Advertise on podcast: Lyden af dansk svømmesport

Efter ni dage på Eurocamp i franske Dijon vender trænercoach Kim Dietrichsen og videns- og innovationsansvarlig Christine Eilertsen blikket hjemad. De deler åbent, hvad der gjorde indtryk, hvad der udfordrede danske vaner, og hvad der kræver mere end bare gode intentioner at omsætte til praksis. Sammen med vært Klaus Christensen dykker de ned i mødet med Europas dygtigste unge talenter, trænere og eksperter – og i de svære spørgsmål, det rejser for dansk svømmesport: Hvordan lader vi os inspirere uden blindt at kopiere?Hvordan omsætter vi internationale indtryk til reel faglighed i hverdagen?Og tør vi lytte til, hvordan atleterne egentlig oplever den træning, vi planlægger?Podcasten handler om videndeling, trænernes faglighed og svømmernes oplevelse af at blive målt mod stærke konkurrenter. En ærlig samtale om vaner, modet til at dele viden og de muligheder, der opstår, når man tør lægge sin praksis på bordet.

35 years of coaching. And one week that made him question what he thought he knew. "I could have saved years and years with these tools." That's what French coach Philippe Schweitzer told me after spending a week working with some of Europe's best junior breaststroke swimmers. And I think it's one of the most powerful reflections from the entire Eurocamp series. Welcome to episode 19 of The Sound of Eurocamp, our final episode from Dijon 2026. This episode is in French, but here's the story in English. For this conversation, I handed over the microphone to two people who played important roles in making Eurocamp happen: Eric Rebourg, who helped organise the camp, and Philippe Schweitzer, head coach of the breaststroke group. I don't speak much French, and rather than making them struggle through another conversation in English, I wanted them to share their experiences in their own language. And there was plenty to discuss. Philippe has been coaching for 35 years. Yet working alongside international coaches and scientists gave him new perspectives on technique, feedback and how swimmers develop. The breaststroke group brought together 23 swimmers, four coaches and athletes from around ten nations. Philippe describes how the swimmers' motivation and humility impressed him, but also how much he learned from his fellow coaches. His biggest concern before arriving? Speaking English all week. Ironically, several swimmers told me that his straightforward explanations helped them focus on what actually mattered. We also discuss why the French swimmers from Philippe's regular training programme worked with other coaches during Eurocamp. There isn't only one pathway to high performance. Sometimes learning something new requires stepping away from the coach and environment you already know. Eric takes us behind the scenes of organising Eurocamp. Almost a year of preparation, with particularly intensive work during the final two months, helped bring together athletes, coaches, experts and facilities in Dijon. We also reflect on why the cultural programme and the city's welcome mattered beyond swimming. But for me, the most important message comes back to learning. Being experienced doesn't mean being finished learning. Even after 35 years, Philippe was willing to question his assumptions, listen to other coaches and reconsider how he could help swimmers improve. And perhaps that's exactly what Eurocamp should be about. Not proving who knows the most. But creating an environment where everyone has something to learn and something to share. Thank you to Eric, Philippe, Séverine and everyone who helped make this extraordinary week possible. Guests: Philippe Schweitzer | FranceHead Coach, Eurocamp Breaststroke Group Eric Rebourg | FranceEurocamp Organising Team Host: Kim DietrichsenInstagram: @kim_dietrichsen Language: FrenchEnglish summary: This description The Sound of Eurocamp is a special series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to the complete Eurocamp series:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

