Siberia to LA. Olympic swimmer. AMA

Hello Vladimir! I actually swam against you at PAC 12s in 2013, it was a great honor to be able to watch you swim. Your 50 free has always amazed me considering you are not the typical tall sprinter. How have you perfected your start and turn to the point were you almost come off a body length ahead?

Hey there fellow sprinter! Thank you for the kind words. As I explained in a post above I learned how to use that momentum energy instead of slowing down and generating it again. My "short" height 6'1 gives an advantage in terms of explosiveness of the start and quickness on the turn. Sometimes you can turn your weaknesses into strengths.

What do you think about the movie Predator?

it was a loooooong time ago that I've seen it. I might have to re-watch it and get back to you.

How harsh was it growing up in Siberia?

I was a kid back then and didn't know any better. You know the 90's before computers and cell phones we could run around all day and explore. Do all the things kids did back then. I had a pretty good childhood and wouldn't have it any other way.

The weather in the winter, of course, is harsh. In the ages 10-14 I'd wake up at 5 am to go to morning practice. Sometimes I'd have to literally crawl through the snow to make it to our tiny pool. If your eyelashes were still a bit wet after they would often freeze together when you blink. So in general you can't be outside for more than 20 minutes. That's about how far the pool was from my home.

My meal of the day was often two packs of ramen noodles with ketchup. Each cost 10 cents back then. Economical crisis was felt strongly for years after the Soviet Union fell apart. But I think I had it better than most.

As harsh as it could have been for a kid I remember all of it with a smile on my face now :)

Just as an aside, I have known about you ever since you were in college, when I heard about your 17 second relay split at NCAA's. Then I saw a video of you swimming the hundred freestyle (in a 25 meter pool) and beating olympians by half a body length in the first 50. My question is what motivates you to train so hard, and how do you manage to be so good at the little things, like starts and turns?

Thank you for your interest. That 17.86 split is still sitting strong :)

As far as starts and turns go I naturally have good reaction times and fast twitch muscle fibers. Also I do a good amount of training on carrying my momentum energy through starts and turns. It helps big time to carry your speed through and conserve energy.

My motivation comes from the fact that I like what I do. As I said above there are always things that you can learn and improve on. The desire to improve and interest are the biggest factors I'd say.

Hi Vladimir, congratulations on succeeding and following your dream! As an aspiring swimmer myself, what advice would you give to those trying to follow the same path that you did?

Thank you. I would highly recommend to set your season goal times, write them on a piece of paper and hang in a visible place. It's a great daily reminder and motivator.

There are thousands of ways to improve in our sport even though it seems so monotone at first sight. As long as you are interested in what you do you will find ways to get better and things to work on. Talk to your coaches about technique, watch how best in the world do it and develop your own style. Have fun!

Vlad, I watched you swim at the 2013 Speedo Grand Challenge. My club teammates and I got wet over watching you and the other Trojan guys throwing down. We took a pic together, and I actually got to touch your shoulder. It was surreal. At NCAAs in your last year as an amateur, you laid down some serious swims in the sprint races. I'll never forget being in club practice that day, when my coach basically stopped us in the middle of a set to let us know that you split the now-famous 17.86 50 freestyle in the free relay. You're a freaking rockstar and I'm very excited to see you swim this summer.

My questions:

1) Did you really have an out-of-body experience on the 17.86 50 free split? If so, what was it like? And if not, what does moving that quickly through the water even feel like?

2) Who's your pick to beat that split at NCAAs in the future?

3) What times do you think it will take to win the 50 and 100 freestyles in Rio?

Thanks. Keep on grinding, dude!

Thanks yab0i! 1. I was extremely pumped for that relay swim knowing that it's one of the last relays with my teammates and great friends. I was well prepared, well tapered and seeing that we are so far behind added oil to the fire. It was a perfect swim, start, turn and everything. I felt like I was flying over the water and moving through the water with a current both ways. An awesome feeling.

