The Pullbuoy Podcast

It was a busy week in London for Bob who was in the mixed zone every day. That meant he caught a lot of swimmers fresh from their finals at the Olympic Trials - we heard some of those interviews on our review podcast, but there was a lot more that we didn't include, so on this extra episode we hear from a host of swimmers about their trials experiences. ---------------------

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It was quite the week in London as Britain's swimmers chased Olympic qualification at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships. There were two British Records and nineteen swimmers booked their places as of right, with four more also posting nomination times to put themselves in the box seat for selection. All that means there is plenty for Steve, Katie and Bob to talk about as we review the competition. ---------------------

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It's the second most important meet of the year for Britain's Olympic hopefuls as they seek to secure their places at the year's big event at the British Championships in London. It's a meet that doubles as Olympic team trials and as such will determine the make up of the team that heads to Paris. On this episode of the Pullbuoy podcast, Steve and Katie look forward to a make or break meet which promises some scintillating racing with ecstasy and despair in equal measure.

A successful week in Doha for the GB team, with 7 medals in the World Championships pool and the all important men's 4x100 freestyle relay spot secured for Paris. In the latest pullbuoy podcast, Steve, Katie and Bob take a look back over a competition that delivered some great racing, a number of great performances and a number of surprises. We also consider what, if anything, these championships tell us about the forthcoming Olympic trials and the Games themselves. ---------------------

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The pullbuoy podcast kicks off its 15th season with a look ahead to the world championships that nobody expected as Doha 2024 hoves into view. Steve and Bob take look at what we can expect, the Olympic relay implications for GB and what it might tell us as we head inexorably to trials season. ---------------------

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A fantastic way to wrap up the year's international swimming as Britain topped the medal table at the European Short Course Championships in Otopeni, Romania. 23 medals means a lot for Steve, Katie and Bob to get their teeth into. We also consider the scheduling, 2 per nation rule and answer some of your questions, with a quick peek at some of the notable swims at Scottish Short Course nationals thrown in for good measure.

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It's been a few months since we were last with you and so this is a great time to catch up on the bigger stories in British Swimming over the summer. Steve, Bob and Katie consider changes of training base, comebacks, funding and British Records before taking a look forward to the year ending European Short Course Championships.

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It was a game of two halves for Britain's swimmers as there was a veritable avalanche of medals over the last 4 days in Fukuoka, with the tally raised by 6. That gives Bob, Katie and Steve plenty to look back over as the team matched their second best ever performance at a World Championships.

We also chat about some epic distance racing, some seriously rapid sprinting, who was the top team of the meet and succession planning, and take on your questions.

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The pullbuoy podcast is back once again as Steve, Bob and Katie take a whistlestop tour through the first half of the 2023 World Swimming Championships. It's been fast and furious in Fukuoka and Britain has performed well so far with Matt Richards in particular making his mark.

We also consider the 4 world records broken, the controversy over 200IM DQs and the lack of coverage by terrestrial broadcasters back in the UK.

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We're almost at the key meet of 2023 as the competition at the World Championships in Fukuoka loom large. There's plenty for British fans to be upbeat about, and in our preview episode Steve, Katie and Bob cast their eye over the home prospects, as well as some of the other races that we'll be looking forward to. Relays will be vital with Olympic qualification available, so that's a key topic of discussion, while we'll also hear from Tom Dean who talks about taking on a large programme of racing and facing down the inimitable David Popovic.

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It's a podcast with a bit of a difference for this episode, because we are celebrating an anniversary; 10 years ago this month was the first time that Steve, Bob and Katie stepped into a virtual studio together for a podcast charting Britain's fortunes at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona.

On this special episode we recall that first week and the events of Barcelona as well as picking one of our highlights from the last 10 years. Since we're in a nostalgic mood there's also a chance to take a look back at the last time the World Championships were in Fukuoka, where they return this month, way back in 2001

For the first time in at least 20 years, we head into the second half of the year having not seen a British Record in the pool. So that set the cogs whirring; which were the oldest British Records in the books? In this special podcast we hear from the holders of those records, Becky Adlington and David Davies who recall their record breaking swims and get expert coaching input from Kevin Renshaw.

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It was an eventful week in Sheffield as the places on the British Team for the World Championships were decided, and not just in the pool. There was an almost unprecedented change to the selection policy midway through the meet, but despite that poolside drama, there was much excitement in the water too.