125 swimmers. 18 episodes. One final microphone on the pool deck. We came to swim. We leave as friends. For the final English-language episode of The Sound of Eurocamp, I moved my podcast studio onto the pool deck at Eurocamp Dijon 2026. No scheduled interviews. No prepared questions. Just swimmers, experts, stories, laughter and the opportunity to share one last memory from an extraordinary week. And what a way to finish! Swimmers from across Europe stopped by to talk about technical discoveries, demanding training sessions, new friendships and what they wish they'd done differently. One Irish swimmer admitted that if she could start Eurocamp again, she'd have been more confident and started talking to people from the very first day. Another wished she'd approached the coaches and scientists sooner. We also hear from a specialist at P2H2 Liquid Data, who helped analyse approximately 500 swimming starts during the week. We discuss how technology can help swimmers understand whether technical changes actually make them faster. And then the conversation takes an unexpected turn. The expert asks me how I've managed to stay focused throughout such an intense week of recording podcasts. That leads us into a spontaneous discussion about sports psychology and something I believe strongly: You don't need to feel confident or ready before you can perform. You can feel nervous, tired or uncertain and still choose what to do next. Towards the end, Julia Perrot returns with Luca Boorsma. They're already sad about saying goodbye to their new friends. And perhaps that captures what Eurocamp has really been about. We've brought together talented swimmers, coaches and scientists to share knowledge and develop European swimming. But we've also brought young people together across national borders. People who arrived as competitors are leaving as friends. Sharing knowledge doesn't make us weaker. And competing against someone doesn't mean we can't support them. After 18 English-language episodes and countless conversations, I want to thank everyone who shared their time, experiences and knowledge. The swimmers. The coaches. The experts. The organisers. And everyone who listened. The microphones are going away for now, but I hope the friendships, conversations and learning continue long after Eurocamp. Thank you, Eurocamp Dijon 2026! Featured guests and Instagram: Milana Kovachevich | Austria@milanakovachevich Ida Marie Frederiksen | [email protected] Nikolai & Lara | Backstroke group Christos Ioannis Diamantis | Greece George Kalandros | Greece Patricia & fellow swimmer | Lithuania Niamh Connery | [email protected] Ava Jones | [email protected].__ Gustav | Denmark Performance-technology expert | P2H2 Liquid Data Julia Perrot | France Luca Boorsma | [email protected] Host: Kim Dietrichsen@kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to all 18 episodes:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

For almost the entire Eurocamp podcast series, I've been asking swimmers one question: Who is responsible for the cheer in our opening jingle? And hardly anyone knew the answer. Well, now I've finally found the people behind it! In episode 17 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with two swimmers from the breaststroke group: Julia Syslo from Austria and Nina Zusterzeel from the Netherlands. And yes, they're proud of their cheer. At the end of every training session, the breaststroke group comes together to finish as a team. As Nina explains: "It's just a fun thing we do every practice, which makes us a little closer every time." But this conversation isn't only about team spirit. It's also about the technical details that make breaststroke such a fascinating and sometimes frustrating event. Both swimmers describe working with Brazilian specialist Augusto Barbosa, who challenged the way they think about their strokes. Nina discovered that her breaststroke kick might be starting too late. Julia realised that the opening phase of her arm pull was different from what she had previously believed. Small details, but potentially important changes. We also discuss: Why breaststroke swimmers seem particularly interested in the technical details of their stroke. How immediate feedback from coaches helps swimmers experiment with technical changes. What happens when two swimmers experience the same training environment very differently. Why the breaststroke group warms up and finishes training together. How coaches from different countries manage to communicate despite language barriers. Why training with future international competitors can create friendships rather than hostility. What the swimmers will bring home from Eurocamp. And why one swimmer loves chemistry while the other would happily remove it from school! There's another interesting contrast. Julia describes the camp's training volume as somewhat easier than what she's accustomed to at home. For Nina, it has been harder. Same training environment. Different backgrounds. Different experiences. A useful reminder that the same training programme doesn't necessarily mean the same training load for every swimmer. But what I especially enjoyed was hearing how much the breaststroke group has developed its own identity. They warm up together. They work through difficult sessions together. They encourage each other. And they finish together. It may sound like a small thing, but perhaps those small things are part of what makes an international training camp feel like a team. And next time you hear the podcast jingle, you'll finally know who's cheering! A conversation about breaststroke, technical development, friendship and what it means to belong to a team. Guests: Julia Syslo | AustriaInstagram: @julia.syslo Nina Zusterzeel | NetherlandsInstagram: @ninazusterzeel Host: Kim DietrichsenInstagram: @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to the complete Eurocamp series:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

