Episodes

Oct 10

Host Alex Sutton is joined by none other than three-time Olympic gold medalist Tom Dean for a stacked episode you won’t want to miss. There’s plenty to unpack starting with Tom’s recent outing at World Championships in Singapore , which didn’t exactly go to plan… but why? Tom gives us the inside story. We dive into his remarkable seven-year journey at the Bath Performance Centre , reflecting on the incredible success he built alongside legendary coach Dave McNulty a partnership that has brought plenty of success to our shores. Then it’s onto the next chapter : Tom’s first day at his new training base in Stirling . From fresh faces to first impressions, it’s giving first day at school energy swim bag, nerves and all. Oh… and we had to talk about that photo . You know the one. How did it happen? What was going through his head? We get the full breakdown. It’s raw, it’s honest, it’s elite sport behind the scenes. And as always, thank you for listening!

Sep 26

This week, Alex Sutton is joined by Luke Withers to dive into Aquatic GB’s Transfer Deadline Day with unrivalled insight from across British swimming. From the biggest moves to the behind-the-scenes buzz, we break down what it all means for the season ahead. We also share a laugh over Tom’s entertaining signing photo at Stirling, one you won’t want to miss, before switching lanes to talk about masters swimming. Whether you’re already competing or just thinking about it, we discuss why masters events are some of the most fun meets around and why you should consider getting involved. Tune in for analysis, stories, and plenty of swimming chat - it’s another packed episode of The Weekly Freestyle .

Sep 19

This week on The Weekly Freestyle, Alex Sutton is joined by Luke Withers to dive into one of the biggest stories shaking up the swimming world: Ben Proud’s controversial move to the Enhanced Games. We ask the tough questions: Has Proud’s decision tarnished his legacy? Has the sport failed one of its brightest stars? And what about the health risks that come with this choice? Plus, we break down all the latest drama from Aquatics GB’s transfer deadline day, who’s on the move, who’s staying put, and what it all means for the future of British swimming.

Aug 1

We're at the halfway point of the World Championships, and the pool has already seen shockwaves. Have Team USA lost their edge? World records are tumbling, but who’s making history? And with the pressure mounting, how are the Brits holding up? They need a medal soon. This week, Alex is joined by swimming expert and coach Luke Withers to break down the biggest stories so far, assess the standout performances, and ask: who's going to rise, and who's falling behind? Enjoy and watch the swimming!!!

Jul 16

This week on The Weekly Freestyle, Alex sits down with two of Britain’s top swimmers Freya Anderson and Katie Shanahan for an honest, inspiring, and fun conversation you won’t want to miss. We dive into life behind the lanes as they chat about living and training together in Stirling, their recent trips abroad, and how they’re adjusting to a new training setup. With the World Championships in Singapore on the horizon, hear what’s driving them, what they’re aiming for, and how they’re getting there. Freya and Katie also open up about their work with Fast and Female, discussing the worrying drop out rates among girls in sport. They share powerful insights into the challenges women face from body image to performance pressures and why it’s so important to normalise these conversations. And of course, we wrap things up with a quickfire round revealing favourite snacks, secret quirks, and a few surprises along the way. Enjoy ☺️

Jul 9

We welcome our first guests of the season 7 💥 🔥 European U23 high-flyers @jack.skerry and @matt.j.ward fresh from a standout week in Slovakia, the boys dive into what really went down at the championships from performance highs to that now iconic train based celebration 🚂 🕺🇸🇰 🚨 Meanwhile, your hosts are back rubbing shoulders in the Royal Box at Wimbledon, but what really goes on behind the scenes? And who was making the absolute most of the free-flowing strawberries and champagne? 🍾 🍓 Plus, we launch a brand-new game and yes we need your help. Intrigued? You’ll have to listen to find out… 👾 📲 Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for the full breakdown and to get involved. This one’s not to be missed. #theweeklyfreestyle #podcast #eurou23s #newgame #henley #wimbledon

Jul 2

This week on The Weekly Freestyle, Tom and Alex dive into a packed episode full of summer vibes, poolside drama, and mystery giveaways. 🏊‍♂️☀️ Tom breaks down a couple of tough swims from Sette Colli in Rome 🇮🇹—what went wrong, what he’s taking away, and what’s next. Then the boys react to the Bath U23 lads absolutely sending it with the train celebration of the season 🚂🔥 (you’ve got to see this one). Plus: A mystery mystery prize is up for grabs for one lucky listener 🎁 We rank the ultimate ice cream picks to survive the heatwave 🍦🔥 Subscribe, share with a mate, and stay cool out there. That was always going to happen!

