Reviewing the Last 2 Weeks of International Swimming & USA May Meets | SWIMSWAM BREAKDOWN

This week in the SwimSwam Breakdown, we discuss the Brazilian Olympic Trials, the Sydney Open, and the upcoming May Meets in the USA. See below for full list of topics:

0:00 SwimSwam Breakdown Introduction
0:35 Brazilian Olympic Trials
3:28 Sydney Open
8:32 May US Meets
18:08 Blaire Anderson named Director of Swimming at Texas A&M

SINK or SWIM
23:39 Will Florent Manaudou medal in Paris at the 2024 Olympics?
29:38 Will the Canadian women win more medals than they did in the 2020 Olympic Games (6)?
33:35 Will Ahmed Hafnaoui swim in Paris?
35:27 Did Kristof Milak really miss 32/38 practices following the Hungarian Championships?
38:25 Will Katie Ledecky make the 2028 US Olympic Team?

[Music] welcome back to the swim swim breakdown I’m your host Coleman Hodges coming to you from Austin Texas joined by yinyan Lee from Evon Illinois let’s get right into things we have a lot of swimming topics to to discuss uh and we’ve had a lot of of pretty pretty good swim meets in the last couple weeks um you can tell that the Olympic train is rolling um lots of countries are having either tup meets or their Olympic trial qualification meets um so we’re going to start with the Brazilian trials uh yinyan just highlights from the Brazilian trials what did you like um coming out of these trials and seeing Brazil announce its Olympic roster well I think Brazil’s Olympic roster sort of a mix of swimmers that have been on International Teams for Brazil before like Kosta um Fernando Sheffer who despite being the um defending Olympic bronze medalist in the 2003 he’s only swimming on the relay he did not qualify for the 2003 individually but there’s also some of some of younger swimmers mainly Co College swimmers that are like making their first Olympic team like geek Kay uh Nick aliro who used to represent the US is now on team Brazil he’s going to be going to the Olympics for the first time um Stephanie balduini I think she’s been on a few International Teams before but she’s still pretty young so I think this sort of like changing of the guards for the Brazilian team is sort of in place right now yeah it’s it’s certainly a mix of veterans and uh rookies again Marcela cherini has been a main stay on braz for Brazil sprinting and especially on their 400 free relay um as has Gabrielle Santos they’re both on there but yeah like you said I’m really excited to see what geek kbe has in the 100 freestyle uh and the 50 freestyle going into the Olympics he was 218 in the 50 at these trials and then I believe he was 479 uh in prelims and then he went a little slower at night but still got under the Olympic qualifying time and and won the event um kimota is another another Tennessee b along with geek kbe as well as another Brazilian native who made his first Olympic team and he was a great swimmer for the Tennessee ball so I’m excited to see what he can do going into this longc course season he was he seemed to be a short course specialist during his time at Tennessee and maybe that was just his focus and it’s very cool to see that he has kind of made the transition into a really successful long course butter flyer so excited to see what he’s got um we reported today that Stephanie balduini was suffering through appendicitis uh during the Brazilian Championship so hopefully she can have some better swims as she moves through that um in Paris but yeah I think there was some really solid swims overall in Brazil um and I’m excited to see how how we we now know the roster and how that roster moves into Paris um another big meet we had was the Sydney open so Australians you can’t complain anymore that we’re not talking about the Australian meets um but I think this meat it was a it was a solid meat um it was very comparable times wise to a pro swim meet that we would have here in the US I think a lot of really nice times nothing that stood out to me a a whole lot I I would say the swim of the meat for me was probably not even from an Australian from it was from Louis clber New Zealand who dropped 4087 in the 400 IM which would have won a gold medal in Tokyo I guess so that’s you know pretty pretty dang solid time I don’t think that will that will n the same result in Paris but uh what what what are some other swims that you liked from the Sydney open Union uh em Emily SE booms continuing her career comeback she went she won the 100 back Cameron McAvoy getting under on 22 seconds in the 53 think he went 219 William Yang still putting up some strong swims he’s probably going to be an an important member of that Australian 400 free relay if needed he went 484 which is decent time for now and as you said Coleman this is sort of like a pro swim me for Australians and I do want to talk about leis CLA BT’s 4087 swim because it really seems like like that third place spot in the 400 IM this summer is wide open because leam maran’s a pretty big favorite to