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Who Leads the World Rankings With Less Than 90 Days To Paris? (Women’s Edition)

There are less than 90 days until the start of the 2024 Olympic Games. There are still plenty of big meets between now and then, including U.S. and Australian Olympic Trials in mid-June. From the season opening World Cup circuit, the 2024 World Championships, and meets like the Australian Open and Pro Swim Series, swimmers have been putting up fast times all season.

And as the spring rolls on and many countries have already held Olympic Trials or closed their qualification period, it’s beginning to become clearer who is going to be a medal threat in Paris and the times that it may take to get into the final, much less onto the podium.

Heading into the next round of senior level international and domestic meets, here is the state of affairs for the women’s events-the top five so far this season.

WOMEN’S 50m FREESTYLE

The 2024 World Championships held in Doha last February inevitably influenced the seasonal world rankings. In the spritn freestyle, the top three positions reflect the Doha podium, where Sarah Sjostrom took gold in 23.69, Kate Douglass silver by setting the American record in 23.91, and Poland’s Kasia Wasick bronze in 23.95.

2023-2024 LCM Women 50 Free

2Kate
DOUGLASS
USA23.9102/18
3Kasia
Wasick
POL23.9502/18
4Meg
HARRIS
AUS23.9708/04
5Shayna
JACK
AUS23.9906/15
View Top 32»

WOMEN’S 100M FREESTYLE

Hong Kong’sΒ Siobhan Haughey during day 3 of the first stop of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, last October, ripped a winning time of 52.02. The result represent the fastest 100m freestyle of her career rendering her the #3 performer in history and 1st in the world in this season. Behind her is the reigning world champion, Dutch Marrit Steenbergen, who took gold at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, with a time of 52.26.
The Australian Mollie O’Callaghan and Meg Harris, looking forward to the Olympic Trials next June, warmed up at the National Championships in the Gold Coast, running the third and fourth fastest times in the world.

2023-2024 LCM Women 100 Free

2Sarah
SJOESTROEM
SWE52.1607/31
3Mollie
O'CALLAGHAN
AUS52.2407/27
4Marrit
STEENBERGEN
NED52.2602/16
5 Torri
HUSKE
USA52.2907/31
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 200M FREESTYLE

The top 5 in the world in the women’s 200-meter freestyle could be the stars of the Olympic final event in Paris. World Record holder, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan achieved a time of 1:53.57 at the Australian Open Championships, the only one in the world so far to have swum under 1:54. Chasing her already at this point in the season are two candidates for the Olympic podium: Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey with 1:54.08 and talented Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh with 1:54.21. The top 5 in the world are also the only ones who have currently achieved a time under 1:55.

2023-2024 LCM Women 200 Free

AriarneAUS
TITMUS
06/12
1:52.23 WR
2Mollie
O'Callaghan
AUS1:52.4806/12
3Summer
MCINTOSH
CAN1:53.6905/14
4Siobhan
HAUGHEY
HKG1:54.0810/21
5Junxuan
Yang
CHN1:54.3704/21
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 400M FREESTYLE

Three months before the Olympics, three women have dropped below 4:00 in the women’s 400m free. Ariarne Titmus, who holds the World Record with 3:55.38, clocked 3:59.13 at the Australian Open Championships. Canadian Summer McIntosh, recorded a 3:59.42 last November at the Greensboro leg of the Pro Swim Series. Both have yet to face their respective Olympic Trials. The other swimmer to have already broken the 4-minute mark is kiwi Erika Fairweather with her gold medal-worthy time at the Doha 2024 World Championships, 3:59.44

2023-2024 LCM Women 400 Free

Ariarne AUS
Titmus
06/10
3:55.44
2Katie
LEDECKY
USA3:58.3506/16
3Summer
McINTOSH
CAN3:58.3707/27
4Erika
FAIRWEATHER
NZL3:59.4402/11
5Bingjie
LI
CHN4:01.6202/11
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 800M FREESTYLE

Katie Ledecky, Ariarne Titmus and Italy’s Simona Quadarella took gold, silver and bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the women’s 800m freestyle, respectively. We find them again at this point in the season among the top 5 performers in the world, ranked second, fifth and fourth. Ahead of them all at the moment is Summer McIntosh with an 8:11.39 achieved at the Southern Zone South Sectional Championship last February. Katie Ledecky won the Olympic title in the women’s 800m free three consecutive times. Her Tokyo Olympic gold medal was also her 6th gold, making her the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history (most gold medals).

2023-2024 LCM Women 800 Free

KatieUSA
LEDECKY
08/03
8:11.04
2Summer
MCINTOSH
CAN8:11.3902/08
3Ariarne
TITMUS
AUS8:12.2908/03
4Paige
MADDEN
USA8:13.0008/03
5Simona
QUADARELLA
ITA8:14.5508/03
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 1500M FREESTYLE

American Katie Ledecky became the first woman to win the Olympic title in the women’s 1500m freestyle (which made its debut in Tokyo 2020). She is currently first in the world with a time of 15:38.81 achieved in Knoxville during the Pro Swim Series last January. The question at this point in the season will be the same one we will be asking ourselves just hours before the event at the 2024 Paris Olympics: is there anyone on planet Earth who can fight Katie Ledecky‘s dominance in the event?

