In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman Hodges, Garrett McCaffrey, and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.
USA Swimming CEO, Tim Hinchey, drops in on the SwimSwam podcast to talk about 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Tim honors the past, noting the success in Omaha paved the way for the larger venue, Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, and he addresses any concerns that the new venue might be too big. Tim has lead the governing body through some tough times, the pandemic being the most notable, and he feels it is time for swimming to grow. Tim’s bullish on the Indy venue, detailing it’s central location. 25% of USA Swimming’s registered swimmers and their families are within an eight hour drive to Indy, something the Omaha location did not deliver. Tim’s so bullish on the Indy location he is projecting an historic attendance record, at least for one night.
Interestingly, Tim goes back into U.S. Trials history, describing the move to Long Beach in 2004 and the crowd of nearly 10,000, and the fears – back then – of going to Omaha in 2008 with a capacity of nearly 15,000, which USA Swimming managed to sellout. Omaha did put USA Swimming on the map in many respects, certainly making the governing body’s event the envy of all Olympic sports orgs. Tim sees U.S. Olympic Trials as the greatest swim meet on earth, and he intends to continue that tradition.
Attendance records at swimming venues and the size of the crowds throughout history are somewhat murky. If you have any data on this topic, please share. Did the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics have 30,000 or even 40,000 in attendance? I found this footage of the 1932 Olympic swimming competition, and it doesn’t appear to be 30,000. What do you think? Swimming starts at 1:40.
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Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com
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.
Maybe join other countries in the 21st century and hold Olympic and Paralympic Trials together? Like “one team” in real life. The disparities in the trials and training experiences have been pretty discouraging.
should have thought about that before the trials cuts plummeted cutting up to 2/3rds of swimmers out in certain disciplines
Has there ever been a trials where the CEO hasn’t wanted an attendance record? 🤔
2021.
Touché
i just looked at a map- I thought Omaha and Indianapolis were going to be on opposite sides of the country. I was wrong. (I’m not from the USA).
Indiana has one of the largest LSCs in the country and has a huge swim fan base. If any smaller city can pack the stadium it is Indy.
Omaha population 421k ; Indy, 835k. Both cities are in open carry states.
^ okay?
And what we taking about swimming 😂
Agreed we need to enact more gun control, it’s for the safety of the trials…