2026 U.S. women's swimming rankings — 5 fastest Americans in each event

With the top U.S. swimmers scattered between the Toyota National Championships and the Pan Pacific Championships, there was no single meet that everybody peaked for in 2026.

That in mind, below are the five fastest American women in each individual Olympic event for the year — taking into account all meets from Jan. 1 through the publishing of the post — two years out from the Los Angeles Olympics.

Some notes:

Katie Ledecky is the fastest U.S. woman in the 400m freestyle for the 14th consecutive year, the fastest in the 800m free for the 15th consecutive year and the fastest in the 1500m free for the 10th consecutive year (she didn't swim a 1500m in 2016).

Kate Douglass leads all U.S. men and women by owning the fastest time in four different events — 50m and 100m frees, 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley. At the 2028 Olympics, Douglass could swim all four of them, plus three relays, without ever having to swim more than twice in one session.

2026 U.S. men’s swimming rankings — 5 fastest Americans in each eventWho were the fastest U.S. men’s swimmers in 2026, two years before the Los Angeles Olympics?

• Nick Zaccardi,

2026 U.S. Women’s Swimming Rankings

Times taken from USA Swimming’s database.

50m Freestyle
1. Kate Douglass – 23.19 World Record
2. Gretchen Walsh – 23.55
3. Anna Moesch – 24.05
4. Torri Huske – 24.27
5. Liberty Clark – 24.28

100m Freestyle
1. Kate Douglass – 51.69 American Record
2. Anna Moesch – 51.88
3. Gretchen Walsh – 52.57
4. Rylee Erisman – 52.92
5. Liberty Clark – 52.97

200m Freestyle
1. Anna Moesch – 1:55.05
2. Anna Peplowski – 1:55.67
3. Rylee Erisman – 1:55.86
4. Madi Mintenko – 1:55.87
5. Erin Gemmell – 1:55.88

400m Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky – 3:59.02
2. Kennedi Dobson – 4:03.56
3. Madi Mintenko – 4:04.54
4. Kate Hurst – 4:06.45
5. Emma Weyant – 4:07.03

800m Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky – 8:07.26
2. Katie Grimes – 8:19.10
3. Jillian Cox – 8:24.90
4. Mila Nikanorov – 8:26.24
5. Kennedi Dobson – 8:26.33

1500m Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky – 15:23.21
2. Katie Grimes – 15:55.69
3. Kate Hurst – 16:04.46
4. Zayda Miehl – 16:08.91
5. Jillian Cox – 16:10.21

50m Backstroke
1. Katharine Berkoff – 26.90 American Record
2. Isabelle Stadden – 27.09
3. Regan Smith – 27.14
4. Leah Shackley – 27.38
5. Claire Curzan – 27.42

100m Backstroke
1. Regan Smith – 57.49
2. Isabelle Stadden – 57.55
3. Katharine Berkoff – 57.93
4. Claire Curzan – 58.21
5. Maggie Wanezek – 58.76

200m Backstroke
1. Regan Smith – 2:04.13
2. Isabelle Stadden – 2:04.37
3. Claire Curzan – 2:05.97
4. Maggie Wanezek – 2:06.05
5. Rylee Erisman – 2:06.96

Isabelle Stadden breaks into all-time backstroke greats with big lifetime bestsIsabelle Stadden lowered her 100m and 200m backstroke personal bests in Fort Lauderdale.

• Nick Zaccardi,

50m Breaststroke
1. McKenzie Siroky – 29.64
2. Skyler Smith – 29.90
3. Piper Enge – 30.28
4. Emma Weber – 30.61
5. Lucy Thomas – 30.63

100m Breaststroke
1. McKenzie Siroky – 1:05.32
2. Kate Douglass – 1:05.66
3. Emma Weber – 1:06.65
4. Skyler Smith – 1:06.90
5. Piper Enge – 1:07.34

200m Breaststroke
1. Kate Douglass – 2:20.94
2. Alex Walsh – 2:24.28
3. Sophia Umstead – 2:25.57
4. Adalene Robillard – 2:26.07
5. Maddy Huggins – 2:26.42

50m Butterfly
1. Gretchen Walsh – 24.51 American Record
2. Kate Douglass – 24.99
3. Claire Curzan – 25.76
4. Regan Smith – 25.82
5. Brady Kendall – 25.87

100m Butterfly
1. Gretchen Walsh – 54.33 World Record
2. Regan Smith – 55.94
3. Torri Huske – 56.93
4. Alex Shackell – 57.12
5. Claire Curzan – 57.48

200m Butterfly
1. Regan Smith – 2:04.73
2. Alex Shackell – 2:06.68
3. Hannah Bellard – 2:06.86
4. Tess Howley – 2:07.13
5. Bella Sims – 2:07.19

200m Individual Medley
1. Kate Douglass – 2:07.04
2. Alex Walsh – 2:07.66
3. Regan Smith – 2:09.26
4. Phoebe Bacon – 2:09.45
5. Torri Huske – 2:09.59

400m Individual Medley
1. Katie Grimes – 4:33.26
2. Alex Walsh – 4:33.73
3. Emma Weyant – 4:35.23
4. Regan Smith – 4:35.79
5. Leah Hayes – 4:37.26

Anna Moesch is the swimmer who went from chasing quarters to chasing recordsAnna Moesch overcame major injury and missing the national team to become the fastest 100m freestyler in U.S. history.

• Nick Zaccardi,