2023-2024 LCM Women 1500 Free

KatieUSA
LEDECKY
07/31
15:30.02
2Anastasiia
KIRPICHNIKOVA
FRA15:40.3507/31
3 Isabel
GOSE
GER15:41.1607/31
4Simona
QUADARELLA
ITA15:44.0507/31
5 Lani
PALLISTER
AUS15:49.9412/13
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 100M BACKSTROKE

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown dominate backstroke events. As we pointed out, Multi-Olympic medalist McKeown ended the 2024 Australian Open Championships two weeks ago with a successful 4 out of 4 gold medals.

The 22-year-old starred in all of her events, taking the podium in the 50m/200m backstroke and the 200m/400m IM.

As it stands right now, McKeown is the #1 swimmer across each of the aforementioned events, giving credence to the opinions that voice she is the best overall swimmer on the planet at the moment.

Solidifying McKeon’s power in the 100m back was the World Record of 57.33 set during the World Aquatics World Cup last October, lowering her own world record set in 2021 in 57.45 at the Australian Olympic Trials.

2023-2024 LCM Women 100 Back

ReganUSA
SMITH
06/18
57.13 WR
2Kaylee
McKEOWN
AUS57.33 07/30
3Katharine
BERKOFF
USA57.8306/17
4Mollie
O'CALLAGHAN
AUS57.8806/11
5Kylie
MASSE
CAN57.9405/15
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 200M BACKSTROKE

2023-2024 LCM Women 200 Back

KayleeAUS
McKEOWN
06/13
2:03.30
2Regan
SMITH
USA2:03.9903/09
3 Kylie
MASSE
CAN2:05.5708/02
4Phoebe
BACON
USA2:05.6108/02
5Claire
CURZAN
USA2:05.7702/17
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 200M IM

At the Australian Open Championships two weeks ago, Kaylee McKeown achieved the world’s only sub-2:07 result, sending a clear signal to her challengers. Positions #2 Β through #5 Β achieved times under 2:08 with Americans Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh and Canadian Summer McIntosh still facing their respective Olympic Trials, where they could surprise with outstanding performances

2023-2024 LCM Women 200 IM

SummerCAN
MCINTOSH
08/03
2:06.56
2Kaylee
McKEOWN
AUS2:06.6306/10
3Kate
DOUGLASS
USA2:06.7906/22
4Alex
WALSH
USA2:07.4508/02
5 Sydney
PICKREM
CAN2:07.6805/19
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 400M IM

Kaylee McKeown has her sights set on the 100m/200m back, 200m IM, women’s 4x200m free relay, women’s 4x100m medley relay and the mixed medley relay at the 2024 Paris Olympic. Despite McKeown’s leading world result of 4:28.22 from Australian Open Championship coming within striking distance of Canadian Summer McIntoshβ€˜s world record, the Aussie said after her race, that she is β€˜one and done’ and will not be taking on this event at June’s Olympic Trials.

2023-2024 LCM Women 400 IM

SummerCAN
McINTOSH
05/16
4:24.34 WR
2Kaylee
MCKEOWN
AUS4:28.2204/18
3Katie
GRIMES
USA4:32.4504/13
4Freya
Colbert
GBR4:34.0104/04
5Anastasia
GORBENKO
ISR4:34.8706/01
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 100M BREAST

2024 saw the rise on the international scene of 20-year-old Chinese Tang Qianting. After winning the gold at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, Tang Qianting twice lowered the Asian Record during the Chinese National Championships, which ended just a few days ago. With the time set in Shenzhen of 1:04.39, she ranked #1 in the world and could attack Lilly King‘s World Record of 1:04.13.

2023-2024 LCM Women 100 Breast

QiantingCHN
TANG
04/21
1:04.39
2Tatjana
SCHOENMAKER
RSA1:05.0007/28
3Evgeniia
CHIKUNOVA
RUS1:05.1104/17
4Lilly
KING
USA1:05.4306/17
5Benedetta
PILATO
ITA1:05.4406/21
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 200M BREAST

Four women have already dropped below 2:20 in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke this season. South African Tatjana Smith (born Schoenmaker) is currently the fastest in the world with a time of 2:19.01 achieved at the South African National Championships. Smith is the reigning Olympic champion having won gold in Tokyo with a time of 2:18.95.

Noted that the current World Record holder, Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova will skip Paris 2024 Olympics and will not seek neutral status for the Paris Olympics this summer because of the International Olympic Committee’s restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes.

2023-2024 LCM Women 200 Breast

2Tatjana
SMITH
RSA2:19.0104/10
3Kate
DOUGLASS
USA2:19.2408/01
4Tes
SCHOUTEN
NED2:19.8102/16
5Lilly
KING
USA2:21.9306/20
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 100M FLY

3 of the 5 fastest athletes in the world right now are American, which gives an idea of the battle we will see next June for the two spots available for Paris. Torri Huske at the San Antonio leg of 2024 Tyr Pro Swim Series scared off her personal best and U.S. Open Record by swimming 55. 68. It seems Huske is ready to take on Paris, and she has the fastest time in the world over Yufei ZhangΒ of China’s 55.86, the only other swimmer this season to break 56 seconds so far in this event. Gretchen Walsh is No. 4 in the world and takes over No. 2 American this season.

