From NCAA Champion to Competitor Swim VP: Kristen Linehan’s Journey Through the Sport

GMM presented by @SwimOutletTV
In this GMM takeover of the SwimSwam Podcast, we sit down with Kristen Linehan Omli, VP of Competitor Swim, one of the most recognizable equipment brands on pool decks across the United States.

Competitor’s history in swimming runs deep. The company has been producing lane lines for decades, going back to 1968, with its products becoming a fixture at major meets, college programs, clubs and aquatic facilities around the country.

Linehan brings a swimmer’s perspective to that business. If you know your history, you know the Linehan sisters dominated swimming from the late 1970s through 1999.

Before joining Competitor, Kristen was an elite backstroker at the University of Florida, where she became a multiple-time NCAA champion and All-American. Her sister, Kim Linehan, was a world champion and world-record holder whose 16:04.49 world record in the 1500-meter freestyle stood for nearly eight years.

We start with Kristen’s swimming background and what it was like growing up in a family where high-level swimming was a part of everyday life. From there, Kristen takes us inside Competitor. She explains how she met Brad Underwood, Competitor’s CEO and owner, how their professional relationship developed, and ultimately how she came to work with the company.

We also dig into something that matters enormously in the swimming business: relationships. Competitor maintains partnerships across the sport, including relationships with USA Swimming, the NCAA and the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA). Kristen explains how those partnerships work, why they matter, and how being deeply connected to coaches, facilities and swimming organizations influences the company’s direction.

For a company whose products literally divide the lanes at many of America’s biggest meets, Competitor’s story is ultimately about something broader: people, relationships and staying embedded in the sport it serves.

Many thanks to @SwimOutletGear for their 15 year partnership and support of this swimming news and media.

Swimming news courtesy of SwimSwam.com (swimswam.com)

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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.

Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.