Rylee Erisman Leads a Trio of Rising Teenage Women to Watch at U.S. Nationals
The women representing the United States in international swimming competition have assembled one of most well-rounded teams in recent memory. Katie Ledecky remains the world’s most dominant distance swimmer while Kate Douglass, Torri Huske, Regan Smith and Gretchen Walsh are all bona fide stars with no intentions on winding down their careers anytime soon. The cupboard is stocked with talent on the college level providing reinforcements across numerous strokes and distances.
But history suggests that in each new quadrennium, new names will emerge to become international threats by the time the Los Angeles Olympics roll around in 2028. Some teenagers could steal away spots from established veterans as soon as this year, when the world’s biggest competition will be the World Championships in Singapore. Here are three women whose performances in 2024 and early 2025 have put themselves on the radar.
Rylee Erisman
This 16-year-old put a slight scare into the American sprint freestyle hierarchy at last year’s Olympic Trials as she reached semifinals in the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle before breaking through to the final in the 50 free, where she ended up finishing behind only the star quartet of Simone Manuel, Walsh, Abbey Weitzeil and Huske. Two months later, Erisman shined at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships, securing gold in meet-record time in the 100 free and silver in the 50 free while providing key legs in four decisive relay wins.
Since then, Erisman has continued her progression in both short and long course. The fall season saw her break Weitzeil’s national public school record in the 50 free and twice lower a 15-16 National Age Group record in the 100 free previously held by Claire Curzan. Moreover, Erisman’s times in the 200 free are already close to what is required to score at the NCAA Championships.
Erisman has shined in her two appearances at USA Swimming’s Pro Swim Series meets this season while representing Laker Swim. She broke 1:00 in the 100 back for the first time at the March stop in Westmont, Ill., and the most recent meet in Fort Lauderdale saw Erisman score top-five finishes in the 50, 100 and 200 free, with only Olympic medalists beating her on any occasions. During these in-season competitions, she has repeatedly come close to her sprint freestyle times from last summer (24.62 in the 50 free and 53.75 in the 100 free), and she has already obliterated her bests in the 200 free (1:57.89) and 100 back (59.67).
Audrey Derivaux
Derivaux experienced the sport on full blast when she raced in the Olympic Trials final of the 400 IM last year when she was just 14 years old. A four-second best time in prelims helped Derivaux earn the last spot in the championship heat by a half-second, and she went on to finish eighth at night. Later on in the selection meet, she earned semifinal spots in the 200 fly and 200 back, finishing 10th on both occasions. She qualified for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships and earned three gold medals, including individual wins in both butterfly events.
Since then, Derivaux has recorded massive time drops that have made her a major threat to the veteran hierarchy. At the Fort Lauderdale Pro Series meet, Derivaux challenged Olympic finalists Smith and Alex Shackell in the 200 fly and crushed her best time in the process, coming in at 2:06.46. That made her the second-fastest 15-16 swimmer in U.S. history behind the legendary Mary T. Meagher. At the same meet, her 2:06.68 in the 200 back made her the fourth-fastest American ever at the age, with only Olympic medalists Missy Franklin, Elizabeth Beisel and Smith ever faster.
In short course, Derivaux aged up having set 13-14 National Age Group records in the 200 fly and 200 IM, and as a 15-year-old, she has already moved herself to third all-time among American swimmers in the age group in the 400 IM. Continuing on her current track of improvement could lead to a record rush in the fall of 2026.
Charlotte Crush
In possession of wide-ranging skills that will make her a valuable piece of the University of Tennessee’s roster beginning with the 2026-27 season, Charlotte Crush is best known for the sprint backstroke talent that made her the fastest 15-16 swimmer ever in the 100-yard back late last year. Crush hails from the Lakeside Swim Team in Louisville, Ky., with older siblings Annabel, Charlie and Johnny who have all competed at the Division I level, but Charlotte is tracking toward even greater heights.
Last December, she clocked 49.46 in the short course 100 back to become the first swimmer under 17 years old to break 50 seconds. Crush has since turned 17, but she aged up as the second-quickest ever in the 200 back (1:48.69, behind Smith) and 100 fly (50.00, behind Curzan), and her times would have placed her between third and fifth at the most recent NCAA Championships.
In long course, Crush was an Olympic Trials semifinalist in the 100 fly and 100 back. Her time of 59.86 in the latter event was only good enough for 12th place, a sign of the ridiculous depth of backstroke talent in the country. She later earned silver in the event at Junior Pan Pacs.