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Top 50 Most Read SwimSwam Articles of 2018

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 3

December 31st, 2018 Industry, News

How good was Caeleb Dressel‘s NCAA Championship meet in 2018? He’s entered rare air alongside some of the greatest swimmer in the history of the sport, responsible for SwimSwam’s most-read post of 2018. Past most-read articles have often been live recaps, and when they’re not, they’re usually about swimmers like Ryan Lochte or Michael Phelps, or something particularly gruesome like when Ryan Geheb earned all-state honors after a piece of steel fell on his head and he bled his way to all-state honors.

In fact, Dressel was responsible for the 2 most-read, non-live-recap articles on SwimSwam in 2018.

Among the top 50 most-read articles on the site this year, 19 were live recaps, which is up 1 from last year. That was a bit surprising, given how more disjointed the major meets were this year – we expected more live recaps to crack the top 50.

Many of the articles revolved around the absolutely-bonkers NCAA Championship meets in March, which far outweighed the interest in any international-level swims.

Some articles, like the Missy Franklin retirement article that just happened in the last few weeks, are still racking up views, and so that article would probably climb if Franklin had announced her retirement earlier in the year, for example.

Some articles were controversial – like the article that every coach loved to hate about researchers who believe that the kick may not provide any benefit to freestyle swimming. Others were more informational – looks at good pre-race meals (every swim parents favorite request when a championship meet is approaching and they decide that 24 hours out is the best time for their athlete to start that new healthy diet).

There’s still one old article from The Swimmers’ Circle that pops up in the top 50 every year: Why is a Swimming Mile 1650 Yards? Truly an evergreen marvel, this one pops to the top every year as fitness swimmers and novice swim fans try to decipher the ‘mile’ lingo to describe a race that most certainly is not a mile in length.

Check out the most-read articles of 2018, including a breakdown by type of article.

See Past Lists

Most Read Articles – Overall

Most viewed articles
# Article
1 Watch Caeleb Dressel Go Mind-Boggling 17.63 in 50 Free
2 2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap
3 2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap
4 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap
5 You’ve Never Seen Anything Like This Before: Caeleb Dressel 1:38 Video
6 2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap
7 3 Highly Recommended Pre-Race Meals for Swimmers
8 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 1 Finals Live Recap
9 Olympian Ryan Lochte Banned 14 Months Due To IV Infusion
10 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap
11 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap
12 2018 Pan Pacs: Day 3 Finals Live Recap
13 They’re Here: Initial FINA Qualification Times For the 2020 Olympics
14 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
15 USA Swimming Releases Age Group Motivational Times For 2017-2020
16 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 2 Finals Live Recap
17 Why is a Swimming Mile only 1650 Yards?
18 USA Swimming Names Official 2018 Pan Pacs Roster
19 9 Steps to Teaching Swim Lessons
20 Top 20 NCAA Swimming Recruits in the Boys High School Class of 2019
21 16 Tricks and Tips to Swim Faster, Train Smarter and Crush Your Goals
22 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 4 Finals Live Recap
23 Top 20 NCAA Swimming Recruits in the Girls High School Class of 2019
24 Joe Gardner Executes Perfect Breaststroke Flip Turns at Big Tens
25 Looking Forward: NCAA Time Standards For 2017-2018
26 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 3 Finals Live Recap
27 9 Signs You Have a Swimmer’s Body
28 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 5 Finals Live Recap
29 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap
30 8 Nutritional Recommendations For Swimmers
31 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 1 Relay Finals Live Recap
32 Americans DQed For Swimming Out Of Order, Brazil Bumped To Relay Gold
33 Katinka Hosszu, Michael Andrew, Tom Shields File Lawsuit Against FINA
34 The Day I Quit Swimming
35 2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap
36 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap
37 The Official 2018 SwimSwam U.S. Nationals Preview Index
38 How To Watch The High Stakes 2018 U.S. National Championships
39 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap
40 Brett Hawke Resigns as Auburn Head Coach
41 11-Time World Champ Missy Franklin Retires
42 WATCH: Caeleb Dressel Swims Fastest 100 Yard Breast In History
43 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
44 Katie Ledecky Announces She’s Forgoing Final 2 Years of Eligibility to Turn Pro
45 Hosszu Announces Split from Tusup; Tusup Reacts With Intimate Details
46 2017 World Champion Madisyn Cox Given 2-Year Doping Suspension
47 American Swimmer Tests Positive at World Jrs, Forfeits Medal
48 A Humble Attempt to Contextualize Dressel’s 17.63
49 14-Year-Old Illinois Swimmer Dies In Pre-Season ‘Conditioning’ Session
50 Biomechanics Study: Kicking May Bring No Benefit In Freestyle