Jun 25

This week on The Weekly Freestyle, things get a little wild (and slightly horse-related). We kick off with the bizarre tale of Simon Cowell nearly getting run over by a horse — yes, really — and wonder if that’s the universe telling him something. Then we ask the big question: is Jan Olbrecht, the legendary swimming stats guru, actually a wizard in disguise? 🧙‍♂️ We break down the myth, the science, and the spreadsheets. Tom takes us on a chaotic journey through Gatwick Airport, while I put his Italian to the test ahead of his weekend races at the iconic Sette Colli International Meet in Rome 🇮🇹. How’s his vocab holding up under pressure? Let’s just say… mamma mia. From elite meets to equestrian near-misses — it’s all happening on this week’s Freestyle. Tune in, laugh a little, and swim on.

Jun 18

Series 7 of The Weekly Freestyle continues, the boys dive headfirst into Drowning Prevention Week, spotlighting lifesaving messages and water safety tips everyone should hear. Meanwhile, Tom’s got his sights set on Singapore 🇸🇬, we break down his key session testing and how things are shaping up ahead of World Champs And for the first time this series… it’s quiz time. The boys go head to head in a battle of brains, banter, and buzzer pressure. 🎧 Has the production value ever been higher? You tell us. 🔔 Hit play, subscribe, and be safe - this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

Jun 11

In this episode of the Weekly Freestyle Alex arrives to the pod wearing a chicken suit, Tom discusses his time with Spencer Matthews and they speak about smuggling sweets into the cinema when they were younger! Did they end up the correct side of the law?!

Jun 4

🎙️ New episode of the Weekly Freestyle is OUT NOW! 🏊‍♂️💥 This week: 😤 Tom Dean dishes on that shocking disqualification in Monaco (he's not holding back) 💍 Alex spills some big life news 🧔‍♂️ Tom has a very important facial hair update Follow the link in the description and catch up with the chaos — you don’t want to miss this one. #WeeklyFreestyle #SwimTalk #TomDean #PodcastDrop

Mar 5

This week we discuss the week that has just been including a trip to the mechanic and a meet up with another British swimmer. We have a listener from Norway, the police contact the show and we made a terrible mistake in our previous quiz. We do our own Brit awards and name the best female, male and training squad throughout the last year.

Mar 12

In the final episode of series 6, we sit down and go through all of our favourite moments of the past series! We would like to thank you all for your support across the last series and we can't wait to welcome you back for series 7.

Feb 26

This week we recount how Tom almost lost AirPods in his favourite coffee shop in Maidenhead and we find out what really happened when the boys visited York and catch up with Alex on his bday celebrations.

Feb 19

The ULTIMATE TWF BUCS Review 📝 🚨 📣 Massive swims from Rogers, Morgan, Evans and so many more!!! 🔥 Who is the BEST? L’boro, Stirling or Bath!? ⚡️ 🛀 We discuss THOSE COMMENTS in the live chat - is too far?! 😯 + we meet prod Ryan 🐐 #theweeklyfreestyle #podcast #fyp #swimming #tomdean #bucs

Feb 14

We are back slighlty later than planned due to ilness but we still have action packed episode for you today where we discuss Tom's Valentines Day plans, the recent Speedo advert and why Tom didn't feature and how did Alex meet his girlfriend?

Feb 5

No Tom this week, but fear not we have Charlie a British Swimming expert on the pod to talk us through what to expect in 2025. We also get to the bottom of what really happened that day when Tom won his races at the Magnet.

Jan 29

Welcome back to The Weekly Freestyle, today we discuss our brand new swim school we launched back in October. A new format takes place in a local swimming competition, and Tom's least favourite thing about being a swimmer.

