By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam
In this GMM takeover of the SwimSwam podcast we have Virginia Head Coach Todd DeSorbo.
DeSorbo sits at the center of the most powerful women’s training group in swimming, led by Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass. We’ve already gone deep with both women. In this conversation, DeSorbo helps swim fans fill in the gaps, getting granular on training, tapering, and more coach-led details.
We start with Douglass’ remarkable 2026 progression in the 50 free, going from 24.21 at the Fort Lauderdale Open to 23.59 at the Indy Pro Swim and ultimately 23.19 at the Pan Pacific Championships. DeSorbo breaks down what changed in training, why her 50 free speed appeared before the same breakthrough came in the 100 free, and what happened between Indy and Pan Pacs to unlock another level.
DeSorbo doesn’t disappoint, adding more training context, delivering an interesting podcast Easter egg for swim nerds. DeSorbo coached Cam McEvoy’s current coach, Tim Lane, at UNC Wilmington. They remain friends, sharing data and training insights. DeSorbo even shares a Lane-McEvoy drill he deployed this year, and goes as far as saying he thinks it impacted Douglass’ 50 free progression.
From there, we get into one of the strangest training puzzles in swimming: How do you prepare the fastest 50 freestyler in history to also be one of the best 200 breaststrokers in the world? DeSorbo explains how Douglass and Walsh train together, where their programs separate, how he manages intensity, and how much individualization is required when two elite swimmers have very different strengths and physiological demands.
We also dig into Virginia’s increasingly stacked women’s group. How does DeSorbo decide who gets in? Is it entirely the coaches’ call? Do current athletes have input? And beyond raw speed, what qualities matter when you’re adding someone to a group where almost every lane contains an international medal threat?
Finally, we talk event selection. With Douglass capable of contending across freestyle, breaststroke, IM and fly, how much control does the swimmer have over what she races? Does DeSorbo steer athletes toward the events that offer the best medal opportunities, or is his job simply to help them become great at the events they want to swim?
We cover all of the above and much more. This is a deep dive into the coaching decisions behind one of the fastest training environments in the sport.
If we missed any questions, drop them in the comments and we’ll ask DeSorbo back for a follow-up.
Follow Todd DeSorbo on Instagram here.
Follow Gold Medal Mel on Instagram here.
Many thanks to Swimoutlet.com for their 15 year partnership and support of this swimming news and media.
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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.
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.
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