Olympic Stars to Shine Again

U.S. Nationals Women’s Predictions: Olympic Stars Poised to Shine Again

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

1. Regan Smith
2. 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

1. Gretchen Walsh
2. Torri Huske
3. Kate Douglass
4. Simone Manuel
5. Rylee Erisman
6. 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

1. Katie Ledecky
2. 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

1. Claire Weinstein
2. Katie Ledecky
3. Erin Gemmell
4. Bella Sims
5. Anna Peplowski
6. Torri Huske

Weinstein continues to push toward individual contention in the 200 free while the final relay spots should be competitive. Huske is a factor unless she decides to focus on other events.

200 Breaststroke

1. Kate Douglass
2. Alex Walsh

With King no longer racing the 200 breast, these two are seeded more than five seconds ahead of any other swimmer. NCAA champion Lucy Bell looms as the spoiler.

200 Backstroke

1. Regan Smith
2. Claire Curzan

Smith makes a run at world-record pace while Curzan is set for a return to the top-level U.S. international squad.

50 Butterfly

1. Gretchen Walsh
2. Torri Huske

A familiar duo from the 100 fly makes it here while Walsh continues to approach Sarah Sjostrom’s world record.

Thursday, June 5

400 IM

1. Emma Weyant
2. Katie Grimes

We’re predicting a familiar duo here, with Grimes trying to bounce back from a tough collegiate debut. Leah Hayes also has a chance to return to the global level while Caroline Bricker is poised for a big drop.

100 Butterfly

1. Gretchen Walsh
2. Torri Huske

World record watch is on after Walsh reached 54-second territory in Fort Lauderdale. Smith nearly played spoiler for Huske at last year’s Olympic Trials, so the Olympic champion might have a challenge just making the team.

50 Breaststroke

1. Lilly King
2. McKenzie Siroky

This one could go several different ways, with Emma Weber and Skyler Smith right in the mix.

50 Backstroke

1. Regan Smith
2. Katharine Berkoff

These swimmers are the clear top-two here, with the order to be determined, and both are world-title threats.

Friday, June 6

400 Freestyle

1. Katie Ledecky
2. Claire Weinstein

While Ledecky swam the second-fastest time of her career in Fort Lauderdale, Weinstein dropped a time of 4:01.26 to make her the third-fastest American ever.

100 Breaststroke

1. Lilly King
2. Emma Weber

King wins her final race on U.S. soil while Weber’s biggest competitors for the second spot are training partners Douglass and Alex Walsh.

100 Backstroke

1. Regan Smith
2. Katharine Berkoff

Smith takes a shot at her own world record while Berkoff positions herself as a medal threat for a third consecutive year.

Saturday, June 7

1500 Freestyle

1. Katie Ledecky
2. Katie Grimes

With Ledecky again chasing her world record, the race for the second spot could come down to rising 1650-yard NCAA champion Cox and 2022 Worlds medalist Grimes.

200 IM

1. Kate Douglass
2. Torri Huske

We are guessing both Douglass and Huske prioritize the 200 IM this year, and they could deny Alex Walsh a spot in her signature event.

50 Freestyle

1. Gretchen Walsh
2. Torri Huske

Walsh takes down the American record set last year by Douglass while Huske pulls off a sensational double.