1. I'm sure that Dressel will be the first one to beat that split. With an 18.2 flat start I see no reason to doubt it.

2. 21.1 and 47.0

Although your coach Dave Salo is a very highly regarded coach multiple of his swimmers such as Jessica Hardy, Ous Mellouli, Yulia Emifova (twice now) have failed drug tests. What is your response to this?

I wouldn't like to talk about other athletes on the subject, it's not mine to do. But I can assure you that Dave Salo has no connection to these incidents. One time I took creatine post weight workout in front of him and he completely flipped out. He said something along the lines that I don't need it to be great. I believe and trust him.

What's best for efficiency and speed for cross overs? An underwater breast stroke? Or dolphin kick?

Underwater dolphin kick is the fastest way to swim of all so far. That is why we have a rule in place now that you cannot kick underwater for more than 15 meters off each wall. There was a great Russian Butterfly Olympic Champion Denis Pankratov who would swim most of his race underwater. Check him out: http://youtu.be/Zp2NTFjeXQQ

What's up son!?!?! It's Cronan. Good luck at Trials man!

Cronan! Thank you my man! Didn't expect to see you here.

Hi Vladimir respect from Armenia, there is no precise information about your height and is there minimum height to be good in sprint distances (free 50, 100)?

I believe there is a common misconception about height in swimming. As much advantages as there are in being a tall swimmer there are also disadvantages. Shorter swimmer will have a better reaction time off the blocks, can generate higher tempo, weights less and therefore fights less drag with the water. Technical mistakes will cost much more for a tall swimmer.

How did you first discover your talent at swimming?

I've done a number of sports ranging from ball room dancing to olympic weight lifting (at 9 years old!) but swimming was something that I always enjoyed and it got me. It was my first coach that saw the talent in me but I really had no idea. After I broke my first age group record in the 100 yd freestyle at 14 I started to think that I picked the right sport.

Do you remember your 100 yd freestyle time when you were 14?

At 15 I was

20.6 - 50

46.3 - 100

50.3 - 100 back

Congrats man, I'm quite inspired by you. What's your diet looking like? How often do you drink alcohol. Also, ты говорит по-русскй?

Did I grammar right?

Thank you! Always great to hear that my work inspires someone. I try to balance my protein/carb/fat intake and just eat healthy food in general. I'm not big for junk food or sweets so I'd pick a nice, juicy, rare steak over anything.

And да, я говорю по-русски :)

Hi Vladimir, good luck at the trials! I have 3 questions:

1) How many calories do you eat a day?

2) What's your favorite food?

3) Who were your heroes growing up?

Thanks!

1. Never counted but if I were to guess it's somewhere around 4-6k

2. Rare Rib Eye Steak.

3. My mother, Elena.

How often does David Jakl wreck u in practice?

Haha not often but he has some lucky days now and then

Hi Vlad, I was wondering what you think of USRPT. A lot of people say there are similarities between it and Coach Salo's practices but what are some differences that you think are important?

It's hard to describe coach Salo's practices and his theories but he is much more than USRPT. He is a genious, one of the best in the world. We do more USRPT closer to the mid-end of the season but before that we do a solid block of high HR/lactate repetitive sets with short rest. It's the work that kills you and your speed but in the end produces the result imo.

I have a friend who is a professional soccer player, he plays for club and country when he gets called for the team. He's lifestyle is pretty hectic with the travel, games and practices. I see him once a year in off season but how does being a pro affect your personal relationships ?

Swimming is a sport unlike soccer basketball or baseball where they play games every weekend. In our sport we focus on the training aspect for most of the season to gain top form in order to compete at the big competitions in the summer. So pretty much we train a whole year to drop one or two very fast swims in the finals at World Championships or the Olympics. There are numerous competitions throughout the season but those are done under training, meaning not recovered, in grinding mode. As far as personal relationships go-I surround myself with people who understand my lifestyle As a pro athlete. Can't say that I don't get enough social life. But you also have to take into account the fact that there is not much left over energy for that when you train 4-6 hours a day. Hope I answered your question. Good luck to you and your friend in his career!

