SwimSwam embedded with Speedo during their photo shoot for the release of the new Speedo Fastskin. Â There we caught up with Olympic Champion and World Record Holder Kathleen Baker. She is back in the fold with the magic man, Coach David Marsh in La Jolla, California with Team Elite Aquatics.
Coming off of 2018, one of the best seasons of her career, Kathleen’s been transitioning into the pro life.  For any elite, going from a college team atmosphere to the pros isn’t easy. She’s frank about this topic, and it’s clear she was prepared for the change–sober about the transition. She added that while it’s a little lonely, the pro life is very exciting. Moreover, in her words, she has a lot of freedom to just focus on swimming.
Kathleen, a backstroke specialist, competes in one of the most competitive disciplines on the global stage. While challengers in U.S. and from around the world are a threat,  I’m 100% Team Baker.  Aside from the fact that we both swam for the same club (SwimMAC) and coach (Marsh),  I’m bullish on Baker for the cold, hard numbers. Her 58 flat 100m back last summer at U.S. Nationals proved she’s a break-through star.  I’d love to see her break the 58 second barrier at 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.  I also think anything under the 58 barrier tops the podium.
What do you think? Share in the comments.
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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.
The magic man????? Seriously. The magic people were the coaches that brought Kathleen to the level that she is. I wouldn’t mess with the magic that Coach Marsh uses. You might get burned.
Sounds like something shady is going down in San Diego…
So true!
She’s so lucky. She’s a star. But she cry cry cries in her lonely heart thinking, “If there’s no mascara missing in my life, then why do these tears come at night?”
Also this is a joke, I’m not at all implying she’s shallow. Just look at those fabulous lashes.
It be like that sometimes
It really do
I imagine being pro also helps with more specificity and flexibility to manage Crohn’s. Excited to see what her 200 back and IM development does for the last 20m of her 100 back. Kylie Masse is the best back-halfer in the ladies’ 100 back biz but with the right pacing and positioning, Baker could hold her off. . .
Smoliga will be right up there this summer
I think you misspelled Regan Smith
I volunteer to keep her company.
Slight creep but to each their own
Shake n Bake will give you a 58 flat and she will give you lashes! Love it!
The loud dubstep is a nice touch to go along with the interview.
Sorry. Will remove that track going forward…………………………………….
LOL!
I like it
Keep it
It’s iconic now
stop it……………………….you’re making me ashamed that I still love dubstep. (My wife, and my daughter, and Coleman make fun of me too!)
Dubstep is great man! I love it
No Mel check out Zeds Dead and Slander if you love dubstep:)
I meant it when I said it was nice touch.
Obviously she went pro but did she finish her degree early? or is she just putting it off?
Pretty sure she did another semester at Cal this fall to finish.
Well, we miss her in Berkeley and that wonderful smile. Wish her the best and thank her for her immense contributions to Cal and to the collegiate scene.
So still graduated early? She would be on track to graduate in May otherwise…either way congrats on to her on the next chapter!
She’s finishing up writing her thesis from San Diego this semester and will graduate in May
Mystery solved. Thank you, Torrey!!!!
A thesis for an undergraduate degree? Probably not.
Seeing as I’m 50 pages into my own as a senior in college, can confirm that that is, unfortunately, a thing we do in undergrad 🙂
And, I’m currently in Savannah, and daily am in coffee shops working next to SCAD students who are working on theirs. So, seems to be bicoastal.
I think it depends on the degree, I’m at a UC as a senior and I’m not required to write a thesis.