2023-2024 LCM Women 100 Fly

GretchenUSA
WALSH
06/15
55.18 WR
2Torri
HUSKE
USA55.5206/16
3Regan
SMITH
USA55.6206/16
4Yufei
ZHANG
CHN55.8609/27
5Angelina
KOHLER
GER56.1102/11
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 200M FLY

Another major player in the seasonal world rankings is American Regan Smith. We talk about her here in the women’s 200-meter fly, where she’s #1 with a time of 2:04.80, the only one in the world to go under 2:05. However, Smith will have epic battles with Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, with whom she will most likely have to fight for the Olympic title in the 100 and 200-meter backstroke. Regan Smith is currently second in the world in both the women’s 100 and 200-meter backstroke.

2023-2024 LCM Women 200 Fly

SummerCAN
MCINTOSH
08/01
2:03.03
2Regan
SMITH
USA2:03.8408/01
3Yufei
Zhang
CHN2:05.0908/01
4Elizabeth Ann
Dekkers
AUS2:05.2004/18
5Alex
SHACKELL
USA2:06.1006/19
View Top 31»

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chickenlamp
6 months ago

It’s weird not seeing Ledecky at the top of the 800 free ranking

The unoriginal Tim
6 months ago

Question: do people think McKeown has a better shot in the 200 or the 400 IM (leaving aside the fact that she has said she will not swim the 400).

It seems to me that she has more chance of gold in the 200 but more chance of at least silver in the 400.

Greg P
Reply to  The unoriginal Tim
6 months ago

If she swim 400 IM, she’s guaranteed silver. But she doesn’t like it and she won’t swim it, so this is pointless.

Sub13
Reply to  The unoriginal Tim
6 months ago

I think the consensus is what you’ve said. If she swam the 400 she would be guaranteed silver but harder to get gold. The 200 has a bigger chance at gold but also a bigger chance at no medal

Nonrevhoofan
6 months ago

Note: You might want to update and edit the author’s SS bio; it is riddled with errors.

gitech
6 months ago

Women>>>>Men

Southerly Buster
6 months ago

Interesting that on the 200 Free top 30 list there are only 3 Americans listed (while Australia and China have 7 women each): 5. Ledecky, 24. Peplowski, 30. Manuel.

Ofc I won’t be reading too much into that as it relates to the 4×200 relay. I’m sure there will be more American names on that list by the end of US Trials. Just a bit surprised that at this stage there is only one American listed in the top 23.

Greg P
Reply to  Southerly Buster
6 months ago

I think Bella Sims and Claire Weinstein will likely get into top 30.

Erin Gemmel and Alex Shackell has outside chance to get into top 30 before Paris.

Southerly Buster
Reply to  Greg P
6 months ago

Yeah I was expecting to see some of those names in the current Top 30. I guess they’ve been mainly swimming 200 yards rather than 200 metres up until recently.

Sub13
6 months ago

Ok I did the medal tally for those waiting:

AUS – πŸ₯‡πŸ₯‡πŸ₯‡πŸ₯‡πŸ₯‡πŸ₯‡πŸ₯ˆπŸ₯‰πŸ₯‰πŸ₯‰πŸ₯‰
USA – πŸ₯‡πŸ₯‡πŸ₯‡πŸ₯ˆπŸ₯ˆπŸ₯ˆπŸ₯ˆπŸ₯ˆπŸ₯‰πŸ₯‰
CAN – πŸ₯‡πŸ₯ˆπŸ₯ˆπŸ₯‰πŸ₯‰πŸ₯‰
CHN – πŸ₯‡πŸ₯ˆπŸ₯‰
HKG/RSA – πŸ₯‡πŸ₯ˆ
SWE – πŸ₯‡
NED – πŸ₯ˆπŸ₯‰
ITA – πŸ₯ˆ
GER/POL/NZL – πŸ₯‰

Giusy Cisale
Reply to  Sub13
6 months ago

I am curious about the two silver medals you think the Italians will win πŸ™‚

SwimStats
Reply to  Giusy Cisale
6 months ago

It’s one silver and it’s Quadarella in the 1500, based on the fact that she’s ranked second at the moment.

Sub13
Reply to  SwimStats
6 months ago

Correct. The tally is based purely on the numbers from the article.

Spotted Zebra
6 months ago

comment image

It’s “fewer.” πŸ™ƒ

TMZ
6 months ago

Kaylee is so underrated on SwimSwam

TMZ
Reply to  Braden Keith
6 months ago

Well, she should be #1.

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  TMZ
6 months ago

They put her as the face of this article while wearing a crown…

Greg P
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
6 months ago

I am already immune to fake outrage on the internet, and when I see them, I just downvote and move on.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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