win gold Carson fost is pretty big win favorite for silver but then after that there’s just a whole bunch of 408s 409s and it’s really any anyone’s race um from there because Ilia B Boren I think he he he went 407 but obviously I don’t think he’ll be competing in Paris so so other than him like there there’s just like a really wide open like spot there for that bronze medal position and looks like Lis clar bir’s like really establishing himself yeah I think it’s interesting that you say Carson Foster is like I I guess I would agree with you that he’s a favorite for silver um butse 406 yeah agreed yeah and I hadn’t thought about that that fact until you brought it up and I would H again I would have to agree but we saw him go 406 and win silver behind Leon last summer at World Championships but then this in in February at the 2024 World Championships we saw him get fourth by a very narrow margin to uh with a 412 while Lewis clber won that race in 409 so he was faster at the Sydney open than he was even in February at the World Championships um so I agree that it does give him quite a bit of momentum coming coming into Paris and I think we’ll see where Carson’s at a little more come trials um he’s about to compete this weekend um at a local meet in Austin and we’ll get to that in a minute but yeah I think I think that was a great swim for Lewis I think there were a lot of again just like solid swims um a couple the stood out to me rako iki continues her comeback um after you know beating leukemia 576 to take the women’s hunter fly uh Matt Temple was 512 in the men’s Hunter fly he’s just continuing to look really Stell and continuing to put his name out in an Ever growing field of a very competitive men’s hun fly coming into Paris dieto 15699 in the 200 IM 17-year-old Olivia wch who who is seemingly uh one of the upand cominging Australian sprinters on the women side was 540 in the 100 free which it seems like uh super solid result for her speaking of teenagers Ella Ramsey went 1068 in the 100 breast and 1068 is probably not going to be good enough to make team just because there there are a lot of fumers in that 106 high range for Australia right now I think Jenna strw Chelsea hoders but but she’s still pretty young so it’s like that’s someone you’ve got to look out for yeah yeah very solid swim for her um and and as only a teenager 19 years of age so yeah I think Sydney open again good meat solid meat um fun to watch yeah let’s just move on to uh the the domestic meets here in the US that we’ve got coming up this weekend um notably the Atlanta classic where a lot of the prominent Florida pros and college Summers will be competing as well as the longhorn Elite invite uh where a lot of the prominent Texas pros and swimmers will be competing um who who you look who you looking out for this weekend there’s also a meet and Irvine but I couldn’t find the psy sheets so I don’t actually know who’s swimming at that I know for a fact that Bob Bowman’s swimmers are swimming at none of those meets because they are at an altitude training camp at the OTC right now and they’ll be swimming in a meat and Irvine in a couple weeks from now at the end of May um as their kind of last tuneup meet before trials but who who are you most excited to watch compete in these miday meets this coming weekend I mean CA Caleb drussell is always a pick he it’s been really cool to see his progression throughout the season how he’s just getting seemingly faster and faster every meet Katie Lei swimming the 200 IM that’s not really typical of her I think that that will be interesting to watch um and everyone else it feels like these sorts of meats like they’re not swimmers that typically stand out in season um but but it it’s just nice to get like a meet where there’s a t there’s a ton of familiar faces just like with with the pro Swim series meets one of the final two not meets before trials I’m assuming for a lot of these swimmers so if there’s like maybe like a fast swim that from someone who wasn’t really a contender for an Olympic trials event before before me but now they are like that’s the sort of stuff that you’re looking out for yeah and one of specifically one example of that to me is potentially Bobby thinkink in the men’s 400 freestyle we don’t really know if he’s outside of the 800 and 1500 where he’s obviously the favorite to win at the US trials um he’s kind of played around in the past with swimming both the 4 IM IM and the 4 00 freestyle at trials meets he’s gotten third in the 400 IM at trials meets at least once I want to say maybe twice even I think it was twice maybe even three times in a row I know he got third last year he got third the year before I can’t remember if he was third no he was not third in 202 Carson was third at 202 the last two years he’s been third and it it’s been like really really close as well yeah and I think and 22 at at World Champ trials he almost got second and Chase Chase KES just beat him