Jan 22

Welcome back to The Weekly Freestyle! It's part 2 of Paris Ponderings where Tom talks us through what Olympians get up to on the day of a race and what he leaked straight after his race. `We also play Podmates a new game were we test how much we know each other.

Jan 15

Welcome back to The Weekly Freestyle! In this week's episode, we talk about our Sunday golfing trip, Alex's peculiar choice of breakfast and most importantly all things Paris 2024

Jan 8

In this week's episode, we chat about our goals for the year, what Alex did on New Year's Eve, and what Tom got up to in the lead-up to Paris. As well as chatting about all things Luke Litter and the recently concluded World Darts Championship including a surprise proposal. If you want to watch the podcast subscribe to our YouTube Channel - @theweeklyfreestyle and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @the_weekly_freestyle.

Dec 25, 2024

We are back after 6 month sabbatical! In this week's episode, we chat about all things swimming, the recent Sports Personality Of The Year Awards and of course highlights of the year and all things Christmas. A brand new season is launching in the new year so stay tuned to our socials!

Aug 11, 2023

This week we have a bumper episode including a guest appearance from one of our OG Call Room members, a plethora of games and at least one of us will end up heating one of the hottest foods known to the human race… We hope that you have enjoyed the last 50 eps as much as we have and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING 💜 Tom & Alex

Aug 3, 2023

Join us for the ultimate inside the ropes world champs review. We talk about Tom’s races and successes in the pool. What was the celebration about and who was Duncan telling shhhh?? And so much more! Sorry for the dodgy line - I need a new laptop…

Jul 19, 2023

Today Tom joins Alex from Japan about a week out from the World Championships 2023. The boys discuss adapting to the jet lag, the trip so far and about his plans for the coming week. Tom’s sister Nancy joins the pod to lighten the mood with a hotly anticipated music quiz! Enjoy! No pod next week so we can all focus on champs.

Jul 12, 2023

Great news. We’ve hit 1k followers on IG and as a result a giveaway will follow v soon! Alex has a business proposition for Tom having made £30 at Wimbledon and Lords on cups. And most excitingly we speak to Claudia, a pod listener and she gives Tom and Alex the badger quiz of their life.

Jul 5, 2023

This week we are joined by Luke Withers one of the UK’s top age group coaches. We discuss how you can get the best out of yourself, the British vs American scene and some funny tales from Tom’s age group days. TWF is nearing in on 1k followers on insta too 😮

Jun 28, 2023

When in Rome. This week Tom and Alex discuss a weekend of racing at the famous Sette Colli. Tom competed in both the 100 and 200 freestyle and went head to head with Europe’s best. There’s a lot of coffee and Tuscany chat to be had throughout 🇮🇹 ☕️ enjoy!

Jun 21, 2023

This week Tom and Alex discuss the nitty gritty of infrastructure spending surrounding the UK's key sporting events over the last decade including London 2012 and Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. Tom has landed in France as a surveys the holding camp venue for Paris 2024. The reasonably hotly demanded Rate My Plate is finally back too!

Jun 14, 2023

This week Tom and Alex welcome Ross Murdoch to TWF and what an ep it is. Ross is a very popular and world class swimmer winning medals throughout his career. Ross has so many great stories to share both in and out of the pool and having recently retired he can look at things with a fresh perspective. He also talks candidly about his struggles throughout his career and life, but also about the best moments and highs that he says made every second of the journey so worth it. We loved recording this ep and we hope you love listening just as much.

Jun 7, 2023

Today we hear about Tom's session from hell - described as a war zone he talks through how it went and the pain he suffered. The boys catch up at a BBQ and Alex bumps into Team GB hockey players on the Lizzy Line. We also discuss the week's news and rank how fit (VO2) famous people are.

May 31, 2023

Today we react to a weekend of racing at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. A rare outing for this pool due to the costs of hosting events at this prestigious venue. Alex is out on the ground in London and we also celebrate Producer Lucy’s 21st birthday 🥳

May 24, 2023

Join Tom and Alex as The Weekly Freestyle returns for season 5. Tom is finally back from camp in The States where he heard from Bill Gates - likely a fan of the pod. The boys discuss plans for the season ahead, discuss American and even welcome William Dean on as a special guest to host a Eurovision inspired quiz. AND SO MUCH MORE...