Around 80 kilometres of swimming in one week. Hard sets, tired bodies and very hungry swimmers. Welcome to the distance group at Eurocamp Dijon 2026! In episode 16 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with two young distance swimmers from different parts of the world: Edward Evans from Scotland and Daniel Kisliuk from Israel. One loves the 10km open water race. The other prefers the 400m freestyle. Both have spent the week discovering what happens when you bring ambitious distance swimmers from across Europe together in one training group. And apparently, the training has been rather demanding. Edward and Daniel describe long sessions, challenging sets and an environment where swimmers constantly push each other to improve. But perhaps the most interesting part is how quickly their group has become a team. At one point, I ask Daniel who brings the most energy and humour to the group. His answer is immediate: Edward. "If Ed wouldn't be here, we will smile less at trainings." I think that says something important about the people who make a difference in a training environment. We also talk about: Why the hardest part of a 10km open water race often comes around kilometres seven and eight. How Daniel responded to a difficult season and improved his 1500m personal best by approximately 24 seconds. What the swimmers learned from international coaches, underwater analysis and performance technology. Why technical details such as hand pressure, turns and underwater kicking matter even for distance swimmers. How training alongside international competitors has raised the standard and intensity of their sessions. Why the distance swimmers believe they need more food during such a demanding week. How bowling and laser tag helped them make friends from different countries. Why Edward enjoys sailing and Daniel uses surfing to clear his head. We also discuss the people who have shaped their swimming careers. Daniel thanks his family and the coach who has supported him since he was three years old. Edward speaks warmly about his family and his long-time coach, Tony Beckley. And that leads us into a conversation about something I've always believed: A coach's impact shouldn't be measured only by the results of the swimmers they develop. Sometimes the relationships we build matter long after the swimming career has ended. There's plenty of laughter along the way, including sea turtles, the Loch Ness Monster, Ironman ambitions and a discussion about whether distance swimmers can ever get enough food! But underneath it all is an important message. Great training environments aren't created by demanding sets alone. They're created by people who push, support and care about one another. An enjoyable and honest conversation about endurance, technique, friendship, ambitions and the people behind the performances. Guests: Edward Evans | ScotlandInstagram: @edevans_09 Daniel Kisliuk | IsraelInstagram: @daniel.kisliuk Host: Kim DietrichsenInstagram: @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to the Eurocamp series here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

Have you ever met someone whose energy and happiness are so contagious that you can't help smiling? That's what happened when Julia Perrot walked into my little podcast studio at Eurocamp Dijon 2026. She was the first swimmer to come for an interview entirely on her own. And from the moment she started talking, it felt like being hit by a wave of energy, enthusiasm and happiness. "I think I have at least one friend in every nation." And after spending almost 40 minutes talking with her, I actually believe it! Julia is a 17-year-old French backstroke swimmer who has spent the week training alongside some of Europe's best juniors. But unlike some swimmers who find it difficult to approach people they don't know, Julia arrived at Eurocamp with a very clear personal goal. Make as many new friends as possible. And she hasn't been shy about it. In this episode of The Sound of Eurocamp, we talk about: Why Julia deliberately seeks out swimmers from other countries instead of spending all her time with the French team. How encouragement from teammates helps her push through demanding backstroke sessions. What she learned about underwater kicking and breakouts from the international coaching team. Why having 15 coaches watching you swim can feel both intimidating and exciting. How younger local swimmers watching Eurocamp might discover that international swimming is a realistic ambition. Why her regular coach chose to work with the breaststroke group while his own swimmers learned from other coaches. What could make Eurocamp even better, including mixing training groups across strokes. Why competitors can also be your closest friends. Julia also tells me about her adventures in bowling and laser tag, her fascination with sharks, and her dream of travelling to Australia. And yes, we manage to disagree about breaststroke! But what stays with me most is her attitude towards the people around her. When a teammate is struggling, Julia wants to encourage them. When someone swims faster than her, she can still celebrate their success. And when she meets someone from a different country, she doesn't see a stranger or a future competitor. She sees someone with a story worth hearing. "You can compete with someone but not hate them." Perhaps that's one of the most important messages from this entire Eurocamp. We bring 125 swimmers from 21 nations together to develop better athletes. But maybe we're also helping them become people who are more curious about one another. Julia finishes the conversation with a simple invitation: "Just go out and talk to people." An episode full of laughter, energy, friendship and some excellent reflections on swimming. Guest: Julia Perrot · FranceHost: Kim Dietrichsen · @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to all Eurocamp episodes:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