What's your favourite swimming stroke? If you had to swim a long distance at sea, which one would you choose?

How important do you think genetic ability is for competitive swimming?

Have you met famous swimmers like Michael Phelps? Who's your favourite swimmer?

Good luck for the trials. I hope to watch you at the finals!

Nice first comment thanks for asking! My favorite stroke is freestyle since it's the fastest. I am a sprinter (50 and 100 meters) so not much into long distances but I do enjoy body surfing. I firmly believe that you need to be talented in order to compete in swimming on the highest levels. There is something we call feel for the water which is essentially how well your brain processes connection with the water. You can either rip through it and stay in place or catch and grip at the right strength/speed to propell your body forward. As you can guess this art is mastered through years of training. Yes, I have not only met swimmers like Michael Phelps but also raced against them. In fact Michael Phelps was in the same relay final at the 2012 Olympic Games where our team was Bronze and US Silver.

So what are you studying? What do you want to do with your life?

I am not studying currently but I do plan to finish kinesiology degree or economics degree after my swimming career. As you see I am not completely sure yet. So far I am planning to compete internationally for as long as I can and have my priorities on athletic performance.

Hi Vlad! Me and my friend are big fans and we have some questions. Like how did you decide - as a sprinter - to do a triple in Kazan? And what are you planning on swimming at trials? Good luck from Belgium & Slovakia :)

Thank you! At the World Championships in Kazan I raced a total of 14 times including all prelims, semi-finals, finals, swim-offs and relays. Since the Championships were held in my country I wanted to have every chance to grab a medal. The results were depressing putting in so much work and coming 4th or 5th every time with a span of hundredths of a second to a medal. One Silver medal was not the goal. So I learned from my mistakes and will only be swimming the 50&100 freestyle at trials next week. With a chance to also compete in relays at the Olympics.

I'm a fellow "shorter" sprinter here, what tips would you have for someone like me? And what do you think of McEvoy's 47.04 at Australian Trials earlier today?

Work on your tempo and play around with straight arm freestyle technique. As for McEvoy he had a great trials meet, with that time he is the favorite to win in Rio by far (so far). Olympic Games are not trials though, I believe everyone in that final heat will have a good chance to win.

Hey Vlad, i'm a huge fan. I have a few questions for you.

-What are the best drills that you use for sprint free?

-What's the volume of your training like? (yardage/how many swim sessions)

-How can I learn about your stroke catch/recovery for sprint free?

-What do you think about Cameron Mcevoy's 47.04?

Thanks Vlad, all the best for Rio! I'll be rooting for you.

One of my favorite drills is butterfly kick with freestyle pull to work on that front catch and extra push with your core. Another one is exploding from a floating position (try to generate as much speed and power quickly). Spin drill is also great.

-For the last couple of years I'd do one swimming morning training 5-7km high intensity. Secong training is in the gym 1.5-2 hours.

-straight arm is a tricky stroke it took me years to perfect it and still there are things I can work on. I'd say the best way is to have an experienced coach. But to put it in easy words think of yourself as a kayak. Tight core, deep and full range of motion stroke.

-very fast!

Good luck!

Hi Vladimir. I'm a former USC swimmer myself. To maintain whatever shreds of online anonymity I have left, I won't say from when, but it was during the Mark Schubert era. (Not that I was that great anyway.)

Did you ever talk with Lenny Krayzelburg? And does he even come around much anymore? You and he may share some similarities in your early life, and he has credited the Russian community of Los Angeles in helping his transition after emigration. Did you find it hard to fit in? Did you have a support group from the Russian community as well?

Also, I think I may have just given away the relative time frame I swam for 'SC. Anyway, good luck to you, and fight on.

Always glad to see another Trojan on here! Yes, I met Lenny the same year I moved to LA at some age group competition. We've talked a few times ever since and last time I saw him a few weeks ago at our pool. He still comes around once in awhile. I did not have a very hard time to fit in except for the first couple of years for the lack of english. Even then swimming was always there as an outlet. I can't say that I had support from the Russian community, the only other Russian I knew went to my high school and was in a similar situation. He is also Ukrainian, not Russian. I did have support from our swimming community though, some very nice people helped in the toughest of times. Big thanks to the Gallas family!

