Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast

Welcome back to Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast as we kick off Season 6 with a bang, previewing the 2023 Fukuoka World Swimming Championships with none other than former World Champion and World Record Holder Bobby Hurley.

Bobby Hurley and I preview the upcoming world champs and the mouth-watering superstar match ups that are coming our way starting Sunday 23rd July in Japan. Bobby will also be commentating the championships for World Aquatics and their live broadcast in Fukuoka.

From the Women's 400 Freestyle with legends Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus trying to take down young superstar and world record holder Summer McIntosh, to the Men's 100 Freestyle with our own Kyle Chalmers taking on Romanian superstar and world record holder David Popovici. What records can Leon Marchand break as he looks to stamp his authority on the world champs ahead of what will be a massive 2024 Paris home games for the French superstar.

We talk Kaylee Mckeown v Regan Smith in the Women's 100 and 200 Backstroke, as well as Cam McEvoy amazing comeback on the world stage heading in as the fastest 50m Freestyle qualifier.

This without a doubt is going to be an eventful, emotional, spectacular World Champs with all the young stars colliding with legends all on the road to 2024 Paris Olympics, who will come out on top DON'T MISS a minute of the action.

Welcome to The Shannon Rollason Podcast, a swimming podcast like no other.

The Shannon Rollason Podcast is back in 2023 and on a new home here on the Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast network.

This week as we get closer to 2023 World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Shannon and I are joined by swimming statistician and historian David Clark once again, as we look back at the rich history of the World Swimming Championships.

In this part two episode, David, Shannon and I have a look back at Montreal 2005 and Australia's continued success there with Grant Hackett winning a 4th consecutive 1500m Free, through to 2022 in Budapest and we also do a quick look ahead to Fukuoka and what is to come in 1 weeks time.

From the success of 2007 in Melbourne to the controversy of 2009 in Rome where the super suits overshadowed the years racing. From James Magnussen winning the men's 100m Free in Shanghai 2011 to the emergence of a young Katie Ledecky in 2013 at Barcelona. As well as Bronte Campbells massive meet in 2015 Kazan through to more controversy in 2019 Gwangju with Mack Horton refusing to stand on the podium with Sun Yang following the men's 400m Free. This episode covers it all

If you are a lover of swimming and the history of the sport, this is the podcast for you, don't miss part two

Welcome to The Shannon Rollason Podcast, a swimming podcast like no other.

The Shannon Rollason Podcast is back in 2023 and on a new home here on the Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast network.

This week as we get closer to 2023 World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Shannon and I are joined by swimming statistician and historian David Clark once again, as we look back at the rich history of the World Swimming Championships.

In this part one episode, David, Shannon and I have a look back at how the World champs started way back in 1973 in Belgrade through to 2003 in Barcelona.

David gives us a great insight into some of the great stories and performances that have helped shape not just swimming here in Australia but indeed the world. 

From the East German controversies in the 70s and 80s, to milestones in Australian history with Stephen Holland who won our first ever World Champs Gold Medal in the 1500m Free.

We cover the less successful champs for Australia through the mid 80s through to the resurgence in mid 90s and early 00s with Thorpe, Hackett, O'Neil, Perkins, Riley.

If you are a lover of swimming and the history of the sport, this is the podcast for you, don't miss part one

Welcome to The Shannon Rollason Podcast, a swimming podcast like no other.

The Shannon Rollason Podcast is back in 2023 and on a new home here on the Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast network.

This week Shannon and I look back at 2003 Barcelona World Champs on the 20 year anniversary. This was Shannon's first Long Course World Champs on the Australian team, and he takes us through his memories of big event.

From his own results with Alice Mills, Jodie Henry and Mel Houghton, to some of the big races between Alexander Popov, Ian Thorpe and Pieter Van Den Hoogenband and the girls relays where Australia are beginning their charge towards the top.

In this great look back, Shannon gives us some insights into being on his first Worlds team and why the experience was like from a coaches perspective as well as some fun stories along the way

Don't miss this

Welcome to The Shannon Rollason Podcast, a swimming podcast like no other.

The Shannon Rollason Podcast is back in 2023 and on a new home here on the Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast network.

This week Shannon and I look back on the Aussie trials for World Champs in a few weeks.

Shannon talks so us about how his team went down in Melbourne, as well as some big races from other athletes that caught his eye.

Cam McEvoy 50m Free, Kaylee McKeown dominates, Mollie O'Callaghan makes her mark and Sam Short arrives as the dominant middle and distance male in Australia

All that and a whole lot more

Welcome to The Shannon Rollason Podcast, a swimming podcast like no other.

The Shannon Rollason Podcast is back in 2023 and on a new home here on the Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast network.

This week Shannon and I preview this weeks 2023 Australian Swimming World Champs Trials down in Melbourne, as the best Aussie swimmers battle it out to be on the plane to Japan.

During this chat, Shannon casts his eye over the swimmers competing in Melbourne, and give us his top races to watch and why.

We also discover and discuss a few events through the program that really need to be strengthened in terms of depth as we look ahead to 2024 Olympics and beyond.

Great chat, don't miss it

Welcome to The Shannon Rollason Podcast, a swimming podcast like no other.

The Shannon Rollason Podcast is back in 2023 and on a new home here on the Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast network.

This week Shannon and I continue our discussion on transitioning your program from a top age group to a top open age program. Shannon takes us through his 4 year plan which started in 2000 and carried onto 2004 in Athens. he shares with us his goals that were set, what brought about this mindset and the risks he took in pursuit of his teams dreams.

This week has great insights for all those coaches looking to help progress their top age group talent through to making senior teams, from a man who has done it himself.

Great episode, don't miss it

Welcome to The Shannon Rollason Podcast, a swimming podcast like no other.

The Shannon Rollason Podcast is back in 2023 and on a new home here on the Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast network.

This week Shannon and I discuss the Rugby League State of Origin NSW v QLD and things we can learn and adapt to swimming as coaches. 

We discuss transitioning from a successful age group program into a successful open squad program and how you go about it, things to look at and knowing when your program isn't suitable for open athletes

We are also joined by a very special guest NSW Swimming Coaching Director Jon Shaw. Jon joins us to discuss the Blues loss, and gives us his thoughts on transitioning our NSW swimmers from top Age group swimmers to top Open level swimmers, and what the future looks like.

Welcome to The Shannon Rollason Podcast, a swimming podcast like no other.

The Shannon Rollason Podcast is back in 2023 and on a new home here on the Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast network.

This week Shannon and I go through some listener questions as we do another round of Ask Shannon Anything.

In this podcast we discuss what other sport Shannon would coach if he could, what country he would like to coach in, whether he likes music on pool deck and his favourite kick set.

We also dive into Swimming Australia's Long Term Athlete Development Model for coaches, and if we are really rewarding the athletes and programs who takes a short term approach, as well as a question sure to fire Shannon up again, When will NSW be stronger than QLD in the pool? 

Don't miss this weeks episode, it's going to get you talking

Welcome to The Shannon Rollason Podcast, a swimming podcast like no other.

The Shannon Rollason Podcast is back in 2023 and on a new home here on the Off The Blocks Swimming Podcast network.

This week Shannon and I are back from our break to discuss all things Sydney Open, including Bronte Campbell's big return to competition after 18months.

We go back and discuss Australian Age and Open Champs from the Gold Coast in April, and as the name of todays show suggests, Shannon gets fired up about a few things which we wont spoil for you here, you will just have to listen.

And we finish with a great chat about coaches work life balance, taking breaks and not burning yourself out.

Excited to be back, hope you all enjoy