What happens when you discover that what you consider exceptional training is just normal for somebody else? Imagine swimming an easy 400m freestyle, looking across the lanes and realising that everyone else is doing 15 metres underwater off every wall. That's what surprised Irish swimmer Phelim Hanley when he arrived at Eurocamp Dijon 2026. "It was eye-opening." In episode 14 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with two individual medley swimmers: Anja Englert from Denmark and Phelim Hanley from Ireland. Both come from training environments where they don't always have teammates pushing them towards international standards. But at Eurocamp, they're suddenly surrounded by some of Europe's strongest junior swimmers. And the difference isn't necessarily the hardest training set. It's what the other swimmers do when nobody is asking them to do anything special. Phelim talks about the standards he has discovered in underwater work, technique and the easy parts of training. Anja describes the atmosphere of training with swimmers who share her ambition, even when their training backgrounds and abilities are different. We also discuss: Why being one of the fastest swimmers at home can make it difficult to recognise the next level. What happens when you train six times a week alongside athletes accustomed to much greater training volumes. How scientific testing, underwater video and force measurements can reveal new development opportunities. Why young swimmers need a pathway for improvement, not just a list of technical weaknesses. What they'll take home from the international coaches and specialists. Why bowling and laser tag might have been organised too late in the week. How sharing knowledge with future international competitors can raise the standard of European swimming. And towards the end, the conversation becomes a little more entertaining. If Anja and Phelim could remove one stroke from individual medley, which would it be? They definitely don't agree! But my biggest takeaway is something Phelim says about his experience: Even during the easy parts of training, the swimmers at Eurocamp maintain a high technical standard. Perhaps raising the level of European swimming isn't only about training harder. It's also about changing what we consider normal. An honest conversation about standards, ambition, friendship, learning and what young swimmers discover when they step outside their familiar environments. Guests: Anja Englert (Denmark)Instagram: @anjaenglertt Phelim Hanley (Ireland)Instagram: @phelim.h Host: Kim DietrichsenInstagram: @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to all Eurocamp episodes:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

