importantly, breaking the 58 second mark in the 100 metre breaststroke."
"The gold medal really is the coldest thing you'll ever wear, because what you have to do to get there, and it will not solve any problems in your life."
"It does give me goosebumps thinking of it. Anytime I do think of it, I can't get carried away, too much of the thought."
"You can find all things Paris 2024 in the lead up to the games@olympics.com. and if you haven't done so already. Download the Paris 2024 app wherever you get your smartphone apps."
"We've also got a new documentary on Mondo Duplantis, the swedish pole vaulter who is the reigning Olympic champ and world record holder in pole vault. It's titled, appropriately, born to fly."