out and then in 23 Carson and Chase I believe pretty solidly first and second but then he just touched out Jay for for third place ahead of the fourth place but I’m curious if if his mentality around the 400 IM versus the 400 free has changed and if he might try to Target the 400 free instead of the IM given given the depth of that field it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to me just because he seems more suited for the 400 IM than the 400 free given the speed it takes to have a really good 400 free on the international stage but he is entered in the forner fre in the Atlanta classic so you know maybe maybe he’s toying with it and we’ll see how that goes for him there yeah he’s probably just swimming this event as like a casual like got to get more racing in type of thing yeah I don’t really see him swimming it at trials just cuz I don’t think this year is the time to add like a new event to your to your resume especially when you’re a distant swimmer and you already have a lot on your plate and honestly I would even be surprised if he decided to swim the 400 at the 400 IM at the Olympics If he if he made the team for just because he’s already swimming in 800 and a 1500 I don’t know why you’d add one of the most taxing events to your lineup when you’re already doing a lot of distance may may maybe since it’s like one of the first days of the me I believe the 400 IM he might do it to like get in a warm-up swim or whatnot but I don’t know yeah so I I I don’t know either I think if he made the 400 I at trials I’m guessing he would swim just because it’s at the beginning of the meet yeah yeah that’s what I’m thinking just swimming it as like a no pressure get in the water type situation yeah but uh we’ll see how that goes and yeah and lot of lot of exciting swimmers from Florida at the Atlantic classic including Bella Sims who I’m excited to see race longor for I think the first time since nc2a or the nc2a season concluded so we’ll kind of see how her training at Florida has impacted her long course racing especially in season I I I foresee her having a good Olympic trials um but you know a month out from Olympic trials she might be in a pretty different place so we’ll see how that we’ll see how that is she had some pretty great racing in season in yards so I’m curious to see how that goes in meters and then in terms of the longhorn Elite invite some pretty standard names who all of which are located in Texas Carson and Jake Foster Luke Hobson will laone Shane kasas uh I feel like we haven’t seen Shane race a whole lot lately um so if he does in fact race it’ll be nice to see where he’s at even though he can where he’s at in season doesn’t always indicate where he’s going to be at at the end of this season um on the women’s side we’ve got Lydia jacobe and Anna ellent Erica Sullivan Jillian Cox Aaron gimmel we’ve got the SMU Pros which include Kasha wask Nick thinkink and Santo condelli uh Maximus Williamson is a young age grer who’s gonna come on down from Dallas and then we’ve also got uh Rex Mau on the psych sheets who notably is in the transfer portal um we had heard some rumors that he was training at Texas and he is entered under uh Longhorn Aquatics or the the the Texas club team um for this meet so we’ll see if we’ll see if he’s up for discussing what’s going on with him at this time or how much he’s open to talking about that but if anything if nothing else hopefully we’ll get to see him race and see how things are going for him long course as well unrelated but I just saw a tweet saying that Olympic trials was in less than a month that is insane it is pretty crazy that Olympic trials is it is is really soon and it’s GNA hit me like a truck as well because I move out of school June 7th so like I get to be home for a week and then bam Olympic trials and I will be going to Indianapolis for that y y will get to experience Olympic trials firsthand I’m guessing your first Olympic trials yeah it’s uh yeah and for those of you who forgot it is mirring the new Olympic schedule so it is a nine-day meet yeah we are spending nine days at Lucas Oil football stadium so uh get ready we’re gonna have a whole we’re gonna have a swim swam bar there will be tons of swim swam staffers in Indianapolis so just for all you listeners who we thinking about going or who will be in Indianapolis uh come find us I will I forget the name of the bar I’ve been there I did bar that they were installing specifically for Olympic like a swimming themed bar I didn’t know if it was like swim swim or something else but they’ve got a bunch of stuff that they’re doing they’re building a makeshift Eiffel Tower they’re they have concerts they have Taylor Swift night a lot of planning [Music] and it it’ll be a whole a whole deal they’re really making it an event um and I think it’ll be really cool to witness and experience um but swim swam specifically will have a a bar that that uh writers will be hanging out and and