Josh Liendo is a world champion, NCAA Champion and Olympic swimmer who represents Canada internationally.
International Career
2019 World Championships/World Jr Championships
Liendo competed in his first senior international meet at the 2019 World Champs in Gwangju. There, he swam on Canada’s 400 medley relay, which placed 10th overall.
Soon after that, Liendo competed at the World Jr Champs in Budapest, earning 3 medals. He placed 2nd in the 100 free (49.17), and helped Canada to 2 relays bronzes in the 400 medley relay (fly, 51.80) and the mixed 400 medley relay (fly, 52.33).
2021 Canadian Olympic Trials/2020 Olympic Games
In 2021, Liendo made his first Olympic team at the Olympic Trials, breaking the national record in the 100 fly at 51.40. He also qualified to swim the 50 and 100 free individually in Tokyo.
At the Games, Liendo was a part of Canada’s 400 free relay that unexpectedly made the final, then placed 4th out of lane 1, narrowly missing a podium finish. However, the team still broke the Canadian national record (3:10.82), with Liendo splitting 47.51 on the 2nd leg.
In his individuals, Liendo finished 18th in the 50 free (22.03), 14th in the 100 free (48.19), and 11th in the 100 fly (51.50). To Finish off the meet, he swam on Canada’s 400 medley relay, which placed 7th in the final.
2021 Short Course World Championships
In Abu Dhabi, Liendo became a world champion as well as earned his first individual medals at the senior international stage. Lane 1 seems to be a lucky one for Canadian relays with Josh Liendo on them as Canada’s mixed 4×50 free relay was seeded 7th in Lane 1 of the final. However, they came together and bested the field, touching first in a national record of 1:28.55, beating out the Netherlands for the world title by just .06.
Liendo went on to earn bronze medals in both the 50 free (20.76) and the 100 free (45.82), setting a national record in the 50. He also set Canadian records in the 50 fly (22.52) and 100 fly (50.00) in the prelims of both events. He scratched the 50 fly semi-final and placed 14th in the 100 fly semi-final.
2022 World Championships
Liendo won his first LCM world medal on day 5 after a strong showing on day 1 in the 400 free relay (47.87 lead-off leg). In the 100 free final, Liendo went out strong and held on for a medal, touching at 47.71 for bronze.
Liendo had a loaded session on night 7, starting with the 50 free, where he placed 5th at 21.61, just .04 outside of medalling. Minutes later, he was back in the pool in the 100 fly final, where he did win a medal, clocking 50.97 for bronze. To end the session, Liendo led off Canada’s mixed 400 free relay, splitting 48.02 to help Canada earn silver behind Australia, who broke the world record.
2023 Canadian Trials
Coming off his first NCAA Championships, Liendo flew directly from Minneapolis to Toronto to qualify for the 2023 World Champs. In his home pool, Liendo won 4 events, sweeping the sprint butterfly and freestyles. Liendo set new best times and Canadian records in the 50/100 fly (23.27/50.36) while nearing his PB’s in the 50/100 free (21.8/47.86).
2023 World Aquatics Championships (Fukuoka, Japan)
Liendo opened his meet with a 23.36 50 fly to just barley make semis as he tied for 15th. That same morning, he helped Canada qualify 4th for the 400 free final with a 47.60 anchor. Liendo stayed 15th in the 50 fly semis with a 23.33 to miss the final. Then, he led off the Canadian 400 free relay in 48.17, a bit of an off swim, as they placard 5th.
Liendo was a little better in the 100 free, putting up a 48.03 in prelims for 7th but then missing another final with a 48.22 for 14th in semis. His prelims time would have qualified him 8th. In the hunt for a comeback swim, Liendo scorched a 50.98 in the 100 fly prelims for 3rd. In the same session, he was 21.97 in the 50 free to qualify 13th. Liendo was even better in the 100 fly semis with a 50.75 for 3rd. In the 50 free, he was 8th in 21.88 but dropped the final to focus on the 100 fly. That decision paid off as Liendo put up a 50.34 PB for 2nd. On the 400 medley relay, Liendo was 50.02 to help canaday tie for 5th in prelims. They were 7th in finals as Liendo split 50.66.
2023 US Open Championships (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Lieondo took some time out of his college swimming season to get some LCM reps in. In the 50 free, Liendo took 2nd in a 21.90, .29 seconds off his PB. He also took 3rd in the 100 fly with a 51.42 and won the 100 free “B” final with a 48.60.
2024 Bell Canadian Trials (Toronto, Ontario)
Liendo started out in an off event: the 200 free. In prelims, Liendo took 2nd overall with a 2-second PB of 1:47.83. He scratched the final. The next morning, Liendo lit up the 100 free, taking the top seed in a 47.60, just .05 off his PB, a PB which Liendo matched in the finals. That 47.55 marked the #3 time in the world. Liendo leaned on his natural speed to open up the early lead, flipping in 22.86, but really made a statement coming home, closing with a sizzling 24.69 split.
Liendo returned two days later in the 50 free. Liendo neared his own Canadian record in the event, posting a 21.72 to take the top time heading into the final. There, he found .24 seconds, dropping his PB and canadian record to 21.48. That was the #4 time in the world.
Liendo dropped another Canadian record the next morning in the 100 fly. He swam 50.33 in prelims, shaving .01 seconds off his previous best time and national record and reaffirming himself as a serious contender for an Olympic medal in Paris this summer. Just as he had in the 50 and 100 free, Liendo found a little more in finals, lowering his mark again with a historic 50.06. Liendo, a 21-year-old NCAA champion with the Florida Gators, went out a quarter of a second faster than both his 2023 Canadian record and prelims national mark at 23.30. He then closed in a 26.76, streamlined with his past two record breaks. That time was led the world to that point that year and made him the #5 performer in history.
