Top Swimmers to Watch at the 2026 U.S. Swimming National Championships

The last major U.S. national swimming meet of the summer is approaching. The 2026 Toyota U.S. Swimming National Championships will air live from Tuesday through Saturday on Peacock and NBCSN. This event is Team USA’s final opportunity to compete before the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, which start 11 days after nationals conclude. Notable absentees from the nationals include Katie Ledecky, Regan Smith, and Bobby Finke, who are prioritizing preparations for the Pan Pacs.

Key Competitors

Caeleb Dressel

Caeleb Dressel is the third seed in both the 50m and 100m butterfly events. A nine-time Olympic gold medalist, he’s on a comeback after stepping away from the sport following the 2024 Paris Olympics. This year, Dressel recorded a season-best 21.84 in the 50m free at the Indianapolis Pro Series, marking his fastest time since Paris.

Gretchen Walsh

Walsh enters the 50m free as the current world-record holder. With remarkable performances this year, she lowered her world record in the 100m fly to 54.33 and set a new world record of 23.55 in the 50m free. Walsh has the fastest 50m fly time globally at 24.51 this year.

Kate Douglass

Douglass is the top seed in the 100m breast and second in the 50m free. Holding the American record in the 200m breast, she ranks as the second all-time in that event. This season, she’s one of the top five performers in four events, including the 50m free and 50m fly.

Michael Andrew

Michael Andrew is set to compete as the top seed in the 50m breast and holds a number of other high seedings. A Tokyo Olympics gold medalist, he aims for a return to the Olympics at LA 2028 after training in Hawaii with his father.

Katie Grimes

Grimes is the top seed in the 1500m free and second in the 400m IM. She made history in Tokyo 2020 by being the youngest U.S. Olympic swimmer since 1996 and competing in both pool and open water events.

Jack Alexy

Jack Alexy leads in the 100m free and is also participating in the 200m free. He broke Dressel’s American record in the 100m free at the 2025 World Championships, clocking one of the fastest times in history.

Emerging Stars

Van Mathias broke American records in the 50m and 100m breast and remains unbeaten in these events in 2026. Ilya Kharun is a leading figure in butterfly events and competes in his first U.S. Nationals since changing his sports citizenship. Quintin McCarty leads the 50m back and ranks among the fastest globally in the 50m free.

Luka Mijatovic recently became the youngest American swimmer to break the 15-minute barrier in the 1500m free. Anna Moesch holds top seeds in various freestyle and IM events, showcasing her versatility and record-breaking speed.

Isabelle Stadden dominates the women’s backstroke events while Ryan Erisman and Kieran Smith headline other key races. With such a talented lineup, the national championships promise to be a thrilling display of top-tier swimming.