What is the most important thing a young swimmer needs from a coach? More knowledge? Better training sessions? Technical expertise? When I asked two young international swimmers, their answers were remarkably similar. Someone they feel comfortable talking to. About anything. In episode 13 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with two swimmers from the butterfly group at Eurocamp Dijon 2026: Jasmine Vaartjes from the Netherlands and Niall Dandin from Switzerland. Jasmine is a 200m butterfly swimmer who actually prefers the 100m. Niall is primarily a 50m butterfly sprinter who deliberately chose the butterfly group to experience more training volume. And they certainly got what they came for! Both describe training sessions that have been longer and harder than they're accustomed to, new technical exercises, unfamiliar coaching methods and plenty of challenges during dryland training. But we also talk about what happens outside the pool. Eurocamp brings together 125 swimmers from 21 countries. Is that enough to create international friendships? Jasmine and Niall enjoy meeting swimmers from other countries, but they also point out something organisers might overlook. It's difficult to make new friends if there isn't somewhere to just sit down and spend time together. They suggest creating a common space where swimmers can meet without needing another organised activity. We also discuss: Why training alongside swimmers from other countries can raise your level. What they learned from new coaches and different approaches to butterfly training. Why it's important to feel comfortable asking questions when you don't understand something. How dryland training exposed physical skills they want to improve. Their ambitions for future international competitions. What they'll take home from Eurocamp, both in swimming and friendships. Why their parents deserve a special thank-you. And towards the end, I ask them a question passed on by the coaches in the previous episode: What is the most important quality in a coach? Jasmine talks about open communication and feeling comfortable discussing anything. Niall agrees, emphasising the importance of a relationship where both coach and swimmer can speak honestly. Perhaps that's something worth remembering. We spend years developing coaches' technical knowledge. But are we equally good at developing their ability to connect with the swimmers they're coaching? An honest and enjoyable conversation about challenging training, learning, friendships and the relationships that matter in competitive swimming. Guests: Jasmine Vaartjes (Netherlands) and Niall Dandin (Switzerland) Host: Kim Dietrichsen · @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to the Eurocamp playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

Imagine standing on pool deck with 125 talented young swimmers from across Europe. Your assignment? Identify just three with the greatest potential. Who would you choose? And perhaps more importantly, why? In episode 12 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with three coaches participating in Eurocamp Dijon 2026's new Coach Development Programme. Hannah Brandl from Austria, Thea Inge Madsen from Denmark and Ramon Klenz from Germany. Three coaches. Three different backgrounds. And three surprisingly different lessons from the same week. For Ramon, the biggest discovery is what happens when athletes and coaches from different countries come together to learn. For Hannah, it's an important reminder from the sports psychology sessions: all feelings are valuable, for athletes and coaches alike. And Thea has discovered how much coaches from different countries actually have in common when they start comparing their everyday training. But the conversation goes much further. We talk about: The challenge of identifying future talent among 125 international swimmers. Whether being a successful swimmer actually makes you a better coach. Why former athletes sometimes need to let go of their own swimming experiences when they become coaches. How to adapt your communication to athletes who think and respond differently from you. Why coaches shouldn't treat their training programmes as secrets. What it feels like to be challenged by experienced coaches such as Geert Janssen and Kevin Renshaw. Why exchanging ideas with other coaches may be just as valuable as attending another lecture. How coach development programmes in Austria and Denmark are creating opportunities for the next generation. The three coaches describe a demanding week of workshops, observations, practical assignments and conversations with coaches from across Europe. But what interests me most is what happens when they return home. Will they actually coach differently? And can a week of learning help them question things they might otherwise have continued doing for years? An open and sometimes funny conversation about talent, emotions, curiosity, coaching identity and the importance of being willing to learn. Perhaps developing great coaches isn't primarily about giving them more answers. It's about helping them ask better questions. Guests: Hannah Brandl | Austria Thea Inge Madsen | Denmark Ramon Klenz | Germany Host: Kim Dietrichsen · @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to the Eurocamp episodes here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