Plenty for Steve, Bob and Katie to get their teeth into then, as we review the ups and downs from the 2023 British Championships, look at the stand out swims and think about relay prospects for the upcoming World Championships.

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If you've listed to the pullbuoy podcast at all over the past few years you will have often herd debate about why, for all its success in the pool, GB has been flagging in distance events and isn't currently living up to the standards of the past. In an effort to find out why this is and what is being done about it, Steve and Bob went to he man charged with turning the tanker around - British Swimming distance lead Kevin Renshaw. A 3 time Olympic team coach who coached David Davies to 10km silver in Beijing, Kevin knows a thing or two about distance swimming and shares with us some of the initiatives being put in place to try and return Britain to the distance podium.

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Having reached her mid-twenties and with the disruption of a pandemic throwing everyone’s plans into disarray, Bella Hindley could have been forgiven for thinking her international swimming career had come to a conclusion before it had even started. But she persevered and this year made her senior international debut at the Commonwealth Games for England as well as being selected to race for GB at the World Short Course Championships.

In this episode of the pullbuoy podcast, Bella takes us through her route to international swimming, a journey that took in the NCAAs, the pro group at Tennesse and the ISL, the latter achieved by the use of social media. Now installed at the Loughborough Performance Centre, we also discuss where her sights are set for the future.

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The longest summer of international swimming in living memory came to a close in fine style at the European Championships in Rome. It was a decent showing for GB, including golds for Ben Proud and James Wilby, but the biggest story was of course the 100m freestyle world record from David Popvici.

Steve, Katie and Bob reconvene for the final podcast of the season and consider all of the above, plus there’s time to answer a number of listener questions.

We've thoroughly enjoyed this summer's run of meets, we hope you have enjoyed following along with us. With no ISL this year, there's no London Roar podcast, but we will be back soon. Keep your eyes on social media and subscribe so you don't miss out.

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The last few years have been challenging for Lewis Burras with many mental and physical ups and downs as he sought to find his place in the swimming world. After a few false dawns mixed with some very low periods he found a kindred spirit in coach Zoe Baker and from there has kicked on to have an impressive breakthrough season in 2022. 

It’s one that has taken him to a new long course British Record over 100m freestyle and to three silver medals at the Commonwealth Games. In this episode of the pullbuoy podcast Lewis explains how working with a sports psychologist and a change of mindset towards being accountable for his own performance has allowed him to deliver in the water.

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It was a tremendously exciting week of racing in Birmingham at the Commonwealth Games, which generated a fantastic atmosphere in the sparkly new Sandwell Aquatic centre. It was as usual a display of Australian strength in the pool but the home nations acquitted themselves well.

On this review podcast, Steve and Katie consider events in the pool from the dominance of Ben Proud to the extensive medal winning exploits of Tom Dean, the finest farewell that Ross Murdoch could have wished for and much more. Also on the agenda was the Australian women's fearsome freestyle contingent, the Kyle Chalmers media storm, and some bizarre medley relay goings on.

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To say that the difference between Hannah Miley's experiences at the Commonwealth Games of 2010 and 2014 is huge is not an understatement. While the former brought with it the challenges of the environment, the latter imposed a whole different set of pressures. 

In the final episode of the Commonwealth Games Memories podcast series for 2022, Hannah pulls no punches as she describes dealing with the very different demands of staying fit enough to swim in Delhi and the weight of being the poster girl for Scotland at a home games in Glasgow. 

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With the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth games looming, Bob, Katie and Steve are joined by Commonwealth Champion Ross Davenport to take a look forward to some of the big stories in the pool.

We consider the impact of world championships, the unknowns around who is targeting this competition, the potential for new faces to make their names, and we pick out some swimmers to watch.

There's also a quick chance to consider the GB team selection for the following European championships and the recent announcement of dates for the World Championships in 2024, itself an Olympic year.

It was a Commonwealth Games like no other when they travelled to the sub-continent for the 2010 edition. While India put on a great spectacle, the cohort of swimmers was beset by an illness that swept through the teams, making it as much a test of resilience as it was speed in the water.

Lizzie Simmonds was a medal winning member of Team England that year and recalls a games that presented a completely new challenge.

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He won three medals in his two appearances for Australia, but the Commonwealth Games were not always plain sailing for Brett Hawke.