Thank you for your questions and fight on!

As a current D3 swimmer what advice could you give me to improve with swimming while juggling college life?

Try to get as much sleep as possible! As exciting as college life/college sports is it can burn you out very quickly. Studies, social life, training, hobbies everything is good in moderation but enough good sleep will give you an edge in everything. A good advice that my coach gave me is find a quiet place on campus where you can relax by yourself and reflect. Good luck!

Hey Vlad! You mention you broke an age group record in the 100 at 14. Would you attribute that more to genetics or hard work that you were already putting in at that ripe young age? Also, what are the keys to improving your 50 yard freestyle? I want to drop from a 22 low to a 20 high. Thank you!

I would attribute it to work and to the fact that I went from 18k a day to 5-10k. It gave me a chance to focus more on sprinting rather than surviving.

Work on your ability to crank up the speed from 0 to 100 real quick. Make sure that every movement you do is geared towards propulsion and eliminate unnecessary ones. Take time to prepare yourself physically and mentally for the swim as if your life depends on it. Hope that helps! Good luck!

What is your view on supplements like pre-workout or caffeine before races? Also what is your fastest 50m free from a push?

I'm not very big into supplements, I try to get my nutrition naturally. Coffee on the other hand is something I can't live without. Not a morning person for sure.

I believe it's a 23 something in training, haven't done that in awhile. Consistent 22's off the blocks.

Is there a point in witch sprinters can't physically pass? Or a time that cannot be broken?

I'm sure there is one, for example, you can't go 50 meters under 10 seconds. World record is 20.9. That is of course exaggerated but there were numerous times in different sports we'd put such limits and those would be broken eventually. As we often say records are there to be broken. Maybe you've seen before that we used to swim in full body suits looking like super-heroes that enabled us to reduce drag, align body position and break nearly every record in the books. After the body suits were banned due to unnatural bolster of results - they were banned in 2008. People were saying that it would take decades to come close to those records but here we are not only coming close but breaking them already. Swimming is growing very rapidly and consistently. I can't even imagine what kind of results will be posted in 20 years from now.

Will you be competing for Russia or the US? Also what are some of your target times?

I will be competing for Russia as I have been in the last 5 years internationally. At one point I was trying to get American citizenship in time for the 2012 Olympics but that did not happen for the best. I am happy and proud to represent my country.

My target times for this year are 21.1 and 47.0

Any concerns about water quality at the next Olympics?

Water should be ok in the pool where we will be competing. It's those marathon open water swimmers that should maybe be concerned. There are always scary tales before the Olympics not sure why. Might have something to do with politics. More concerned about the Zika virus though.

Water should be ok in the pool where we will be competing. It's those marathon open water swimmers that should maybe be concerned. There are always scary tales before the Olympics not sure why. Might have something to do with politics. More concerned about the Zika virus though.

what realistic tips do you have for a 16 year old guy that is trying to get into shape for the summer?

The best way to get in shape is to hire a personal trainer at the gym. If you don't have such an option I'd recommend cardio training, running, cycling for a 2-4 weeks and start cranking in the gym. Only do exercises that you are sure doing properly technique-wise. Lifetime injuries are not worth it.

Fight on Vlad! How has the new Uytengsu Aquatic Center changed your training program while you were at USC?

Fight on Trojan! I still train at the new Uytengsu Aquatic Center every morning when I'm home in LA. Such a generous donation from Mr. Uytengsu we are still in awe from the new pool. The training program itself hasn't changed much, you can't go very far from the best ;) I'd say it gave more mental boost. Great to come train to a refreshed top notch facility! Big thanks!

Does it ever get easier to jump into a cold swimming pool? Maybe you don't have this problem (being from Siberia and all) but that's the worst part about swimming.

