The Mind of an 8-Time Olympic Medalist: Unveiling Regan Smith's Thoughts
In this exclusive GMM podcast, we had the pleasure of chatting with the incredible Regan Smith, an eight-time Olympic medalist, fresh from her impressive performance at the 2026 Austin Pro Swim Series. Her results speak for themselves:
- 100m Backstroke: 1st place, with a time of 57.98
- 50m Backstroke: 1st, clocking in at 27.67
- 100m Butterfly: Another victory, finishing in 56.18
- 200m Butterfly: A dominant performance, timing at 2:05.29
Four events, four wins, and she managed to fit in color-set training and weightlifting in the same week! Now, that's dedication.
We reached out to Regan because she's known for her engaging and honest insights into the world of elite sports. Unlike many athletes, she's open and candid, offering a unique perspective on the sport. That's why we titled this episode "What Does Regan Smith Think?" - a chance to delve into her mind and uncover her thoughts on a range of topics.
During our conversation, we covered:
- Training techniques and strategies
- The semi-finals at the Pro Swim Series
- Prize money and its impact on athletes (Does it make a difference to Regan at her current level? She took home $7,500 from the Austin Pro Swim)
- The debate: Should Regan focus solely on backstroke, or does racing in multiple events support her overall goals?
- Regan's upcoming race schedule and events
- USA Swimming's Short Course World Championships Trials: Is it a good, bad, or meh idea?
- The recent APA increases (a welcome financial boost for USA Swimming National Team Members, the first in 15 years)
- The USOPC's decision to block foreign athletes from training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center during the 2028 Olympics
- Regan's thoughts on the LA2028 Olympics and her potential journey to Brisbane 2032
- And much more!
Despite feeling under the weather during the recording, I didn't want to miss this opportunity to chat with Regan. Coleman Hodges stepped in to support, and although we drifted off-topic for the first few minutes, the conversation got swimmingly good (pun intended!) at the 4:30 mark. The podcast is a little over an hour long, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
If you have any questions you'd like us to ask Regan in a future episode, feel free to leave them in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!
You can follow Regan Smith on Instagram here. And don't forget to follow Gold Medal Mel on Instagram here.
A big thank you to Swimoutlet.com for their 14-year partnership and support of this swimming news and media platform.
Recent GMM Podcasts:
This Gold Medal Media production is brought to you by SwimOutlet.com. Your host, Gold Medal Mel Stewart, is a three-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a leading swimming news website. Please note that the opinions expressed by the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC, or our advertising partners.
In this story:
- Regan Smith
- Gold Medal Mel Stewart
About Gold Medal Mel Stewart:
MEL STEWART Jr., aka Gold Medal Mel, is a three-time Olympic medalist from the 1992 Games. His specialty? The 200 butterfly, where he held World, American, and NCAA records. As a writer, producer, and sports columnist, Mel has contributed to Yahoo Sports, Universal Sports, and more. To learn more about Mel, click here.