News-Driven

Overall Rank Article
1 Watch Caeleb Dressel Go Mind-Boggling 17.63 in 50 Free
5 You’ve Never Seen Anything Like This Before: Caeleb Dressel 1:38 Video
9 Olympian Ryan Lochte Banned 14 Months Due To IV Infusion
13 They’re Here: Initial FINA Qualification Times For the 2020 Olympics
15 USA Swimming Releases Age Group Motivational Times For 2017-2020
17 Why is a Swimming Mile only 1650 Yards?
18 USA Swimming Names Official 2018 Pan Pacs Roster
20 Top 20 NCAA Swimming Recruits in the Boys High School Class of 2019
23 Top 20 NCAA Swimming Recruits in the Girls High School Class of 2019
24 Joe Gardner Executes Perfect Breaststroke Flip Turns at Big Tens
25 Looking Forward: NCAA Time Standards For 2017-2018
32 Americans DQed For Swimming Out Of Order, Brazil Bumped To Relay Gold
33 Katinka Hosszu, Michael Andrew, Tom Shields File Lawsuit Against FINA
37 The Official 2018 SwimSwam U.S. Nationals Preview Index
38 How To Watch The High Stakes 2018 U.S. National Championships
40 Brett Hawke Resigns as Auburn Head Coach
41 11-Time World Champ Missy Franklin Retires
42 WATCH: Caeleb Dressel Swims Fastest 100 Yard Breast In History
44 Katie Ledecky Announces She’s Forgoing Final 2 Years of Eligibility to Turn Pro
45 Hosszu Announces Split from Tusup; Tusup Reacts With Intimate Details
46 2017 World Champion Madisyn Cox Given 2-Year Doping Suspension
47 American Swimmer Tests Positive at World Jrs, Forfeits Medal
48 A Humble Attempt to Contextualize Dressel’s 17.63
49 14-Year-Old Illinois Swimmer Dies In Pre-Season ‘Conditioning’ Session

Live Recaps

Overall Rank Article
2 2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap
3 2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap
4 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap
6 2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap
8 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 1 Finals Live Recap
10 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap
11 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap
12 2018 Pan Pacs: Day 3 Finals Live Recap
14 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
16 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 2 Finals Live Recap
22 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 4 Finals Live Recap
26 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 3 Finals Live Recap
28 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 5 Finals Live Recap
29 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap
31 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 1 Relay Finals Live Recap
35 2018 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap
36 2018 Men’s NCAA Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap
39 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap
43 2018 U.S. Nationals: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

Training & Lifestyle

Overall Rank Article
7 3 Highly Recommended Pre-Race Meals for Swimmers
19 9 Steps to Teaching Swim Lessons
21 16 Tricks and Tips to Swim Faster, Train Smarter and Crush Your Goals
27 9 Signs You Have a Swimmer’s Body
30 8 Nutritional Recommendations For Swimmers
34 The Day I Quit Swimming
50 Biomechanics Study: Kicking May Bring No Benefit In Freestyle

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Leisurely Swim
5 years ago

Who else immediately clicked on the old Dressel articles as they scrolled past them?

CBswims
5 years ago

But who had the most (funny) comment sections – A certain swimmer from Harvard? I think so. F.Bueller reincarnate.

Wannabe Thorpe
Reply to  CBswims
5 years ago

Can we nominate Steve Nolan for the comedy award

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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