May 10, 2023

Duncan Scott joins TWF this week for a fascinating insight into his thoughts and feelings on the sport and the relationship he has with Tom. He gives a meticulous explanation of his training philosophy, discusses the issues with swimming facilities and we even find out about his antics away from the pool. An ep not to miss. We hope you’ve enjoyed season 4!

May 3, 2023

This we discuss the release of GB’s LEN U23 team. We rate your plates and decide a winner. Producer Lucy hosts another quiz for the boys.

Apr 26, 2023

This week the boys discuss nutrition. Tom talks us through his 7,000 calories a day schedule, Alex shares his love of family cereal packs and a load of listener questions are discussed. Tom is off to altitude this week!!!

Apr 19, 2023

This week Tom and Alex discuss the British Champs at Sheffield including the stand out performers, Tom's races and some funny stories from the week. Plus what actually goes down on the final night of champs - possibly a few J20s?????

Apr 12, 2023

Follow TWF live at the British Champs up in Sheffield. We speak to James Guy, Jacob Peters and Ben Proud post race and of course Tom after his 200 Free. Withers collects his hat-trick ball after 3 pod appearances and find out what a day at Sheffield entails.

Apr 3, 2023

Today we are joined by Steve Buckley from the famous swimming media outlet Pullbuoy. The boys have an in-depth discussion on the week ahead up in Sheffield for British Champs which acts as a selection event for the World Champs qualifiers out in Japan later this year. Further to this we discuss the big news that Adam Peaty will not be competing again this year and is there some talk of a Fantasy Swimming Legue?!

Mar 29, 2023

This week TWF is down in Bournemouth watching friend of the podcast Kai step into the ring. One week closer to champs the Tom and Alex discuss British Swimming's granting of Alex a media pass for Sheffield, taper continues and another heated quiz takes place. We had a brief chat with Gary Lineker too !!

Mar 22, 2023

This week we discuss how Tom's taper is going which included a trip down to the races and plenty of time freshening up in preparation for Sheffield. We put the British Swimming's social media team to the test. Apparently TWF is 'big' in the podcast scene out in Ukraine and we speak to FREYA ANDERSON, HOLLY HIBBOTT and JACOB PETERS from FAST SWIM TRAINING about their FIRST CLINIC on 10th APRIL. CHECKOUT THEIR INSTA NOWWWWWW!!!!

Mar 15, 2023

The big man reacts to a successful weekend up in the wonderful Edinburgh. We discuss the skins, the 100 and 200 free as well as performances elsewhere in the meet. We get through a heap of listeners' questions and predictions. Alex was stuck in the mud in Loughborough as his XC season comes to a close & NOAH JOINS US FOR A NEW FEATURE!

Mar 8, 2023

Tom and Alex are back with the first episode of Season 4 and there is so much to catch up on. There is a rare bit of swimming chat with regard for some top performances across the globe. Tom is back from camp and getting back to work in prep for the Edinburgh meet. And Alex reviews his action packed bday week which included Potions, golf and a National XC.

Feb 22, 2023

The big finale episode that we've all been waiting for and therere's a lot to catch up on. Tom is back from Aus and Alex is prepping for nationals. William Dean make his first pod appearance, there are a few pod shout outs, illness discussions and even some badger chat. Don't miss it!

Feb 15, 2023

This week the boys sit down with James Guy MBE. The episode covers all things from harsh words and The Inbetweeners in the call room, Olympic highs and the unseen lows, the strength he gains from his family and even a cheeky game of mr & mrs. AND SO MUCH MORE!!!

Feb 8, 2023

This week Tom and Alex discuss Team GB’s warm weather training camp in Australia. Who from the team has been struggling with the heat and what does a normal day look like on camp?

Feb 1, 2023

This week Tom and Alex chat to Katie Shanahan who is out on altitude camp in Arizona. She's only 18 but already she's a European and Commonwealth Games medalist, this, on top of her quite phenomenal junior career. Katie discusses her experience of major competition in 2022. the ISL and what it's like training at the national centre in Stirling and so much more!