We pick up the Commonwealth Games memories thread in Manchester to get his memories of the 2002 edition before moving to Melbourne in 2006, as Brett recalls suit malfunctions and health scares that led him to think he was cursed. It’s not all bad memories though with two silvers and a bronze to his name and the chance to bring the curtain down on his career in his home pool while swimming with some of the icons of Australian swimming.

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She's the most decorated English female athlete at the Commonwealth Games so it's no surprise that they hold special memories for Karen Pickering.  Across four Games appearances from 1990 to 2002 she won 13 medals including four golds, including five at the 1994 edition alone.

In this Commonwealth Games Memories edition of the pullbuoy podcast we journey with Karen from her first Games in Auckland to her final ones in Manchester, via Victoria and Kuala Lumpur, to get her recollections of those Games.

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As the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games looms large, this is the first in a podcast series recalling Games past and travelling from 1982 to 2014 to get the recollections of the swimmers who competed in those Games.

First up it's Andy Jameson who recalls his time at the 1982 and 1986 instalments in Brisbane and Edinburgh respectively, the latter of which brought him four medals, including gold in the 100m butterfly. As well as his exploits in the pool, he tells of broken goggles, sneaking team mates into the pool and accidentally having lunch with Princess Diana.

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It was an up and down week for Britain at the World Championships in Budapest with a slow start finally turning into a creditable haul of 5 medals including a world title for Ben Proud and a hat trick of bronze medals for Tom Dean. Steve and Bob are on hand to discuss the British performance in the pool.

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For the 100th episode of the pullbuoy podcast we hand the reins over to Bob who caught up with six of the GB team heading to the world championships and their coach Dave McNulty. 

As well as hearing from Dave, In this bumper episode you’ll get the thoughts of Tom Dean, Freya Anderson, James Guy, Matt Richards, Brodie Williams and Jacob Peters as they look forward to a full summer of racing, starting with Budapest.

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It was on then off then on again, but the World Championships of 2022 are now upon us, kicking off a busy summer of racing for Britain's swimmers. Before they can think about the Commonwealth Games or Europeans though, there is the small matter of facing the world's best in Budapest. 

Steve, Bob and Katie are on hand to look forward to an exciting competition and run the rule over Britain's chances against the background of some set backs for the team and a big variation in preparation. Bob has also been out and about speaking to some of the GB team, and we hear from Dave McNulty, Tom Dean and Matt Richards briefly on this episode; you can hear much more from them plus a few others on the next instalment. 

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With the announcement of the England team for Birmingham 2022 came the culmination of one of the most remarkable swimming come backs as Adam Barrett was selected for his second Commonwealth Games, 8 years after the first and five years after he stepped away from elite swimming. 

In this episode of the pullbuoy podcast, Bob and Steve chat to Adam about that comeback and how he went from swimming once a fortnight to the ISL and international selection, coaching himself and doing much of his training in public sessions. We also delve into the circumstances of his original retirement and his thoughts on keeping swimmers in the sport into their 20s, something he clearly feels strongly about given his own experiences. 

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It was almost a return to business as usual at the British Championships in Sheffield with full fields and crowds in the stands. In the pool there were a number of standout performances as the swimmers jostled to secure selection not only for the forthcoming World Championships but also the Commonwealth Games teams for England, Scotland and Wales. In this first podcast for 2022 Bob and Steve cast their eyes over events at Ponds Forge and consider Britain's World Championship picks.

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The Roar have made it to the 2021 ISL grand final which takes place this coming week. We tracked down two London Legends in Alia Atkinson and Guilherme Guido to get their views on a tough match with Energy just gone and to look forward to the final.  Can the Roar win, what will be the key tactic and how is the team feeling as they prepare to give "one more for the Roar"? We cover all that and more, including getting the Roar Material where we ask the important questions, such as what will be the fate of Guido's beard? 

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It went to the final skins races, but the London Roar secured an opening victory in the ISL playoffs, holding off a late charge from Cali Condors to take the win that moves them one step closer to a grand final appearance Joining us to look back on the drama in Eindhoven are Freya Anderson and Tom Dean as we explore events in the water and we get the “Roar Material” with the important questions about their teammates, including which member of the Pride they would choose to face a zombie apocalypse with. 

