Luka Mijatovic Preparing to Chase 17-18 Records, Continue Rapid Distance Rise
A year after his first appearance on a senior-level U.S. team did not go as planned, Luka Mijatovic will have to wait a little longer to show what he can do for the Stars and Stripes. Mijatovic qualified for the World Championships with a runnerup finish in the 400 freestyle at U.S. Nationals, but he struggled in Singapore while dealing with the effects of a gastrointestinal illness that affected most of the American team.
Shortly thereafter, Aaron Shackell swam a faster 400 free time than Mijatovic at the Summer Championships. That put Shackell onto the team for the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships and bumped Mijatovic. That meant Mijatovic would have to focus on domestic competitions only for this year, likely culminating in a late July appearance at U.S. Nationals in Irvine, Calif.
That small setback has not slowed Mijatovic this season. Shortly after Worlds, Mijatovic committed to the University of Texas, and he finished off his time in the 15-16 age group with a bang. During the fall season, he topped National Age Group records in the 500, 1000 (twice) and 1650-yard free before going 3:45.30 in the 400 free at the U.S. Open, lowering his own best time and coming in just six tenths behind the best swimmer in the world, Leon Marchand. Two days later, Mijatovic won the 800 free in 7:48.28, knocking over four seconds from a NAG mark previously held by Larsen Jensen.
Luka Mijatovic at the World Championships — Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron
Then, the spring brought his finest short course yards performances yet. Mijatovic swam a time of 4:05.76 in the 500 freestyle to become the third-fastest man ever, with only Marchand and Rex Maurer having ever gone quicker. The time ended up surpassing the winning mark in the event at the NCAA Championships, the 4:06.56 of Florida’s Ahmed Hafnaoui. A day after that, Mijatovic became an American-record holder for the first time. He swam a time of 8:32.83 over 40 lengths to break the previous record held by Clark Smith by more than a second.
Now, he looks to demolish the 17-18 distance marks, and he has already beaten the top times in the 500 and 1000 free in yards plus the 400 free long course. In the 1650 free, Mijatovic’s best time of 14:30.01 is within six tenths of the 17-18 record of 14:29.48, a mark that belongs to Luke Ellis. Mijatovic sits just three seconds behind the 800-meter free 17-18 mark set by Luke Whitlock in 2024.
Mijatovic will turn his attention to those standards soon enough, and his incredible rate of improvement through recent seasons suggests he will be successful in those efforts. Remember, he just dropped a full five seconds in the 500 free within a year on the way to his historic performance in the event this March. Mijatovic had also dropped four seconds in the season before that. And in the 200-meter free, Mijatovic went from a 2024 best time of 1:47.96 to 1:45.92 last summer, quickly vaulting himself out of nowhere into the 800 free relay conversation for Worlds.
Even without a spot at Pan Pacs, don’t be surprised if Mijatovic leaves a major impression on the mid-distance rankings in 2026. Long considered one of the potential rising stars for the American team in advance of a home Olympics in 2028, Mijatovic continues to make the strides necessary to fulfill that promise.
