After the record-setting yr that was 2023, we’re gearing up for an additional thrilling yr over right here at SwimSwam, and a part of that’s releasing our fourth annual High 100 listing—take a look at final yr’s rankings right here.
Just like 2023, we’ve taken a statistically pushed strategy reliant primarily upon world rankings and World Championship medals. We’ve additionally taken into consideration issues similar to potential, Olympic medal alternatives, accidents, and flexibility. Lengthy course is weighted greater than quick course, although efficiency potential in each codecs is factored in.
We’ve additionally moved Russian and Belarusian swimmers means down this listing due to their doubtless absence from the Olympics or both World Championship meet. Whereas that doesn’t preclude them from swimming quick at home meets (together with no matter Russia comes up with to switch the Olympics), these swims simply gained’t imply fairly as a lot with out the worldwide highlight.
We’ll be breaking down the highest 100 into a number of installments, so preserve an eye fixed out as they’re launched.
These lists are, by nature, subjective. When you disagree, depart your ideas/ranks within the feedback.
Braden Keith, Sophie Kaufman, Anya Pelshaw and Mark Wild contributed to this report.
Ladies’s Rankings:
Younger stars able to take the following step and established veterans making an attempt to carry their place among the many sport’s elite characteristic on this tier, with two swimmers who may problem for an Olympic medal however may not make it out of their nationwide trials (individually) on the forefront.
#60: Laura Stephens, Nice Britain – Like nearly everybody else within the ladies’s 200 fly, Stephens’ finest swim of two:06.62 was completed not on the World Championships. Her Olympic probabilities lie primarily within the 200, although she did swim 58.1 at British Trials final yr within the 100 fly. The shortage of home competitors (although Emily Massive is nipping at her heels) provides Stephens a better path to Paris than, say, Dakota Luther or Tess Howley, and Stephens’ time is a bit sooner as nicely. It’s splitting hairs, however Stephens has loads of worldwide expertise underneath her belt, having completed within the prime 10 at three consecutive World Championships along with the Tokyo Olympics, which may push her over the sting.
#59: Ye Shiwen, China – Now a grizzled veteran at 27, the 2012 Olympic double IM gold medalist remains to be within the combine in each the 200 breast (Asian Video games gold, 2:23.84), and 200 IM (Asian Video games silver, 2:10.34). Ye progressed lots in each the 100 and 200 breaststrokes final yr, touchdown at 1:07.34 and a pair of:22.44 (each on the Chinese language Nationwide Championships), and she or he finaled at Worlds within the 200 IM, including a bunch of time and putting eighth. Like lots of the Chinese language swimmers on this listing, her final rating will rely on whether or not she hits in Paris or someplace else.
#58: Airi Mitsui, Japan – Mitsui follows together with an enormous group of girls on this 200 fly who had been higher *not at Worlds* than they had been at Worlds. In truth, of the highest 25 within the occasion, solely two swam their finest instances at Worlds: the gold medalist Summer time McIntosh (who ranked 2nd on this planet) and Tenth-ranked Helena Bach from Denmark (who ranked Tenth on this planet). Mitsui, 19, has nearly as good of an opportunity as anyone to make this podium if any of the clear prime three (McIntosh, Dekkers, Smith) falter.
#57: Ingrid Wilm, Canada – Wilm, one of many large revelations from the ISL, has been regular in her lengthy course ascent. A 58.80 exhibiting within the 100 again on the Canadian Trials final yr confirmed that she’s prepared to interrupt via, and even with a half-second add at Worlds, she was nonetheless fifth. If the highest three on this planet (McKeown, Smith, and Berkoff) weren’t so good, her rating can be larger. It’s going to be powerful to drop sufficient for a medal, although.
#56: Jenna Strauch, Australia – Strauch is working headlong into the rising whirlwind that’s the ladies’s 200 breaststroke. In 2022, she gained a silver medal at Worlds in 2:23.04. That point might not last in Paris (even when the world file holder Evgeniia Chikunova doesn’t swim). After lacking the 2023 World Championships with damage, although, she seems to be in excellent kind lately. Strauch went 2:22.8 on the Budapest World Cup in October, her 2nd-best time, just some weeks again into competitors, then 2:23.9 in December on the Queensland Champs. She hasn’t been nearly as good within the 100 in her return, the place the Aussie medley relay wants her essentially the most, however she hasn’t been unhealthy both – together with 1:07.30 on the Queensland Championships.
#55: Mona McSharry, Eire – McSharry ripped a 1:05.55 Irish Report within the prelims of the 100 breast on the World Championships, a time that ranked #7 on this planet for 2023. She narrowly missed a medal within the last, however her prelims swim would have earned silver. A senior on the College of Tennessee, she’s scheduled to go to Worlds in 2024 despite the fact that it conflicts with the SEC Championships. The 100 breast is just about her solely focus on the Olympics.
#54: Meg Harris, Australia – For nearly some other nation, you may pencil Harris in as a contender for a number of particular person top-five finishes on the Olympics. In Australia, although, she’s seen most of her latest worldwide appointments are available in relays. The excellent news is that she’s a very good wager for 2 golds. With Emma McKeon‘s well being issues lingering, may Harris, nonetheless solely 21, breakthrough and steal a roster spot within the 50 or 100 free individually? If she does, she skyrockets no less than 20 spots up these rankings.
#53: Lauren Cox, Nice Britain – Cox, 22, made her World Championship debut final yr and made it rely with a bronze medal within the 50 again. Within the Olympic 100-meter distance, she completed Tenth in 59.79, additionally a private finest. In 2024, she’s going to need to go full-steam at that 100 to make a distinction in Paris. She’ll even be on the 2024 Worlds in Doha the place a title within the 50 is inside attain.
#52: Freya Colbert, Nice Britain – Whereas one Freya (Anderson) stalls out, one other (Colbert) enters the ring. She swam 1:56.16 within the 200 free on the World Championships final yr and 4:06.80 within the 400 free. That was a yearly 1.7-second drop within the 200 and a 2.2-second drop within the 400. A real middle-distance swimmer, she doesn’t have almost the identical degree of time in both the 100 or the 800 free, however she can also be a 2:12.25/4:35.28 IMer. At 19, Colbert appears like the following large factor in British ladies’s swimming. With Amelie Blocksidge coming alongside too, the British ladies is likely to be growing a golden era like the lads are kind of on the tail finish of.
#51: Kennedy Noble, USA – A reputation many world wide may not know, however in all probability ought to, Kennedy Noble went large in 2023. Already a member of the U.S. group for Junior Pan Pacs, in a yr she dropped 4 seconds off her finest time within the 200 again to land at 2:06.54 and qualify for the Pan American Video games group. She completed the yr ranked fifth on this planet. Coaching in top-of-the-line backstroke teams on this planet (Rhyan White and Katharine Berkoff on the ladies’s facet alone) provides her the surroundings to proceed that rise. It’s going to take an excellent higher swim to make the U.S. Olympic Workforce on this occasion, however no less than now she’s acquired her goal, Rhyan White, in the identical pool. For a second occasion, Noble additionally acquired as little as 59.11 within the 100 again, and had a pleasant 100 again in December on the U.S. Open as nicely (59.51, when she was solely 2:10 within the 200). There’s an enormous pathway and a possibility for her follow-up act if she will be able to seize it.