110 days away from home every year. Is that simply the price of being a high-performance swimming coach? And if it is, who can actually afford to stay in the profession? In episode 11 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with two experienced female swimming coaches: Anja Schrettner from Austria and Martina Pechova from Czechia. At the beginning of Eurocamp Dijon 2026, a young female coach told me she looked around the pool and felt alone because there were so few women coaching. That conversation stayed with me. So I wanted to hear from two women who have built their careers in competitive swimming. What has helped them succeed? What has been difficult? And what should we change if we want more women to see a future in coaching? But Anja and Martina don't simply agree with all my assumptions. They challenge the idea that the solution is necessarily to create separate opportunities for women. Instead, our conversation moves towards working conditions, family support, professional recognition and the environments that allow coaches to build sustainable careers. Martina reveals that she spends approximately 110 days a year away from home for swimming. And she explains how support from her husband, assistant coaches and club leadership makes that possible. We also explore: Why female coaches may become important confidants for young female athletes. Whether women have to work harder to be recognised as competent coaches. What happens when a woman writes the training programme but other coaches direct their questions to a man. Why visible female role models matter for the next generation. How coaching careers can coexist with family life and relationships. Why there is no magical training set that creates an Olympic champion. What happens when you put some of Europe's best junior swimmers together in one training group. Why sharing knowledge with international competitors can benefit everyone. And then Martina reveals something I didn't expect. She deleted Instagram because she felt she was losing her own coaching philosophy among all the training sets appearing in her feed. That opens another interesting discussion about originality, inspiration and what it means to develop your own approach as a coach. This isn't simply an episode about women in coaching. It's about the profession we are creating for the next generation of coaches. If we want great coaches to stay in swimming for 20 or 30 years, shouldn't we make sure they can have a life outside the pool too? Guests: Anja Schrettner (Austria) and Martina Pechova (Czechia) Host: Kim Dietrichsen · @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to the Eurocamp series here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

What if we can measure almost everything about a swimmer, but still don't know what to change? Stroke rate. Stroke length. Underwater speed. Turn times. Body position. Acceleration. And now AI promises to give us even more information. But is more data actually making us better coaches? In episode 10 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with two people who spend much of their professional lives analysing swimming performance. Marek Polach from Czechia works with swimming federations and coaches across Europe, helping translate biomechanics and race analysis into practical training decisions. Dr. Patricia-Ann Schikore works at Germany's Institute for Applied Training Science in Leipzig, supporting swimmers through race analysis, diagnostics and technical feedback. I admit something during our conversation: I could receive 2,000 numbers a day and still have no idea what to do with them. So I ask them what coaches should actually expect from sports science. And we quickly discover that collecting data might be the easy part. We discuss: Why AI may change performance analysis without replacing the need for conversations between swimmers, coaches and scientists. Why copying the swimming technique of Olympic champions can sometimes make another swimmer slower. Whether the best swimmers in the world can still have technical weaknesses. Why meaningful technical improvements can take months or even years. How an expert can challenge a coach without undermining the relationship between coach and athlete. Why direct video feedback on pool deck can be more useful than receiving a detailed report hours later. How to choose relevant performance tests instead of simply collecting more numbers. Why athletes need to understand and take ownership of technical changes. We also get into a fascinating discussion about how much responsibility an expert carries when an athlete listens more carefully to an outside specialist than to the coach who has been saying the same thing for months. And I challenge Marek and Patricia to tell me which performance measurements actually make the biggest difference. But towards the end, our conversation moves beyond science. I ask them why they spend so much time analysing swimmers, often without receiving any public recognition when an athlete succeeds. Patricia's answer says something important about their motivation: "The glory belongs to the athlete himself." Perhaps the future of sports science isn't simply about collecting more precise data. Perhaps it's about finding better ways to turn evidence, experience and the athlete's own feedback into meaningful change. Episode 10: A conversation about AI, biomechanics, swimming technique, trust and what makes scientific knowledge useful. Guests: Marek Polach (Czechia) and Dr. Patricia-Ann Schikore (Germany) Host: Kim Dietrichsen · @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to the Eurocamp series here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

