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USA SWIMMING 2018 PHILLIPS 66 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 24, 2018

Chase Kalisz

Irvine, California

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Chase Kalisz. You've obviously had a strong season thus far. How has the success you've had on the TYR Pro Swim Series prepared you for this meet and beyond?

CHASE KALISZ: I think my methodology is pretty much similar to what I've always really done my entire life, actually, even age group swimming, kind of race as much as possible, kind of do a grueling schedule every single meet.

And I think that really sets me up for like these end-of-the-summer meets, nationals and so on. I build confidence off of that. And that's generally what my plan is usually throughout the season.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. We obviously know you for being an IM guy, but you've really improved in some of the other strokes. Do you want to swim something beyond the IMs at a major international meet? And what do you have in your mind for a world championships or Olympics? I know it's really far out, but what could we see you in?
CHASE KALISZ: Obviously I would like to do other events. I couldn't tell you exactly what my schedule would look like moving forward especially in 2020.

But that's why I race all the different events. I think I'm getting better. I used to just be a 400 IMer. I would do everything, but I wouldn't say that I was very good at anything else.

As I've gotten older, I've gotten more speed. My butterfly and breast stroke and back stroke has gotten better. And I enjoy doing the shorter races, actually. It's definitely a lot less grueling on me than the 400 IM. If I'm able to be competitive on the international level, I'd love to do them.

Q. Obviously a lot of people talk about how great a summer Caeleb (Dressel) had last year. And you had a pretty good one, too. What's the most impressive feat, sweeping the IMs to be the best all-around swimmer in the world or winning seven gold medals over all?
CHASE KALISZ: I just won two races. Caeleb won seven. So I'm going to give it to him.

Q. Do you ever think about swimming events that would put you in contention to swim in a relay?
CHASE KALISZ: We'll see.

Q. Are you swimming in anything like that this week?
CHASE KALISZ: I entered into the events that John just said.

Q. How much stock do you put in the Pro Swim Series? It seems like you had it pretty planned out, or at least you had a plan going in for this whole season and you have 100 points now. Is that something you pay attention to, or is it just kind of a product of you executing your plan?
CHASE KALISZ: I would have done the exact same meet schedule if I had 25 points. I was going to do all those events anyway, like I said earlier.

This is about racing as much -- they're training meets for me. I usually go through and swim through them and try to do as many events as possible, swim at a high level in all of them.

For example, Ohio, I ended up doing six events. And didn't do the 100 breast at finals, but I think it's just toughness and building that and being able to go through these long meets, world championships and Olympics, nine days, I think that's very important. And it's something that I've always done.

Q. I'm curious what your first reaction was yesterday when you heard the news about Ryan (Lochte) and if you were aware of that IV rule?
CHASE KALISZ: Obviously it's disappointing. Not like I'm disappointed in Ryan, but it's sad to see that Ryan's not going to be here. I was looking forward to racing him. And I think that was definitely going to be one of my highlights is seeing what he could do and going head to head with him. He's one of the greatest IMers and I always like to challenge myself.

As far as the IV rule, I did sit in a USADA meeting, would be happy with me about this, I did sit in a USADA meeting at the USA Swimming building three years ago about it they announced that. I don't know when it came out or what. I definitely know it's one of the lesser-known rules apparently. I mean before that I actually really didn't know about it. But, I mean, they educated me on it personally about it. But there were only about eight people in the room.

As far as my understanding, they educated me. That's all I can really speak on.

Q. Do you remember what was said when they educated you?
CHASE KALISZ: Every single time we'd go up to the training center you're required once a year to go through, sit through a USADA meeting. And that was just something that came up, yeah.

Q. What were your thoughts on kind of the way it transpired? It's a weird kind of situation and effectively came out because he posted something on his social media and it probably never would have come up if not for that. Like when you see that, does it kind of make you shake your head a little bit? It's a strange situation.
CHASE KALISZ: Like I said, I feel bad for Ryan. He genuinely is a really good guy. And I really did look forward to him being here. So it's an unfortunate situation.

Q. Do you feel that part of it is lost a little bit, because a lot of the broader general public pay more attention to swimming around Olympics time, and obviously Ryan had the incident in Rio. I feel like a lot of people in the public maybe think he's not a very good guy. What can you say about that based on personal experience with him?
CHASE KALISZ: I mean, I've only had positive experiences. He's always very outgoing generous guy and he's always been great to me even when I was a younger kid. I couldn't say one negative thing about Ryan.

Q. We see you post on social so much about your dog. Can you tell me the story of how you got your dog? And why his name is Floyd and just anything else that you can tell me about him?
CHASE KALISZ: I welcome any question about the dog. But so before I even -- like I obviously I knew what the University of Georgia was. But I didn't really know much about Georgia when I was growing up. I'm from Maryland. I just knew they had a good football team and that was about it.

But the reason when I first time I really wanted a bulldog was, honestly, Michael (Phelps)'s bulldog Herman. I remember Herman when I was younger and Mike would bring him to swim meets around Baltimore and I was like that's the coolest dog in the world. Obviously I went to Georgia and bulldogs are pretty popular in Athens. You see a good bit of them.

They're just a dog with a personality like no other and very loving. The best part about him is I'll get home from practice and he'll run at me like run with his head up, Bulldogs are pretty helpless. So run with his head up as fast as he can, it's not very fast. I'll go sit down on the couch, and every single time he climbs up, he just walks up slowly to me and just lays down on top of my lap. That's what we do all day. Doesn't need much exercise. He's perfect for my schedule. And everyone and all the guys on the team love seeing him. He gets lots of love.

I end up going to a breeder in Tennessee. His dad was actually in the Westminster dog show. So bulldogs already have many health problems. I wanted to go the best route selecting a bulldog.

I drove down a little past Chattanooga with friends. We had a bunch of names. I wanted something kind of unique for a bulldog. We had a list of names. And we said we'll just see what works. And Floyd was ultimately the only thing that really stuck.

Q. When do you get him?
CHASE KALISZ: I got him this year. He's eight and a half months old. He's still a puppy.

Q. How old was he?
CHASE KALISZ: Ten weeks.

Q. How did you find him?
CHASE KALISZ: Online.

Q. I'm curious, as we went through the last cycle leading into Rio, the mainstream sporting world didn't know who you are. You were kind of in Michael's shadow in certain respects. And that changed a lot in Rio. I'm curious this time around how life is different for you in the lead-up two years out from Tokyo as it was from Rio?
CHASE KALISZ: My life is the same. I promise you no one still knows who I am. (Laughter). So I just go about my day. I go about my work. I've got a great program. Jack's awesome. I love going to see him every single day.

I have so much fun in practice with the guys. And it's the same thing every single day. My life really hasn't changed at all. I obviously have more expectations on myself. But that's never really been something that's ever bothered me. It's generally been something that's made me swim faster. I'm really happy with where I am. And I'm looking forward moving forward.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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