U.S. Nationals: Olympic Stars Poised to Shine Again (Women’s Predictions)
The women from the United States accounted for 15 individual medals in swimming at the Paris Olympics, to go along with a world-record-setting medley relay gold. There were also two relay silvers, surpassed only by the record-breaking Australian squad in the freestyle relays. That team could be almost entirely reunified in 2025 as the group is picked for the upcoming World Championships in Singapore.
There are only three women from the Paris team not entered at this week’s U.S. Nationals: Paige Madden, who won 800 free bronze while helping the 800 free relay to silver, and 400 free relay prelims swimmers Abbey Weitzeil and Erika Connolly. Meanwhile, multi-time medalists and world-record breakers Katie Ledecky, Torri Huske, Kate Douglass, Regan Smith and Gretchen Walsh are all entered in their usual busy slate of events, with the expectation they will comprise the core of the next American squad bound for international competition.
Ledecky is already in the midst of one of the finest years of her career, having broken her first long course world record since 2018 at the Pro Series meet in Fort Lauderdale. Walsh dominated her final NCAA Championships before twice lowering her 100 butterfly world record in Fort Lauderdale while Huske, Douglass and Smith already pepper the top of the world rankings.
Others with individual Olympic medals entered include Katharine Berkoff, Katie Grimes, Emma Weyant, Alex Walsh and Lilly King, with the future Hall-of-Fame breaststroker no longer competing in the 200-meter distance as she enters the final selection meet of her career.
Here’s how we expect the racing to go this week in Indianapolis, as the World Championships team is assembled. Of particular focus this year will be the 50-meter stroke events, scheduled to be part of the Olympic lineup for the first time in 2028. Swimmers will put greater emphasis on those events than ever before.
Tuesday, June 3
200 Butterfly
- Regan Smith
- Alex Shackell
Smith is clearly the world’s No. 2 swimmer in this event behind Summer McIntosh while Shackell is poised to continue her ascent. Teenager Audrey Derivaux has also made huge strides this year and will be a threat for selection.
100 Freestyle
- Gretchen Walsh
- Torri Huske
- Kate Douglass
- Simone Manuel
- Rylee Erisman
- Camille Spink
Walsh and Huske both set themselves up as major medal contenders for Singapore while teenager Erisman and the University of Tennessee’s Spink could both make their senior-national debuts.
800 Freestyle
- Katie Ledecky
- Jillian Cox
The world record could again be threatened after Ledecky’s performance in Fort Lauderdale while Cox’s impressive freshman season at Texas makes a World Championships return likely.
Wednesday, June 4
200 Freestyle