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It was a tough opening match of the playoffs for the London Roar as they came up just short against an inspired LA Current. The result went all the way to the final skins race, but a series of tight finishes swayed the result towards the American team. Roar co-captain Sydney Pickrem and backstroke ace Kira Toussaint join this week’s London Roar podcast to look back at that match and talk about how the team will bounce back next week. Plus we meet the newest member of the Pride, Dutch sprinter Valerie van Roon 

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The ISL regular season is done and dusted, and having let the Roar team disperse back to their home bases, we caught up with Head Coach Steve Tigg to talk tactics, team spirit and a near miss against Energy and to look forward to the playoffs next month. We also find out who might be joining the Pride in Eindhoven as the team prepares to race to the grand final.  Then we catch up with one of the team's standouts from Naples in the form of Roar Recruit Katie Shanahan, who quickly found herself integral to the selection strategy. She talks about her ISL experience, how she came to join the Roar and tells us more about her dance background. 

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It was a close run thing as the Roar pushed Energy Standard to the wire in their third match of this year’s ISL. Second place secured a spot in the playoffs though, and Steve and Katie are joined by Roar stalwarts Emma McKeon and Kyle Chalmers to review an exciting match and look forward to what comes next week, with another chance to have a go at Energy. We’ll also introduce two more of 2021’s Roar recruits, Ilaria Bianchi and Andi Murez, who made her Roar debut last weekend, and there is a debut for our new feature “Roar Material” as we pose the important questions about their teammates to Kyle and Emma, including who they would trust with the team soundtrack. 

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The Roar posted their first win of ISL season 3, holding off the Cali Condors in a match that went to the final skins event before the result was assured. Marie Wattel and Luke Greenbank join Steve and Katie on the London Roar podcast to review a hard fought victory, tell us about the atmosphere on deck during the skins and talk more about life in Naples. We'll also meet two more Roar Recruits as we find out more about Kenzo Simons and Ed Mildred before we look forward to another tough assignment against Energy Standard this weekend. 

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The London Roar made their debut into International Swimming League season 3 with their opening match blowing away the cobwebs and showing some promise for the season ahead. Steve and Katie caught up with Roar swimmers Dylan Carter and Duncan Scott to look back at that match and to consider the challenges to come. We also introduce the Roar's new Finnish team members, Laura Lahtinen and Jenna Laukkanen, posed your questions from Instagram and found out how much Dylan and Duncan know about their new team mates with the long awaited return of "Lion or Lying". 

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Episode 8 – ISL Season 3 Preview The London Roar Podcast is back for 2021 and ISL Season 3! In this episode we preview events in Naples with Roar General Manager Rob Woodhouse and Head Coach Steven Tigg to find out how the team was put together through the draft, who'll be swimming and find out when they'll join up with the team. We also chat about tactics, season aims and what the experience of the ISL can do for up and coming swimmers, and we'll introduce you to one of the new members of the Pride. 

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The London Roar Podcast - ISL Season 3 Trailer

Pullbuoy has joined forces with the London Roar once again to bring you the London Roar Podcast during season 3 of the International Swimming League.

We’ll be behind the scenes with the team in Naples to take you inside the battle for places in the ISL playoffs.

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It was Britain's most successful Olympics ever in the Tokyo Aquatic Centre, with  medals secured - including 4 golds and a world record brought back on the plane from Japan. Katie and Steve are re-joined by Bob and Lizzie, fresh from their commentary duties on Eurosport to review the second half of the Olympic programme and take a look at some of the other issues around the deck, including doping accusations, dropping individual swims for relays and the swims of the week. For our review of the first 4 days in Tokyo check out our halfway report with Ross Davenport.  

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Halfway through the Tokyo 2020 swimming programme and Britain is flying with 3 golds and a silver already secured. Steve and Katie are joined by triple Olympian Ross Davenport, who knows a thing or two about 4 x 200 freestyle relays, to look back over a fantastic four days at the Olympics and to consider the prospects for the rest of the meet. 

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The Olympic swimming programme is almost upon us. After a year of delays, uncertainty and question marks, the swimmers will soon dive in to begin 8 days of competition in Tokyo. There's plenty to get excited about from a British perspective and Katie, Bob and Steve are joined by double Olympian Lizzie Simmonds to look at the GB medal hopes, the challenges they will face and to consider which races we're looking forward to most. There's also the small matter of morning finals and life in a bubble with the related impacts on village life to take into account, before we put our necks on the block and predict a GB medal outcome. 

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