working at you can come have a drink with swim swam um again once I remember the name of the bar I’ll get it get it out there but just so everyone who’s who’s listening knows and if if you want to come hang out with swim swam in Indie we be there so it is pretty crazy that it’s in less than a month though all right so those are those are the big meets that have happened and are going to happen um one other very big piece of news uh was one one head coaching role was filled at Texas A&M you have the new director of swimming position held by Blair Anderson formerly Blair Bachman uh of she was the associate head coach of Virginia for the last I think she’s been there since Todd dorbo has been there so about six or seven seasons she’s had a ton of success coaching under Todd dorbo she is uh primarily the women’s mid distance coach which includes names like Alex Walsh and Ellen Nelson uh she was the primary coach for Paige Madden as well so a lot of exce extremely successful women have come from her UVA mid distance program and now she’s going to get the opportunity to not only be a head coach but the director of swimming at Texas ANM University and we don’t quite know what that means yet um we we have not received word of whether whether Jay the head coach of the men’s team Jay Holmes and his assist associate head coach um Jason kalog are going to stay on staff are if they’re going to stay with the men’s team and then uh Blair will like just essentially be the head coach of the women’s team but also running the swimming program um we don’t actually know yet but yinan do you have any initial thoughts on this higher and this new position that A&M created soon after their long time in state rival the University of Texas created a similar position well this director swimming and Diving position is interesting because it could go two ways one is the Texas way where Bob Bowman’s the director of swimming and Diving but he’s really only coaching the men’s team while Carol capani is co coaching the women’s team but then you see at Minnesota they also have a similar position where I think Kelly Kramer is the director of swimming and Diving but they have two separate men’s and women’s coaches actually no not two separate they have a coach and they have a director of swimming I believe so it could definitely go either way where there’s still a coach for Texas A&M but then Blair takes on like this oversight position but then based on the fact that she has a large that she’s coming off of coaching so many great swimmers has me believing that she’ll also have a direct coaching role as well especially with the female swimmers since since I think a lot of Texas A&M’s top swimmers or at least in the past as well have been those sort of like mid distance IM swimmers like um Chloe stonic who’s not there anymore that’s what she’s specialized in uh Julia goric the 400 immer um she’s also one of their top swimmers and then in the past you saw like Sydney Pam was also a mid-distance type of swimmer like those types of swimmers were the swimmers that really Excel that Texas A&M so I think Blair will be able to continue that with sort of rising program definitely uh I’m so Chloe stonic entered the transfer Port she’s not there anymore but I’m saying like past Texas an no no but I’m I’m wondering has she I don’t know if she’s committed to anywhere yet um I don’t think she has so I mean if if it worked out because she’s transferring as a grad as a grad transfer um but I if you know it could work out where Blair could keep her I mean I feel like that would be a huge get and probably a huge pillar of setting a culture for Blair because I’m assuming that um Khloe is probably an important piece of the current team so if she could you know instill some some faith if if Chloe showed faith in Blair um that might might be really helpful for her kind of setting the tone with the rest of the team um so I guess we’ll see how that evolves but yeah we don’t have a ton of information now I’m scheduled to talk to Blair um she she agreed to to do an interview in a few weeks once she’s kind of established um at A&M and and things have settled down I’m sure there’s a lot of moving pieces I think what we don’t always remember what the lay person doesn’t always remember is that when one of these people and coaches takes a new coaching job that’s halfway across the country they have to sell their old house move their entire family which Blair just had a baby in the last year um you know from their very established home in Charlottesville to College Station now and so it’s a lot of movement and and they have to get to know the team establish themselves in the town I mean it’s it’s it’s a it’s quite a process um and so hopefully we’ll get some more insight on that but it was a big hire I’m I’m really excited for Blair just because I think she’s very deserving of this position um and it’s it’s cool to see that I think the first woman director of swimming