Jan 25, 2023

Tom and Alex discuss the financials of being an a professional swimmer and one of Britain’s top athletes. The boys discuss ISL too in the Freestyle section of the pod.

Jan 18, 2023

This week Tom and Alex react to their chat with Ed Mildred from the previous episode. They also discuss the keys to avoiding burnout and how best for young athletes to develop. Romanian sport stars are also a key topic of conversation…

Jan 11, 2023

Join TWF this week as Tom and Alex sit down to chat with Ed Mildred, one of Team GB's youngest talents on the global stage. Ed discusses his journey to joining the GB setup, what goes through his mind just before racing and why consistently losing in judo fights led to the birth of his swimming career (and much more!).

Jan 4, 2023

Welcome to 2023! Find out how an Olympian sets their goals for the year and balances training throughout the festive period. Did Alex survive the famous Christmas swimming session and there's talk of a Channel swim attempt...

Dec 22, 2022

Tom reflects on his bronze medal out in Melbourne and the week in general. The boys reflect on 2022 as well as making some bold predictions for 2023. SPOTY and the lack of recognition is discussed too.

Dec 14, 2022

Welcome back to season 3. There's some build up to World Champs in Australia, Santa Fun Run tales and an England footy style spelling bee.

Nov 30, 2022

This week Tom and Alex talk to Toby Johnston who recently completed The Pacific Crest Trail which is a walk across The USA which is over 2,500 miles and takes over 5 months to complete. The also boys wrap up season 2 and read a few listener messages too.

Nov 23, 2022

Have the boys regained their heads after last week’s episode? Micro and macro cycles are the topic of discussion and what about some urban planning too! Apologies for the dodgy Wi-Fi on this… If everyone can message Tom from me about it to upgrade that would be brilliant 😂

Nov 16, 2022

Tom reflects on a very successful evening at the British Swimming Awards having won the Maurice Watkins award. Alex had fun weekend back on the cross country in sunny Milton Keynes while a tough evening session occurred in the pool for the Olympic Champion. The boys also discuss their World XI Swimming in prep for the World Cup in Qatar. Tom is also working on his WiFi speed having been over promised by his network provider...

Nov 9, 2022

The boys reflect on the recent news that Tom has been selected for the Short Course World Champs in Australia and Alex can't believe the price of yogurts these days...

Nov 2, 2022

This week the boys discuss mental health in a general sense and also from the perspective of an elite sports person. What was Tom thinking of the day of the Olympic final and what's his go to pre race tune at the moment? Alex gets a telling off too...

Oct 26, 2022

Olympic gold medalist Freya Anderson comes onto The Weekly Freestyle for a chat with Tom and Alex. Freya discusses her incredible career so far, passions away from the sport and other crucially important issues such as mental health and a life in elite sport.

Oct 19, 2022

Join Alex and Tom this week to discuss the strange and little known world of anti-doping. Imagine living in a world where a tester could turn up at your door any day and ask you to pee in a pot... The boys discuss the grey areas surrounding the subject and address previously convicted drugs cheats.

Oct 12, 2022

This week's episode is all about cross training. Tom discusses how he cross trains and Alex reflects on his first cross country race back. Also, there are a few laughs as Liverpool meets Anthony Joshua when the boys go head to head in the Freestyle section of TWF.

Oct 5, 2022

Tom and Alex discuss the recent Team GB relay camp, react to George's guest interview and open TWF Call Room. Surely he's not on holiday again???...

Sep 28, 2022

Enjoy our first guest episode with George Taplin a world recorder holder, an elite level athlete/coach, keen conservationist and an even nicer guy. Don't mind anti-doping turning up halfway through the episode though…

Sep 21, 2022

Enjoy a few highlights from season 1 and a couple of outtakes too!

Sep 14, 2022

This week the boys discuss Tom's early life and even analyse the golf from the week before in Marbella.

Sep 7, 2022

This week Alex and Tom discuss training camps and training abroad together from Marbella. The boys also play a game of swimming articulate as part of The Freestyle section of the pod with a few pals too which generates a few laughs.

