It’s that time of the year again, where the SwimSwam staff will make it’s annual list of wild predictions for 2025. In addition, the staff also provided alter ego takes, which are more egregious, not entirely swimming-related predictions (which sometimes do come true as well!).
- SwimSwam’s 2024 Wild Predictions and Alter Ego Takes
- SwimSwam’s 2023 Wild Predictions and Alter Ego Takes
Wild Predictions
Yanyan: An international male freshman wins an NCAA title
Braden: Thomas Ceccon will wind up coming back to the U.S. with Leon after their stints in Australia and training in Austin.
Barry: Gretchen Walsh breaks Missy Franklin‘s NCAA record in the women’s 200-yard free
James: Leon Marchand (200 free) and Summer McIntosh (800 free) experiment with new events at long course worlds and win gold
Robert: The Mid-Atlantic region will account for at least 2/3 U.S. men’s breaststrokers at this summer’s major international competitions (Worlds, World University Games, and Junior Worlds)
Madeline: Someone not named Regan Smith or Kaylee McKeown breaks a long course women’s backstroke world record
Mark: No world records will be broken at the 2025 World Championships
Nicole: Caeleb Dressel announces his retirement from competitive swimming.
Retta: Angharad Evans lands on the 100 breast podium at Worlds
Anya: Gretchen Walsh wins the 50 free at NCAAs by over a second
Alter Ego Takes
Yanyan: Something controversial happens at 2025 Worlds and Stephen A. Smith starts talking about it on First Take
Braden: The ISL will attempt a revival, but will (not) pay their athletes entirely in cryptocurrency.
Barry: Gretchen Walsh breaks Katie Ledecky‘s NCAA record in the 500 free
James: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces swimming as Canada’s new unofficial national sport due to the country’s recent failures in international hockey and Summer McIntosh‘s Olympic success (lacrosse is the official national sport)
Madeline: Swimming becomes the new hockey in romance novels
Robert: A leak of U.S. IP data reveals to the world that “Andrew,” SwimSwam’s most notorious commentator, is actually Eddie Reese‘s burner account
Mark: I will, again, be victorious in fantasy Tour de France against James and Sophie (Kaufman)
Nicole: Michael Phelps goes pro in golf
Retta: Sun Yang races at Worlds and carries a hammer in his walkout
Anya: Michael Phelps comes out of retirement to help U.S. men’s swimming
Marchand hits it off so well with Boxall that he decides to spend the quad leading up to 28 training in Australia.
😁
and Boxall gets so infuriated and jacked in olympic pool and tries to punch Bob.
Finally some action in swimming world 😅
My hot takes:
Gretchen Walsh swims the 200 free leading off ACC relay. She’s out sub 23 on the first 50, sub 48 at the 100, and touches with a 1:37.9 200 free absolutely obliterating Franklin’s record.
Gretchen Walsh breaks Sarah’s 50 fly record, going 24.35.
Summer McIntosh’s long course backstroke comes together nicely. She’s 2:04 in Singapore and sneaks between McKeown and Smith on the medal stand in Singapore.
3x olympian and 4x olympic medalist Taylor Ruck retires from competitive swimming at 24 years old. With that being said though, Canada’s 4×200 Free Relay finally comes together on the women’s side: Oleksiak gets back into 1:54+ flying start range, MSH leads off at 1:54+, McIntosh flys with a 1:52.9… Read more »
I could fs see some of these
Have wanted to see what MOC can do in the 400 in peak shape. Reckon she could do something very impressive for someone who’s been 52 low in the 100 but not THAT impressive
would like to see her in a 400 SC at least (this will never happen I know). Haughey is a great 400 sc
Some of these not only wild but will never happens especially the relays
Todd DeSorbo leaves UVA to become White House Senior Advisor (and Personal Trainer) to the President only to resign before year-end to lead the USOPC.
Separately, Travis Tygart joins the CIA as a covert ops agent that surreptitiously organizes a putsch against WADA and has it replaced by a legitimate, objective international anti-doping organization. (Hey, a boy can dream, can’t he?)
Seems like DeSorbo is too into science to be invited to a White House position during this administration.
“Andrew” being Eddie Reese’s burner account would be the funniest thing to ever happen to swimming
College sports get separated from the college institutions and become govt sponsored sports.
Newly appointed Stanford Athletic Director Andrew Luck releases the current men’s swimming coach from his contract, and hires the “free-thinking” David Marsh to replace him.
This exciting move makes Regan and Claire think about returning to The Farm to train with his pro group.
Fan favorite “Gold Medal Cole” is awarded 30% equity in SwimSwam. This will vest over the next three years.
The co-founders decided to give this to Coleman due to his amazing videos (and also after hearing that ESPN was trying to hire him away).
ESPN caring about swimming is the wildest prediction in the entire thread.
My predictions:
Italy: Gregorio Paltrinieri will announce retirement. Alberto Razzetti will win a gold medal at the World Championships in Singapore; Sara Curtis will win a medal at the Worlds.
International: Dressel will announce retirement; Leon Marchand will swim only in the 200 freestyle and 200 breaststroke in Singapore.
Razzetti taking gold in 400im or 200im? Not for me and I think for sure Marchand will take part in these or one of these events.
Too likely to break record in 200im or sub 4 in 400im!
400IM,I think Marchand upon returning from Australia will have different motivations and will want to test himself on races outside his usual schedule