in at a at a major power five school so yeah definitely not that many power five head coaches that are female so she adds to the list um I stand I correct myself Minnesota had two head coaches for men’s and women’s programs whereas Kelly ker was the director I said that they had one head coach so I was wrong so yeah there there I think they system is very unique in that I think most because I think Ohio State also technically Bill Doran Cott is the director of swimming and then but then there are associate head coaches I think Minnesota is the only program to have director of swimming and then under them head coach women’s head coach men’s we’ll see how A&M’s evolves but that is our news for the week so let’s finish with actually quite a long list of sink or swims first up today on Sinker swim after his 217 5 free outing in Lions do you think Florent manado will medal at his home Olympics in Paris um I’m gonna sync it I think the 53 is very very competitive and I know it’s an old guys event but 217 is not convincing enough for me to say that he’s GNA medal Paris especially since since I think the times that it’s taken to medal have gotten faster and faster I think you’ll have to go at least 214 this year to medal because winning time was 20 last year was a 210 and there’s been swimmers that have been 213 uh bukov from Ukraine Jack Alexi’s been 215 I think he’ll keep on improving Caleb dressle obviously um Ben proud and I think those are sort of the Ben proud’s been 212 213 uh quite a few times this Olympic cycle so if if he can compete with the rest of them which he has in the past then sure but I don’t think it’s happening I feel like that’s the safer answer however I mean he was 217 at a meat I mean cam McAvoy just went 219 and we think he’s gonna medal right yeah but Florent manadu has not been faster than 217 he has not broken 215 since Tokyo no no no he has not bro he went 215 in Tokyo yeah that’s the fastest he’s been since yeah I won 215 last year I mean like he could he could but I am G to swim it and partially for the sake of argument but partially because I just want to see it so badly uh he’s medaled in the 50 freestyle in the last three Olympics he’s won gold silver silver and I think this Olympic cycle he probably managed his emotional stock such that it was very after Tokyo he he he took it down he gave himself a long break and then he very much uh very pointedly built his training cycle and again just kind of emotional what he’s focusing on to this point so my guess is that he’s he’s sharpening his knife to be the very very best he can be in Paris as is everyone but I think he knows how to do that better probably better than most because he’s done this three other times and you you do have a point I think the thing that’s going in his favor the most is his experience and his primarily his Olympic consistency and I think having that Paris motivation might really tip the scale in his favor I’m gonna I’m still gonna say no for now because recency um yeah but you could be right who knows I mean the the trend in swimming and I think Min Athletics is for the younger athlete to Prevail right I mean that’s what happens more often than not but I think he I think having a home Olympics for him will hopefully be more of just a motivator and there won’t be a lot of pressure on his shoulders to metal I mean I think Leon is much more in that boat and I’m I’m sure he will have some pressure but hopefully he won’t be feeling it and it won’t drag him down so much as it’s his fourth Olympics like he doesn’t really have much to lose so hopefully it will just give him an extra boost maybe some extra adrenaline on the day of the final if he makes it that far and and he can get his hand on the wall because I do think if he’s 217 in season um I do think that he’s got a 214 in him and I agree with you that that is what it will take to medal in that event so I’m swiming it but we’ll see how it goes next up the Canadian trials are happening as we speak uh day one I’d say was a little flat but summer MacIntosh and Maggie mcneel among others made the team in some of their primary events so that’s a good sign for Canada what I’m curious about is Will Canada win more medals in Paris than they did at the 2020 olymp Olympics in Tokyo or the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka each at at both of those meets they won six the Canadian women won six medals relays and individuals do you think they’ll win more than six medals in Paris okay so I’m trying to think of the number of individual medalists for Canada from Tokyo Penny alexc Kylie Moss and mag mcneel and I think this Olympic cycle they will probably have more potential individual medalists like Josh Leo’s got to be one just women just women just women oh just woman um I’m gonna syn it just because it’s mainly because of the relays I don’t think Canada’s in a f favorable position to medal in all three relays the way that they were in Tokyo just