Aug 31, 2022

This week Tom and Alex discuss the importance of rest and the off season for both mental and physical well being. We hope you enjoy one of our first deep dives into a particular topic.

Aug 24, 2022

Tom is enjoying his first week of the off season, while Alex dials in from Maidenhead. The episode focuses on getting to know Producer Alex more and where the boys first met.

Aug 17, 2022

This week Alex and a couple of pals join Tom out in Rome for the European Swimming Championship. The final champs episode of the year discusses some more electric swims from the Brits, Popovici's world record and all things Rome.

Aug 10, 2022

Today Tom and Alex finish their conversation on the Commonwealth Games discussing some of the athlete village antics and the post Games rush. Alex travels into London with no shirt for his first away day of the year before attention turns to European Champs in Rome and an away day for TWF.

Aug 6, 2022

EP4 sees the boys discuss a hectic week in the Sandwell Aquatics Centre as Tom competes for Team England at The Commonwealth Games. There's talk of the seven medals he picked up, insight from each of the races and some more light-hearted Commies chat for good measure.

Jul 27, 2022

EP 3 sees the boys discuss the build up to the Commonwealth Games and Tom's time in the athlete's village so far. Alex delves into the history of the games with a few fun facts and questions - do you know what the smallest state in the Commonwealth is? The Freestyle section of the podcast sees James Guy and Freya Anderson join in and of course the all important listeners too (which hopefully both James and Freya are anyways...)!!!

Jul 21, 2022

EP 2 sees the boys discuss Deano's trip to Buckingham Palace, Sutt's graduation and some exciting Pod progress. Sorry for the delay in release and slight issues with audio... I guess we can ask Team England to improve their WIFI speed at the Commonwealth Games holding camp in Loughborough!!!

Jul 17, 2022

EP 1 sees the boys relive the Suttons' family party, bumping into Starkie, a tough week of training for Deano and some introductory pod chat.

5d ago

In this episode of The Weekly Freestyle , I’m joined once again by Charlie Harris - Digital Communications Officer at Scottish Swimming and host of The Aqua Pod let's dive straight into one of the biggest talking points in swimming right now. Let’s get straight to it… are Team USA trying to sabotage Team GB ahead of the LA 2028 Olympics? We break down the controversial changes to the Olympic swimming schedule, including the moving of the 200M IM closer to the 4by2oom freestyle Relay final: Is this actually allowed? Who’s responsible for making these decisions? Can Team GB appeal? And is there anything Team GB (or other nations) could do in response? We also look at past examples, from Leon Marchand’s schedule in Paris as he won butterfly and breaststroke gold in one night. Plus, we lighten things up with a bonus segment: Pool of the Week , as Charlie shares his pick and we discuss what makes a great swimming venue. As always, thanks for listening and a big thank you to Charlie Harris from The Aqua Pod for joining me once again.

Dec 10

This week we review the short course championships in Lublin, Poland. Luke Withers jumps on the show to discuss the week of racing. GB took a smaller squad to this champs but does this make for the lack of silverware compared to 2 years ago in Romania? We discuss the best swims of the week, new names rising through the ranks and even some DQs… Should we be seeing our best swimmers at all of these major meets?

Dec 4

This week, host Alex is joined by Scottish swimming expert Charlie Harris, the voice behind the popular show The Aqua Pod. Together, they dive into all things swimming, life, and Scotland. Charlie shares his expert take on the ongoing European Short Course Championships offering predictions, highlighting key contenders, and breaking down where the biggest challenges lie. To top it all off, the duo wraps up the episode with a fun round of “Higher or Lower,” featuring past championship host cities. It’s a lively, insightful, and highly entertaining episode you won’t want to miss!

Nov 26

This week we dive into early season from action from across Europe and America! Who is looking good, who is looking not so good and we discuss who Team GB's biggest prospect could be this year. Finally we have some swimming to talk about :)

Nov 21

This week on TWF Alex is joined by Luke Withers who was our undercover podcasting agent at this year's Aquatics GB awards. Who were the winners and losers? What's the latest goss and why were so many people away? Was it the event of the year!

Mar 4, 2023

Here are some of our favourite highlights from Season 3 - enjoy!