Yes, I completely agree that jumping in that cold water when you are barely awake is the worst part. Luckily we have a huge hot tub right in front of the pool where we get in before to warm up and loosen up before jumping in that ice cold siberian water. I hot shower may help too!

How much do you think tech suits actually help? I've heard people say up to .5 of a second on each lap. Also, what's your favorite suit?

The unfair thing about tech suits is that it helps more for some and less for others depending on your build. Swimming is all about balancing your power and drag with the water. You can think of it as Speed=power/drag + technique if you're into math. So a bulky swimmer will have more benefit using tech suit by decreasing body volume and mass (reducing drag) and keeping the power. Even though it seems unfair at first, who knows, maybe that's how our sport is supposed to be. There are tech advancements in most other sports. Tech suits also look cool, we can use some more spectacularity. I think they will come back to our sport sooner than later. Currently my favorite suit is Arena Flex. I'll be trying out their new one in a few days.

Yo Vlad! What do you think you will have to do or be capable of in training to open up a race in sub 22 and bring it back in sub 26 or even 25? You and Dressel have the best pound for pound raw speed I've ever seen, so it obviously makes sense that your best performance will come from a wicked fast first 50 without shutting down the last 15m.

Also, any advice for a 17 year old training mostly alone? I want to drop 5 seconds to a 49 in the scy fly.

Good luck at qualifications and Rio!

Under 22 is a little too fast, I learned it the hard way at 2013 WC when a piano fell on my back in the last 15 meters. I'd say for me ideal splits would be 22.3-24.7.

Why are you training alone? Competition in training is the best motivation and it builds character. Set goal times for every set and race the clock.

What were some nice things about Siberia?

What were your early competitive swimming years like in Russia?

What were your family's experiences with Russian criminal gangs?

One of the nicest things in Siberia is it's nature. Beautiful thick forests, lakes and rivers, wildlife. And it always changes since there are all four seasons with the winter being dominant. In the winter it's blinding how perfectly white everything is - the ground, the trees and so quiet that you only hear own breathing. It's a feeling hard to describe it brings peace to your soul.

I have mixed feelings about the first years because the training that I have done back then is the hardest I've done ever. There were times we'd swim 8km morning and 10km evening practice. As a comparison now I do around 5-7 km a day. So you can imagine how drained out of a kid I was even though I have a lot of energy naturally (the reason I started doing sports). But of course that is a base that will not go away and maybe I wouldn't be where I am today if I haven't done that. On the other side I would bring home medals from every competition, the biggest of them was Siberian Region Championships. Also the friendships that we've built with teammates are so strong that we still see each other every year.

To answer your last question I need to explain how things were in the 90's. After the Soviet Union fell apart it was a free for all in the whole country. The state could no longer support jails therefore everyone freed. Eventually, very quickly, numerous gangs formed to gain power and seize businesses/property/personal savings and bigger gangs-government owned factories/land. As you may imagine chaos took over. We call that period the dark 90s. My mother tells me stories from back then but they are not very PG-13. So it happened that my mothers small business (selling kitchen equipment such as pans forks and plates) was a target to one of the local bandits. they wanted a percentage of profit but the profit itself was nearly enough to make ends meet. There was nothing you could do about it legally so she had to close it down. Was it a more serious "organisation" or a bigger business, sacry to imagine what could've happened.

Last night I saw The Way Back (2010). Wanted to ask if siberia is as beautiful, awe-spiring, lonely and deadly all the same? Just like an ex.

I've not seen that movie but just checked out the trailer. From what I've seen there and what you described is exactly on point. The only big difference is that it takes place 50 years ago, since then it's been quite more cultivated and civilized. Thanks for another movie to my list. Cheers!

Hi Vlad. How many times a year do you taper extensively? And what do you think the average number of these extensive tapers are for an average professional swimmer?

I taper 2-3 times a year. Trials, summer championships, winter championships that's about average. It would be ideal tomtaper once imo for best result.

Hi Vlad! I've always been very amazed with your speed underwater. Do you do any particular work to improve your underwater kick?

My underwater speed is not on par with most of the leaders but I improve it with monofin work.