because I don’t really know what’s going on with Penny alexc they don’t have Kayla Sanchez anymore it’s sort of a similar situation to last year and China seems to be doing better in terms of the Sprint fre F department and also Kylie Moss isn’t really a threat in the backstroke events anymore the same way that she used she she still could meddle and kanda’s ingred wil could also meddle in the 100 back but but I don’t see any of the meddling in the 200 back uh summer Mac summer Macintosh will probably make up for she’ll get at least I think she she’ll medal in all of her events so that’s like four events um I’m completely losing track of what I’m saying of the numbers so if summer McIntosh wins four medals yeah and then Maggie Maggie I think summer Macintosh gets four medals Maggie mcneel wins one and I think yeah either Kylie Moss or uh ing will gets one backstroke medal and I think Canada wins at least one relay medal so that brings a total okay you know I’m swimming it I’m swimming it I think’ll get medals that took uh way longer than I sorry for all the unnecessary talking I I I’m with I’m gonna swim it I I well I’m sinking because I think they win six I think they tie their metal count um I was actually wrong they won five at the 2023 World Championships but they won six in Tokyo um so I don’t I I’m leaving room for error there just because summer might not medal in one of her events and or the backstrokes are really loaded and I’m less I’m less sure about ingred and Kylie there but I do think the medley their their women’s medley relay has a great shot I think their free relays have an outside shot and so I think six medals is my sweet spot for the Canadian women which so that I don’t think they’re going to win more so I’m sinking it but there you go all right next up uh we had previously reported that ahed hawi is out of Paris now we’re reporting that we are unsure that that he’s there so sing or Swim will Ahmed Hai compete in Paris I’m G to sink it I think there’s clearly something going on with him I don’t know what it is and the fact that like he’s already like unsure I think he’s saying that he’s unsure just to like not not be like just to not have anything set in stone but just based on his performances at DOA and like his struggles at Indiana and with like trying to get a Visa not being able to train he hasn’t really swam that often um this year so just all signs are put to the fact that he’s probably not going to be in Paris I’m with you there I’m I’m sing it I I just it doesn’t look good if he is there it doesn’t seem like he’s gonna swim very well and if that’s the case it’s cool to go to an Olympics and I think qualifying for an Olympics like should make you an Olympian for that Olympics even if you don’t end up going but yeah clearly clearly something is up and so it doesn’t seem very worth it for him to go at this point obviously I don’t know but uh I’m GNA sync it as well it seems more likely than not from what we’ve heard and what we know that he won’t be in Paris S as sad as that is because yeah he was just he you know a triple threat in the the men’s distance freeze and I think everyone really wanted to see him be a part of those massive showdowns in similar news we we reported that Kristoff milock missed 32 of 38 practices after the Hungarian championships which is just weird and I don’t know how this information was received or why the Hungarian media really like reported it period I guess we reported it too but only because they did it’s just an interesting piece of information to report um this kind of is the latest in the Kristoff milock training not training Saga we don’t really know what’s going on with him do you think this is true sink or swim did Kristoff really miss 32 of 38 practices well I don’t really want to use this podcast to speculate about whether media is spreading misinformation but I just want to point out that I think it’s a little weird that they’re counting the specific number number of practices that he’s missed in a specific number of days it’s like they’re logging it’s like they’re logging something and I don’t know it just feels like there’s a lot of stuff being said about miloff that’s not coming from him specifically so that in itself is a little fishy to me a diplomatic answer and I respect it yion I’m I agree with you that it’s weird that there has been so much information about him and I think swimming is a much bigger deal um on a national scale than it probably is in the US it’s probably a much more prominent sport there and so it is reported on more which I get but I I don’t I just don’t feel like this is true and I’m not saying that the media Outlet was necessarily spreading misinformation maybe that’s what they were told or heard but in reality I can’t believe that someone who is preparing for an Olympic Games and had the uh and and put up the times that he did at Hungarian championships and someone who’s swimming at the upcoming European