USA Swimming is known around the world as one of the powerhouse teams in the sport and this year expectations are high as always ahead of the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris. This year’s Games will be the second for Chief Executive Officer Tim Hinchey but the first in which he does not have to lead the national governing body under pandemic-related conditions. With a high-profile year that includes not only the Olympics but the World Aquatics championships that recently started in Qatar and a host of national level meets around the country, we caught up with Hinchey to discuss how USA Swimming places events around the United States, anticipation for this year’s Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and much more.
Among the topics in this episode
- USA Swimming’s strategy in putting together this year’s schedule of events with an eye toward athletes having their peak performances at the Olympic Summer Games in Paris (1:52)
- The process and anticipation of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, which starts June 15 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis (3:31)
- Whether the Trials will lead to more events in NFL-sized and non-swim specific venues (5:48)
- What USA Swimming looks for in partner destinations and venues (7:41)
- The adjustment to being in a “normal” Olympic cycle (10:07)
- The pressure of leading one of the world’s most dominant swimming teams (12:30)
- The importance of a strong Paris 2024 performance leading into the Los Angeles in 2028 (14:12)
- Thoughts on the plans for open-water swimming in Paris in the River Seine (16:09)
- Amount of time he spends on swimming and athlete issues compared to sponsorship, SafeSport and more (17:55)
- Changes on the collegiate landscape and how it affects development of elite swimming prospects (20:55)
- The best perk of being USA Swimming’s chief executive officer (23:24)