Interview by Tony Carroll, Video Edit by Coleman Hodges.
We caught up with SwimMAC Carolina CEO and Head Coach David Marsh at the 2015 Athens Sectional meet on the campus of the University of Georgia. In a quick interview, Marsh told us about his team’s performance at the sectional meet and then elaborated about preparing his elite training group for the upcoming championship meets. He said this time is all about trying to prepare the final touches on races, finding speed, and gaining confidence.
He then continued to talk about Ryan Lochte‘s new underwater technique. Lochte experimented with a new element of his freestyle over the first two days of the Athens Sectional meet. During the freestyle leg of his 200 IM, he rolled onto his back while underwater in streamline and kicked out on his back until just before his breakout. He also did the same thing during every other freestyle race over the weekend. Marsh explained that his new experiment is all about finding speed.
“The percentage of faster vs. the energy it takes it what we are trying to calculate right now. Ryan has an incredible feel for what he needs and what he does… Everything has an energy cost and he’s trying to figure out what that is for him.”
His final talking point was about the World Championship team and preparing them to race fast. The team leaves for Croatia next week for the training camp before heading to Kazan for the 2015 FINA World Championships in August.
I don’t like it all going ubderwater. FINA attempted to limit it with the 15 meter rule – but it hasn’t helped a lot. Didn’t breaststroke have an ubderwater problem way back in the day? Hence, the 1 pull + 1 kick u/w rule.
It is something to sse how fast some people can go underwater. We now can look forward to eventually watching 67% of three strokes being performed with the same motion on the stomach or back especially at Nationals and NCAA’s. It will only widen if their is a difference between Long and Short course. Many other countries including (Bobo Gigi) can’t understand our important feelings to SC with Age group, High School and NCCA’s when they don’t have the massive competitive sports programs of schools and the tradition. That people remember forever in their lives here.
Detach yourself in watching 3 events where 67% is identical and nothing to see. Maybe it is time to talk of only flutter… Read more »
He always used to drop a lot of time when he rests because he swam for Florida, he was ways beat up, and he wore a training speedo at every non taper meet.
None of those apply anymore, so we shouldn’t expect him to have big drops like he used to. He will certainly swim well and drop time, but not like during his old Florida days.
He always makes big drops when he tapers. I am really looking forward to his swims next month.
Oh man Lochte is doing freestyle underwaters on his back! And this new strategy helped him go 2:00.00 in the 200 IM. I just can’t handle all this craziness.
Lochte doing well with lower yardage training and tweaking technique details ; Kazan will be a good barometer for SwimMac Team elite. Particularly interested on how fast Coventry will be in Kazan ,her first taper meet since joining swimmac 12months ago
Gregg Troy is an amazing coach but I would have loved to see what Marsh could have done with Lochte when he was in his mid 20’s
Right there with you – besides his 4 IM at the last Olympics (which I think is due in part to Troy) I think the rest of his races would have been a lot better…in his 200s he looked totally over trained at that meet
Right there with you – besides his 4 IM at the last Olympics (which I think is due in part to Troy) I think the rest of his races would have been a lot better…in his 200s he looked totally over trained (or not tested correctly)at that meet. I remember his 2 fr & bk in particular being hard to watch. He was trying so hard to race and win (which I think is a huge testament to Lochte as an athlete and competitor) but was going nowhere…and the 2 fr in particular was short and choppy.
But all this is easy to say as the armchair coach. He looks like he’s found a good place with Marsh, I’ll be… Read more »
Still don’t get all the hype about swimmac
Bobo can you please look in to all the past results , I believe Troy has 5 guys going 1,44/1,46
200 free , marsh has one guy in 1,46
swimmers do ok at swimmac for 6 to 9month ,from old base then retire or go elsewhere