championships would miss 32 of 38 practices like not for a physical health related reason so I I just don’t think this is ACC it but so I’m sing it but you know yeah who knows there’s been a lot coming out over milock to the point that it’s kind of like you have to take it with a grain of salt because regardless of what is true or what is not true he swam really well at H caran championships so like he looks like he’s doing at least okay yeah for sure yeah all right next up uh Katie lei said that she intends to make a run at the 2028 US Olympic team um obviously the 28 2028 US Olympics are taking place in Los Angeles in the United States it would be a home Olympics would also be Katie lei’s fifth Olympic Games if she did qualify if she did make a run and qualify for those Olympics sink or swim Katie Lei makes the 2028 Olympic team I’m swimming it until I think Katie Lei will still be in decent enough shape to put up times in the distance events that will at least metal let alone be winning times just because of how far ahead she is compared to the rest of the world and in the US there really isn’t any distance freestyle depth cuz you you’ve got Katie Grimes and who has not been great in the 800 free these last few years but other than that like it’s just hard to see two people beating the KD Lei um four years from now like if if there’s like a sudden emergence then maybe but just based on her form right now I don’t think it’s going to DET deterior that much in the next four years and also there just it looking at now there doesn’t really seem to be any emerging imminent emerging threat she will do what it takes to swim at a home Olympics like there there will be no slowing down training wise I will say four years is a really long time like you know this was obviously a shortened Olympic cycle and it’s Kaye Lei has has achieved so much I mean she just got the presidential Medal of Honor first swimmer to ever get that uh but she’s achieved so much in her career and at a level that really no other swimmer has in terms of how dominant she is in events I think but but she’ll be 31 in 2028 she’s already 20 at at this for this Olympic trials she’ll be 31 it’s really hard for me to say definitively yes she’s going to make that Olympic team especially in the events that already favor younger swimmers which are the which are the longer on completely turned that narrative upside down that is true but she’s a freak and it’s it’s just four more years of her like grinding distance practices and and putting her body through like the most hellacious swimming that you can do I’m gonna swim it but I’m gonna I think she would make it on the relay in the tun free wow like I think in four years American female distance swimming will will elevate yeah but that’s not really happening in the longer distance events like yeah you’re seeing a lot of younger talent in like the 200 free maybe the 400 free but it just drops off after the 800 like no one wants to do that like Bella Sims doesn’t want do that Claire Weinstein maybe Claire Clare Weinstein but like she’s also her her better events are like of 400 Julian Cox Maybe Kayla Han but it’s just right now it’s kind of hard to see two wom beating her out and I think Katie Lei she’s one of those swimmers that like enjoys staring at a black lion every day it’s she she’s sort of like Tom Brady in that regard where like she’s so obsessed with her work and that’s what she wants to do and that’s what she genuinely enjoys and I think that’s that’s what makes her so great that’s what makes so dominant and I think someone like her definitely has will have the willpower and like the stamina to stick it out for four years if it means getting the chance to swim at a home Olympics man I I I will swim it as well because I can’t I can’t say Katy Lei isn’t gonna make an Olympic team but four years is just such a long time to be like all right I’m marrying swimming the mile in the 800 for another 40 like we’ve never seen a a distance swimmer have success and swim into their 30s I don’t think how I know men swimming is different but how olds Paul trer it’s a good question let’s see what if comes back and starts swimming in his 30s Greg is Greg’s 29 so I mean he’s not he’s not 30 um and he won’t let’s see when’s his birthday he won’t be in Paris he’ll still be 29 so I mean he I do not know that he’s obviously done it I I feel like maybe some Open Water swimmers did it as well but um I don’t think open water is different I feel like Open Water Diana NAD right yeah I I agree open water is different so like you know if she made an Olympic team at 31 in a distance event she would yeah it’ just be adding more to her already exceedingly historic Legacy yeah like regard regardless of what happens in par she’s already the greatest female swimmer of all time in my opinion yeah agreed all right well that is our news for today thank you for tuning in to the swim swam breakdown and we will see you next time