SK279 2025 Year in Review

"Dude, what a year."

We are closing out 2025 with the full Social Kick crew—Bryan Lundquist, Dr. John Mullen, and Luke Paddington—to debate the absolute best (and weirdest) moments in swimming this year.

In this year-end special, we break down the races that dropped our jaws, from Leon Marchand skipping the 1:53s entirely to Katie Ledecky breaking the 15-minute barrier at a home invitational. We also dive into the "Concrete Conspiracy" (are world records just bad construction?), the heartbreaking Florida relay DQ at NCAAs, and the controversial removal of B-Finals from the college format.

Plus, we reveal the "Set of the Year"—including a distance workout by Sven Schwarz that made Bryan say "absolutely not"—and give our bold predictions for 2026.

In this episode:

Race of the Year: Leon Marchand’s 200 IM vs. The Women’s 800 Free Battle.

The Conspiracy: Do pool measurement tolerances decide World Records?

Heartbreak: The -0.06 reaction time that cost Florida an NCAA title.

Controversy: The death of the NCAA B-Final.

Torture: The hardest sets of 2025 (UVA’s 20x50s vs. Sven’s 5x1500s).

2026 Goals: John’s quest for a sub-21 50 Free & Luke’s return to the blocks.

Sponsors & Shoutouts: A huge thank you to everyone who supported us in 2025, including Destro Machines, Grown-Up Swimming, Finesse, Tri-Hard, and Hydro Foil.

Connect with us: Instagram: @SocialKickSwim Email: team@socialkickswim.com

Did we miss a "WTF" moment from 2025? Let us know in the comments!