Katie Ledecky, Kate Douglass and Regan Smith combine to lead the 2024 U.S. women’s swimming rankings in 11 of the 14 individual events on the Olympic pool program going into trials.
At trials — June 15-23 at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium — it is expected that the top two in each event make the team for Paris individually.
It’s likely that the top six in the 100m and 200m freestyles make it for relay purposes, should the overall U.S. roster not exceed 26 women.
All of the top contenders to make the team have competed this season. Everybody trains to swim their fastest at trials, but the in-season rankings to this point are an indicator of seeding.
SWIMMING TRIALS: Broadcast Schedule
Ledecky has been the fastest American in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m frees every year dating to 2014 except for the 1500m free in 2016, a year she didn’t race that distance.
Her closest challengers have traditionally been in the 200m free. At last June’s nationals, Claire Weinstein became the first American to beat Ledecky in a 200m free final in nine years.
Ledecky also dropped the individual 200m free from her program at worlds the last two years, despite making the team for the event. She hasn’t announced her intentions for this summer, so it’s possible she swims it at trials strictly to show she’s deserving of a place on the Olympic 4x200m free relay.
Douglass made her Olympic debut in Tokyo at age 19 in one event — taking bronze in the 200m individual medley.
This year, she is the top-ranked American woman in four events — the 50m and 100m frees, the 200m breaststroke and the 200m IM — but might not swim all of them at trials due to a crowded schedule.
Douglass has become arguably the world’s most versatile swimmer. In January, she broke the American record in the 200m breast. In February, she broke the American record in the 50m free.
Smith is the American record holder in the 100m and 200m backstrokes and the 200m butterfly. In her Olympic debut in Tokyo, she won 200m fly silver and 100m back bronze.
The dominance of Ledecky, Douglass and Smith leaves three events with different U.S. leaders in 2024: 2016 Olympic gold medalist Lilly King in the 100m breast, 2022 World champion Torri Huske in the 100m fly and two-time world silver medalist Katie Grimes in the 400m IM.
In all, the American record holder in 11 of the 14 events is expected to enter trials.
2024 U.S. Women’s Swimming Rankings
Times from USA Swimming database.
50m Freestyle
1. Kate Douglass — 23.91
2. Abbey Weitzeil — 24.27
3. Gretchen Walsh — 24.29
4. Torri Huske — 24.31
5. Simone Manuel — 24.34
100m Freestyle
1. Kate Douglass — 52.98
2. Torri Huske — 53.08
3. Simone Manuel — 53.10
4. Gretchen Walsh — 53.17
5. Abbey Weitzeil — 53.56
6. Catie DeLoof — 53.88
7. Beata Nelson — 53.97
8. Rylee Erisman — 54.34
9. Erin Gemmell — 54.36
10. Alex Shackell — 54.38
200m Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky — 1:54.97
2. Anna Peplowski — 1:56.99
3. Paige Madden — 1:57.00
4. Simone Manuel — 1:57.03
5. Regan Smith — 1:57.23
6. Erin Gemmell — 1:57.26
7. Claire Weinstein — 1:58.08
8. Aurora Roghair — 1:58.11
9. Isabel Ivey — 1:58.19
10. Addison Sauickie — 1:58.33
400m Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky — 3:59.44.
2. Paige Madden — 4:03.02
3. Claire Weinstein — 4:04.54
4. Taylor Hinshaw — 4:06.99
5. Jillian Cox — 4:07.61
800m Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky — 8:12.95
2. Katie Grimes — 8:21.51
3. Claire Weinstein — 8:23.73
4. Paige Madden — 8:27.64
5. Jillian Cox — 8:27.95
1500m Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky — 15:38.25
2. Katie Grimes — 15:57.31
3. Paige Madden — 16:09.93
4. Kate Hurst — 16:17.83
5. Aurora Roghair — 16:19.79
100m Backstroke
1. Regan Smith — 57.51
2. Claire Curzan — 58.29
3. Katharine Berkoff — 58.77
4. Rhyan White — 59.20
5. Isabelle Stadden — 59.22
200m Backstroke
1. Regan Smith — 2:03.99
2. Claire Curzan — 2:05.77
3. Phoebe Bacon — 2:07.24
4. Rhyan White — 2:07.38
5. Isabelle Stadden — 2:08.42
100m Breaststroke
1. Lilly King — 1:05.67
2. Lydia Jacoby — 1:05.74
3. Kate Douglass — 1:06.36
4. Emma Weber — 1:06.50
5. Kaitlyn Dobler — 1:06.71
200m Breaststroke
1. Kate Douglass — 2:19.30
2. Alex Walsh — 2:22.87
3. Lilly King — 2:23.27
4. Ella Nelson — 2:24.07
5. Isabelle Odgers — 2:26.59
100m Butterfly
1. Torri Huske — 55.68
2. Gretchen Walsh — 56.14
3. Regan Smith — 56.26
4. Claire Curzan — 56.61
5. Alex Shackell — 57.22
200m Butterfly
1. Regan Smith — 2:04.80
2. Alex Shackell — 2:07.13
3. Rachel Klinker — 2:07.70
4. Dakota Luther — 2:07.81
5. Emma Sticklen — 2:08.57
200m Individual Medley
1. Kate Douglass — 2:07.05
2. Alex Walsh — 2:07.63
3. Torri Huske — 2:08.47
4. Regan Smith — 2:09.05
5. Leah Hayes — 2:10.62
400m Individual Medley
1. Katie Grimes — 4:32.45
2. Emma Weyant — 4:39.00
3. Leah Hayes — 4:39.36
4. Lucy Bell — 4:41.64
5. Lilla Bognar — 4:43.21
Source Agencies
