Battle for LA28: U.S. Women Facing Epic Challenge for Qualification in Sprint Freestyle and Backstroke
The group of women representing the United States in international swimming over the past few years represents one of the greatest shows of depth in the sport’s history. At the 2025 World Championships, American women reached the podium in every event except two, with a perfect streak lasting until the 50 breaststroke and 400 IM on the final day of the meet.
Behind the established stars sit a high-level next crop waiting to pounce and secure their own spots on teams. All involved already understand the massive challenge awaiting them just to book tickets to the Games at the U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held in June 2028 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Regan Smith — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
As usual, the standard required for qualification in the women’s backstroke events will be vicious. American women won the maximum six medals in backstroke at last year’s Worlds, the first time a country has ever been perfect with podium finishes in a single stroke, and none of Regan Smith, Katharine Berkoff and Claire Curzan have shown signs of slowing down while Isabelle Stadden has been the latest to throw her name into contention on the back of a breakout year.
The current 50 backstroke world rankings for 2026 have Berkoff second behind Italian world-record-breaker Sara Curtis with Stadden fifth and Smith seventh. Smith and Stadden own the top-two spots in the 100, with Berkoff fourth, Curzan sixth and two others, Maggie Wazenek and Leah Shackley, also sub-59 this year.
The picture in the 200 is the most ridiculous: while two-time defending Olympic titlist Kaylee McKeown leads the way with the 2:03.98 she clocked in June before an injury ended her season, the Americans have the rest of the list on lockdown. Smith and Stadden both have 2:04-low swims to their credit, followed by Curzan at 2:05.97 and Wazenek fifth at 2:06.05. Erisman, Phoebe Bacon and Anna Peplowski are all global top-10 performers while Shackley, Charlotte Crush and Teagan O’Dell sit on the periphery of contention.
The situation in sprint freestyle has also escalated in recent months. Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh have traded the world record in the 50 freestyle this summer, a stretch that culminated with Douglass’ incredible 23.19 at the Pan Pacific Championships. Torri Huske, Anna Moesch and others are not far behind the rest of the world, but the top-two represent a massive challenge for anyone to catch in the coming years.
The situation in the 100 free is hardly any easier. Moesch broke the American record on two occasions this year, getting down to 51.88, but Douglass eclipsed that with a 51.69 relay leadoff at Pan Pacs, only a hundredth behind the world record of Dutch standout Marrit Steenbergen. The chase pack here includes Walsh, who went as fast as 52.57 this year to rank seventh globally, while Huske was the Olympic silver medalist in Paris before topping the world rankings in 2025. Erisman and Liberty Clark also went sub-53 this year while Simone Manuel has a decorated record in the event, going under the barrier as recently as June 2025.
Of course, while individual qualification looks extremely challenging, the Americans will benefit from having numerous speedy options to choose from as the country’s 400 free relay pursues the world record.
The United States is not the only country with significant challenges in the qualifying process on the road to the 2028 Olympics. Groups from Australia, Italy, China, Canada and elsewhere have assembled large contingents of potential qualifiers in numerous events.
Australian Duo Still Dominating 200 Freestyle
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Two years ago, Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus went 1-2 in the 200 free at the Paris Olympics. Titmus, the world-record holder, has since retired, but Australia still holds the world’s top-two times in the 200 freestyle thanks to a brilliant showing in the event at the country’s selection meet in June. Mollie O’Callaghan led the way with her 1:52.86, a time only she and Titmus have ever beaten, while Lani Pallister took a step forward in the four-lap event this year as she went 1:53.65.
While O’Callaghan struggled at the Commonwealth Games and withdrew from Pan Pacs with injury, Pallister shined. She out-dueled Summer McIntosh in the 200 free at Pan Pacs, part of a meet where she won three individual golds and a silver, and her 1:53.46 split was the difference-maker as Australia held off the U.S. in the 800 free relay at Pan Pacs. Australia has other strong 200 swimmers, with Inez Miller, Milla Jansen and Hannah Casey all swimming 1:56 or better this year, but good luck catching the two women at the top.
Others Around the World
The Italian men dotted this year’s world rankings in sprint breaststroke, and the women are not far behind. Benedetta Pilato is the current standout, having won 50 breast silver and 100 bronze at the European Championships, but Anita Bottazzo and Lisa Angiolini are also top-15 swimmers in the world this year in the 50 breast. Those two also have 1:06s to their credit in the 100, setting up intriguing qualifying challenges for next year’s Worlds as well as the Los Angels Olympics.
In China, Yu Zidi vaulted herself to the forefront of contention in the 200 butterfly with a fourth-place finish at last year’s Worlds as a 12-year-old. Now 13, Yu ranks fourth in the world this year in the event at 2:05.71, but she does not have a huge gap from the rest of her domestic competition. Fellow teens Chang Mohan and Gong Zhenqi both swam 2:07s earlier in the year while Cheng Luying went 2:05.45 last fall.
Finally, Canada might have three veteran contenders for two spots in the 100 back. During her resurgence in 2026, Taylor Ruck swam as fast as 58.37 while Kylie Masse topped out at 58.77 and Ingrid Wilm went 59.35. The 30-year-old Masse has been winning international backstroke medals for a decade, with 100-meter world titles in 2017 and 2019 while Wilm has won bronze medals in the 100 back at the lightly-attended 2024 World Championships plus Short Course Worlds in 2022 and 2024.