5 Female Swimmers Staring at Breakout Summers: Isabelle Stadden Ready to Continue Rise
Over the next few months, stretching through the Asian Games in September, several of the biggest names in the sport will add to their legacies. It could be Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky starring at the Pan Pacific Championships. We might see Mollie O’Callaghan threaten the world record in the 200-meter freestyle at the Commonwealth Games. At the European Championships, Sarah Sjostrom will look to enhance her current tally of 96 international medals.
At the same time, a handful of athletes will enjoy breakout performances, or further what has already been a breakthrough season. What will Sara Curtis do for an encore at the European Championships, after already setting three Italian records at the Sette Colli International Trophy. Meanwhile, Yu Yiting will be a headliner at the Asian Games, having already broken the Asian record in the 200 individual medley. After setting an American record of 51.94 in the 100 freestyle, what will Anna Moesch do at the United States National Champs?
Below, Swimming World takes a glance at five additional athletes who are positioned for breakout summers, or who can maintain the momentum they have already generated on the way to the next championship season.
Aimee Canny – South Africa
A South African star who trains with the star-studded contingent at the University of Virginia, Aimee Canny has enjoyed a stellar first half of the 2026 campaign. Canny has been a valuable contributor for the Cavaliers, helping UVA to its sixth consecutive NCAA team championship last March. At that meet, Canny advanced to the final of three events, highlighted by a runnerup finish in the 200 breaststroke.
Because UVA consistently churns out multi-event stars, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Canny ranks among the global leaders in several disciplines. Slated to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Canny is currently No. 4 in the 2026 world rankings in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.97), sixth in the 200 breaststroke (2:23.61), 12th in the 200 individual medley (2:09.99) and 19th in the 200 freestyle (1:56.59). Look for Canny to grab a podium finish during her trip to Scotland.
Jenna Forrester – Australia
Since Jenn Forrester has medaled in the 400 individual medley at a pair of World Championships, it’s legitimate to ask: Why is the Aussie on this list? Well, her inclusion centers on the fact that Forrester has become a global presence in additional events, and has boosted her stock in the 400 IM. At the Aussie Trials for the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships, Forrester went 4:31.47 in the 400 medley, a career best.
Beyond the 400 IM, Forrester has shown her worth in several other events, including a 2:09.07 marker in the 200 medley. However, her growth was truly evident in the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle, where she registered respective swims of 1:57.36 and 4:04.30. Her time in the 400 freestyle is particularly noteworthy, as it has Forrester slotted No. 9 in the world rankings. With both the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Champs to test her skill, Forrester appears headed for a big summer.
Agostina Hein – Argentina
As a standout at the junior level, Agostina Hein has been a well-known name in the sport for several years, and she could be a threat for the podium in the 400 individual medley at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, Hein went 4:35.62 in her prime event during the Mare Nostrum Series, an effort that wasn’t far off her personal best of 4:34.34. This summer, perhaps at the Pan Pacific Champs, Hein could lower that mark by a sizable chunk.
As talented as the 18-year-old is in the 400 medley, Hein recently demonstrated global-factor status in the 400 freestyle, as she set a national record of 4:02.99. The teenager is still developing in the event and the potential of dropping a sizable amount of time would put her in the 4:00 range, which is iconic territory. More, she owns a personal best of 2:10.63 and going sub-2:10 figures to be on the horizon.
McKenzie Siroky – United States
By now, the story of McKenzie Siroky is quite familiar. While she once targeted a college ice hockey career, the University of Tennessee standout is now one of the world’s premier breaststrokers with only three years of full-time training under her belt. A member of the United States squad that competed at last summer’s World Championships in Singapore, Siroky is now preparing for the Pan Pacific Championships.
Siroky has vaulted up the all-time rankings in the 50 breaststroke this year, her top effort a 29.64 clocking at the Monaco stop of the Mare Nostrum Tour. That time made Siroky the No. 2 American in history, and the No. 6 performer regardless of nationality. Siroky will be one of the favorites at Pan Pacs in the 50 breaststroke, but she is also surging in the 100 breaststroke, where she owns a best time of 1:06.20. The runnerup in the 100 breaststroke at the NCAA Championships, Siroky is headed toward her first 1:05 clocking in the long-course pool.
Isabelle Stadden – United States
Breakthroughs have already been secured by Isabelle Stadden this season, with the former Cal standout flourishing across all three backstroke distances. Since shifting her training base to the University of Virginia, Stadden has produced the top marks of her career, and there could be more to come. Stadden did not qualify for Pan Pacs last year, so her focus meet will be the United States National Championships.
Stadden has already broken through in 2026, courtesy of a 57.55 performance in the 100 backstroke and a 2:04.37 outing in the 200 backstroke. She now ranks No. 3 in the history of the 100 distance and is fourth all-time in the 200 distance. Based on her progression at UVA, it would not be shocking to see Stadden continue her time drops over the summer, and potential scare the world record of 57.13 in the 100 backstroke.