NCAA Career (Florida)
On August 18, 2022, Liendo announced on his Instagram that he would be attending and competing for the University of Florida, starting in the 2022-23 season.
2022-2023
Throughout the season Liendo made strides in his first go with yards swimming, At the SEC Championships, he went personal bests of 18.35 in the 50 free (Prelims, 2nd in finals in 18.39), 44.11 in the 100 fly (1st), and 41.22 in the 100 free (prelims, 41.24 in finals for 2nd). He also contributed key legs in Florida’s winning 200 free and 400 medley relays as well as their 2nd place 200 medley and 400 free relays.
At his first NCAA championships, Liendo only got better. He won his first individual title in the 100 free, clocking a 40.28 on the final day of competition to become the 2nd fastest performer behind history behind fellow gator Caeleb Dressel. Liendo also placed 2nd in the 50 free (18.40) and 100 fly (43.40). He again swam key legs on Florida’s relays, contributing to 3 NCAA records in the 200 free relay (18.22 lead-off, 1:13.35), 400 medley relay (42.91 fly, fastest split in history, 2:58.32), and 400 free relay (40.66 lead-off, 2:44.07). He also swam on Florida’s 3rd place 200 medley relay (free, 18.03).
2023-24
Liendo solidly in the fall but did not pop off any major swims until mid-season invites. HE did garner wins in the 50 free (19.43) and 100 fly (46.99) against UVA. He followed that up with wins in the same events (19.30/46.30) against UGA in addition to a 42.84 100 free relay leadoff. He posted a season-best 19.28 50 free against Tennessee and Kentucky but tools 2nd behind Crooks’ 19.02. Both were unsuited. He did win the 100 fly at that same meet, with a 46.55, and led off in the 400 free relay in 42.99.
He showed up big time at the Georgia Invite. On day 1, after posting an 18.79 in prelims, Liendo blazed an 18.61 in the finals. Earlier, Liendo had an 18.17 flying split in the 200 free relay. He later split 43.81 in the 100 fly leg of the 400 medley relay.
On day 2, Liendo crushed a 44.67 100 fly in prelims, well over a second faster than he was at this time the previous season. He turned around minutes later to post a 1:33.39 200 free. He scratched the 200 free final. Liendo started finals with a 19.57 50 fly split then continued with a 44.39 100 fly and wrapped things up with a 1:32.96 200 free leadoff leg.
Day 3 saw Liendo cruise through the 100 free heats in 42.20 before crushing a massive 40.90 in the final. That time was the first sub-41-second 100 free of the season. He later backed that up with a 41.38 leading off the 400 free relay.
Liendo did not return to competition until the Florida invite at the start of February, popping a 45.08 100 fly.
Come SEC Championships, Liendo looked fairly sharp. On night 1, Florida opted to use him in their 800 free relay where he threw down a 1:31.45 split to help UF to a new meet record. On night 2, Liendo led off in the 200 free relay with an 18.55 after going 18.77 in the individual event in prelims. In the final, Liendo added .13 seconds from his prelims seed to place 3rd in 18.83.
Liendo brought the heat on day 3, crushing a 43.89 100 fly in prelims and following that up with a 43.98 finals swim for the win. He also split 42.77 on the fly leg of UF’s 400 medley, the fastest split ever. He triumphed again in the 100 free with a season-best 40.82. Florida won the SEC title overall.
Liendo and the Gators started NCAAs off with a bang, Clocking a new NCAA record of 1:20.15 in the 200 medley relay. The Gators got out to a fantastic start,as Adam Chaney put up a 20.29 on the backstroke leg, the 2nd-fastest back split in the field. Julian Smith then clocked a 22.55 on breast, also the 2nd-fastest breast leg. Liendo did some damage and threw down an 18.97 fly split, which was the fastest fly split in the field by a wide margin, and the 2nd-fastest fly split in history. Macguire McDuff brought the Gators home in 18.34.
On day 2, Liendo scorched an 18.33 50 free in prelims to qualify 1st. Liendo kicked off the finals leading off Florida’s 200 free relay in 18.25, the 2nd fastest lead-off behind Crooks (18.14). Adam Chaney, Julian Smith, and Macguire McDuff followed through for a 1:13.49 to win by .37 seconds. Liendo, in a reversal of SECs, went up against Crooks in the 50 free final and won. Crooks got off the blocks .03 seconds faster than Liendo but Liendo was still fast, with a .60 reaction time. Crooks held a .11 second lead at the 25 but Liendo powered home to out touch Crooks by .02 seconds, 18.07 to 18.09.
Lendo just kept rolling the next morning, clocking a 43.30 100 fly in prelims, the fastest prelims time ever and the #3 swim ever behind Dressel (42.89) and Ramadan (43.15). Liendo doubled down in the final, clocking a 43.07 to pass Ramadan in the all-time rankings. Liendo was very close to Dressel’s legendary record and, frankly, should have been a little closer to it. Liendo was noticeably long on his finish tonight, which may or may not have cost him the NCAA Record, but it surely cost him from going under 43 seconds. Liendo was out in 19.90 taking his 100 out tonight, which is actually faster than Dressel’s first 50 split from his record swim.
Liendo returned at the end of the session, clocking a 42.57 100 fly split in the 400 medley relay, the fastest ever, but it was all for naught as Macguire McDuff jumped a little early on the anchor and Florida missed out on the 2nd place they would have gotten.
Day 4 saw Liendo move through the 100 free prelims 2nd with a season-best 40.73. Liendo came through in the final, sweeping his individual races with a 40.20, making him the #2 performer. He was a bit off in the 400 free relay, leading off in 41.28 as Florida took 2nd.
