EDITOR NOTE: In this podcast, we discuss the USA Swimming’s Athlete Partnership Agreement (APA), which is direct financial support to U.S. National Team members). We mentioned the 15% increase, but we were uncertain about specific allocations. A USA Swimming source provided more depth, explaining that, in fact, APA increased support, adding four more pool athletes with an overall investment/increase of more than $170,000 USD from 2025 to 2026.
In this GMM podcast we caught up with Regan Smith, 8-time Olympic medalist, coming off a strong showing at the 2026 Austin Pro Swim Series:
- 100m Backstroke — 1st, 57.98
- 50m Backstroke — 1st, 27.67
- 100m Butterfly — 1st, 56.18
- 200m Butterfly — 1st, 2:05.29
Four events. Four wins. And she did a color-set and lifted weights in the same week.
We wanted to catch up because Regan is one of the most fun conversations in the sport. She’s transparent for someone living inside the elite bubble. You can ask her about most anything, and she doesn’t default to clichés. That’s why we’re calling this episode What Does Regan Smith Think?
We cover:
- A lot of training questions
- Semis at the Pro Swim
- Prize money at meets (Does it make a difference to Regan at the current level? She earned $7,500 at the Austin Pro Swim.)
- Should Regan focus on backstroke only or does racing over events support the end goal?
- Where is she racing and what events?
- USA Swimming’s Short Course World Championships Trials? Good, bad, meh?
- APA increases (USA Swimming National Team Members got a bump in financial support for the first time in 15 years)
- The USOPC blocking foreign athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (during 2028)
- Is Regan thinking through LA2028 to Brisbane 2032?
- And a lot more…
I was sick when we captured this and sound like garbage, but I didn’t want to miss this interview. Coleman Hodges steps up with support. We drone off topic for the first 4 minutes, but we get chlorinated at 4:30. The podcast is roughly an hour and 15 minutes. We hope you enjoy it. If you’ve got questions you’d like us to bring to Regan on a future episode, drop them in the comments.
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Many thanks to Swimoutlet.com for their 14 year partnership and support of this swimming news and media.
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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.
She thinks about things normal humans do as would any human being with a brain that is capable of firing in a way to make thinking possible (I don’t fit into this category)
I just added an editor note to this pod report… We discuss USA Swimming’s Athlete Partnership Agreement (APA), which provides direct financial support to U.S. National Team members. We referenced a 15% increase but were uncertain about the allocations. A USA Swimming source clarified that APA funding expanded to include four additional pool athletes, representing an overall investment increase of more than $170,000 from 2025 to 2026.
Sorry, I’m a bit confused. If I heard correctly, she says that the changes made it so that people she knows on the national team lost their stipend. How does that make sense with them covering 4 extra pool swimmers? Does that mean that they just picked different swimmers to fund? Or did some people lose other funding (non-APA)?
I am wondering what she thinks of the ICE chaos in Minnesota?
I really don’t think you wanna know lol
I highly doubt regan supports anything trump does
Errrrrr….
Pretty sure she is a MAGA
We need a weekly or monthly regan podcast, she’s the best
Quarterly. Keep it fresh.
Regan weekly podcast would feed families
I appreciate the self awareness in your description about droning on for the first 4 minutes. More podcasters need to be able to admit they drone on.
This was better droning than most.
207 / 433 & 155 / 405 seems realistic ceilings for regan at the im and free. im pretty excited shes swimming them again — ive actually been wanting her too
I say 1:56 high but lowkey 4:05 could be realistic
4:33? Maybe more like 4:38 if that.
operative word: ceiling. shes already a 438
i think grimes is a useful proxy — regan is faster at 200 fly/back, same at the 200 free, unknown at the 200 breast (grimes is prob faster)
Zero chance of 4:33 or 1:55
Wasn’t Regan Smith named one of the team captains at the 2024 Short Course World Championships?
Yes