Can you honestly say that every swimmer in your group gets the attention they deserve? Or do we sometimes spend more time with the athletes we naturally connect with, while others quietly receive less? In episode 9 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with Daan Pex, a Belgian swimming coach working with the Dutch Swimming Federation at its development centre in Eindhoven. At Eurocamp Dijon 2026, Daan has stepped outside his comfort zone to lead the international sprint group. And what he has learned might surprise you. It isn't primarily about sprint training. "They deserve the same amount of time and the same amount of attention." Daan reflects on how easily coaches can develop stronger relationships with certain athletes, especially those who are naturally outspoken or easier to connect with. But what happens to the swimmers who don't demand our attention? And how do we make sure everyone feels seen? We also explore some fascinating questions about talent development and coaching: Why Daan deliberately avoided looking at the swimmers' personal bests before meeting them. Why his junior programme in Eindhoven doesn't specialise swimmers into sprint, middle-distance and distance groups too early. What young swimmers need to master before becoming specialists. How world-class sprint coaches Peter Bishop, Patrick Pearson and Mike White contributed training ideas to Eurocamp. Why being head coach doesn't mean you have to be the person providing all the answers. How sharing knowledge between national centres and club coaches can benefit far more athletes than those attending a camp. What we can learn from both brilliant coaches and coaches whose methods we never want to repeat. And there's another side to the conversation. Daan talks openly about the energy coaching gives him, the demands of combining an international career with his personal life, and why he decided to spend an afternoon cycling 80 kilometres through the hills around Dijon instead of joining the official city tour. Towards the end, we discuss the coaches and swimmers who helped shape his career, including one swimmer who opened doors he never expected. But I keep coming back to one question. How often do we finish a training session without having a meaningful interaction with every athlete? A conversation about leadership, relationships, talent development and what it really means to make every swimmer feel important. Guest: Daan Pex · @dan.pex Host: Kim Dietrichsen · @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to the Eurocamp series here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

What if the perfect swimming technique you're trying to teach isn't actually the best technique for your swimmer? And what if the beautiful high-elbow position you see in a video tells you less about propulsion than you think? In episode 7 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with Brazilian performance scientist Augusto Barbosa, who works with Olympic and Paralympic swimmers and is one of the scientific experts at Eurocamp Dijon 2026. Augusto is someone who challenges assumptions. He wants to understand the mechanisms, see the data and ask whether what we believe is actually supported by evidence. So naturally, I had plenty of questions! We start with a dilemma that I think every coach faces: Should science tell us how to coach, or should science try to explain why successful coaching works? Augusto argues that we need both. And he introduces the idea of performance science as the bridge between academic research and the everyday decisions coaches must make on pool deck. But then we get into swimming technique. We discuss why copying the movements of the world's fastest swimmers doesn't necessarily make another athlete faster. Augusto challenges how we think about high elbows, propulsion, drag and the relationship between the swimmer's movements and the water itself. His point is fascinating: "That position is a photo, right? And when we are swimming, we are videos, we are moving." We explore: Why good technique requires more than a perfect body position. The importance of position, speed and timing when analysing swimming movements. Why understanding water flow may be just as important as watching underwater video. Whether high-elbow technique can create unnecessary shoulder stress. How science and physiotherapy can work together to prevent problems rather than simply treat them. What really creates propulsion during kicking and pulling. Whether swimming deeper or closer to the surface is faster. Why we shouldn't call a swimming pool slow without looking at the evidence. How coaches can become better at recognising questionable scientific claims. And then I ask Augusto something slightly provocative: How can coaches develop a better b******t detector when everyone on social media seems to be an expert? His answer is not about trusting certain people or collecting more research papers. It is about understanding the principles well enough to ask better questions. But there's another side to Augusto. Towards the end, our discussion moves away from biomechanics and towards relationships, purpose and why he invests so much time in sharing knowledge. For him, Eurocamp isn't just about results or the development process. It's about the people we share that process with. This episode is for swimmers, coaches and anyone interested in understanding what really makes people faster in the water. And a reminder that science should help us make better coaching decisions, not replace the responsibility of making them. Guest: Augusto Barbosa Founder, Meazure Sport Sciences Instagram: @augbarbosa · @meazure.pro Website: https://meazure.pro Host: Kim Dietrichsen · @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to all Eurocamp episodes here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