How much time do you and other sprinters spend in the weight room? Do you go for very heavy weights often, or do you go for higher reps? What is your take on doing cross-training out of the pool and how it affects your speed in the pool?

I'd say it's a minimum of 6 hours of solid work per week. In the beginning of season it's up to 20 reps, 20th being quite hard. Then I'd gradually go to 12-16, 8-12, 4-8, 1-4 (pick weight with last rep being hard to do without sacrificing technique) throughout the season. For sprinters it's a mandatory part of training, you can't replace it in the water. Just make sure you don't start out to early too fast and always pick technique over weight.

Hey vlad, big fan. I will be at US trials in the 50 and the 100 this year. First trials as a 26 year old post grad swimmer. I'm not quite at your level (23.0, 50.6) any advice on getting to 22. in that 50?

Make sure that you lead with the kick and match your pull tempo with the kick. Your username fits!

Good luck at trials!

Hi Vlad! My friend and I are heading off into college this fall and he's actually going to be a Trojan, so we were wondering what one of your favorite sets was, and also what your favorite taper drill was?

Favorite set is X-Y-Z where you pick 3 distances, choice equipment and blast those 25's with fins and paddles :)

My taper usually consists of a lot of drills depending on where I feel off. But the one that puts me in place is butterfly kick with fins and freestyle arms.

Hi Vlad!

You must have learnt a lot over the course of your swimming career. Are there any MISTAKES you'd like to warn people of? Maybe a particular way of training that didn't pay off, or a technical aspect of your stroke that you needed to change?

Thanks, I'm a big fan!

I'd say the number one mistake I've done is lift very heavy in college, especially squats. My legs in the water are only now starting to come back to me.

Hello from a fellow swimmer. I've been following you since you were breaking so cal records on Swim Torrance just amazed at how fast you could sprint. My question is was it ever hard for you to continuously feel motivated? I actually quit club swimming this past year after feeling burned out, even though I still love the sport.

There was only one time in my career so far that I was seriously ready to quit. That was my last year of training in siberia. Who knew you can burn out at 14, huh? The candle was lit on both sides and around. I learned to think of swimming as not just a job and hard work but a place to unwind and to enjoy the process of improvement. Get back and take things slowly after a break. There's a good chance you will be much better now.

Good luck!

Hi Vladimir.

I see that you attended Torrance High School. Was there much information given to students about Louis Zamperini who also went there? Have you ever put much thought into the parallels between you two (barring being shot down over the Pacific of course)?

Out of interest, why do you swim for Russia? I know we have a lot of people competing for Australia not born here, is that simply because the US makes it hard to get citizenship?

Cheers.

Yes, everyone knows of Louis Zamperini there. Our history teacher would always tell stories about him. I was supposed to meet him one day but unfortunately he got sick and couldn't make it. Incredible life story.

I compete for Russia because my name is Vladimir, I was born and raised there and nothing ever will replace my inner Russiness.

What is it like to be able to train with legendary american sprinter Derek Toomey on a daily basis? Are you ever intimidated by his greatness?

Every time he steps on deck - pool water boils! Legend!

do you talk to glenn snyders?

Glenn's my bro! Congrats to him for making it to another Olympic Games!

Hi Vlad! I have been following you for a while now and you are definitely the swimmer that inspires me the most, best of luck at trials this year!

My question is, you are known for your straight arm freestyle technique when racing, but when you are doing easy freestyle in practice (i.e. warmup, technique work) are you also working on straight arm or do you switch to a bent arm recovery?

Thank you!

Yes, I switch to bent arm during long sets because straight arm is a very energy inefficient stroke if you do it right. So I switch around here and there when it's time to crank up the speed I go straight arm.

Hey Vlad! What is the biggest focus for you for your kick when swimming straight arm freestyle?

Thanks! Been a huge fan since high school when we were at the same CIF. (When I thought you needed to be tall and that we were about the same size, so you gave me hope).

Good luck in whatever's next.

Tighten it up and rev at max speed!

Thanks!