What if you swim a personal best, but instead of celebrating, you immediately start thinking about everything you did wrong? In episode 8 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I welcome two swimmers from the sprint group: Hannah Vietheer from Norway and Ruben Baars from the Netherlands. We start by talking about their experiences at Eurocamp Dijon 2026. Ruben shares how a missed train left his team stranded in Paris, only to arrive at camp and immediately face race-pace training in racing suits! Hannah talks about the excitement of training with swimmers of a similar level, experiencing different coaching philosophies and making connections across Europe. And we discover that what one country considers an easy sprint session might feel completely different to a swimmer from another country. But the conversation becomes much more personal. Towards the end, I ask Hannah and Ruben a question passed on by one of Eurocamp's experts: "Who do you need to forgive to move forward in your swimming career?" Hannah's answer really stayed with me. "I feel like it would be myself." She talks openly about perfectionism, constantly wanting to improve and how even a personal best can quickly become another list of things that aren't good enough. And about learning to bring the joy back into swimming. Ruben offers a simple reminder: "You started this for fun. Just keep it fun and not too serious." We also explore: Why training alongside equally fast swimmers can change your perspective. What young athletes learn from different European coaching philosophies. How to take home the right lessons instead of trying to change everything at once. What it's like when your mother is also your swimming coach. The importance of supportive parents, coaches and friendships. Their ambitions for European Junior and U23 swimming. Both swimmers have serious ambitions. But they also recognise that their careers should be about more than times, rankings and medals. Perhaps one of the most important things we can teach young swimmers is how to keep improving without constantly feeling that they aren't good enough. An honest, funny and thoughtful conversation about competitive swimming through the eyes of two young athletes. Guests: Hannah Vietheer (Norway): @hannahviet Ruben Baars (Netherlands): @Baarsruben_ Host: Kim Dietrichsen · @kim_dietrichsen The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport. Listen to the Eurocamp episodes here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a

What happens when you join one of the world's most successful swimming programmes and discover that there is no magic formula? In episode 6 of The Sound of Eurocamp, I sit down with Spanish coach Antonio Núñez Álvarez, who recently joined the coaching team at Magdeburg, working alongside Bernd Berkhahn. After spending 13 years in the United States, first as a swimmer and later as a coach, including experience at Virginia Tech, Antonio has returned to Europe to take on a new challenge. And I wanted to know what everyone wants to know. What's the secret behind Magdeburg's success? After seven weeks in the programme, Antonio's answer is surprisingly simple. No magic sessions. No secret formula. Instead, he describes high training volumes, consistent technical work, an extraordinary ability to concentrate and attention to detail, even during the most repetitive training sessions. But this conversation isn't just about what happens in Magdeburg. Antonio is also participating in Eurocamp's new Coach Development Programme. Despite his international experience, he deliberately chose the development pathway rather than a regular coaching role. Why? Because he wanted to challenge himself, learn from other countries and step outside his comfort zone. We explore: What Antonio has discovered during his first weeks working alongside Bernd Berkhahn. Why 60–70 kilometres of swimming a week can mean very different things depending on how the work is performed. How Magdeburg wants to develop its next generation of swimmers from younger ages and across more events. Why coaches from different countries often face the same problems for very different reasons. What Antonio has learned from Eurocamp's Coach Development Programme. Why adapting communication to individual swimmers matters as much as knowing what to coach. How taking home just one or two useful ideas can make an entire week worthwhile. And towards the end, I put Antonio on the spot and ask him to give me honest feedback on the sports psychology session I delivered to the development coaches that morning. He does. Including something I probably needed to hear! Perhaps the real secret of great coaching isn't knowing more than everybody else. It's staying curious enough to keep learning, even when you're surrounded by the best. An honest conversation about ambition, coaching development, consistency and what it takes to create world-class performance. The Sound of Eurocamp is a special English-language series of Lyden af dansk Svømmesport, hosted by Kim Dietrichsen. Listen to the series here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RCCI0o95MlmCqq2RSiFli?si=2172ce13ebf64e0a