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
4Shayna
JACK
AUS24.0912/12
5Cate
CAMPBELL
AUS24.1010/06
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 100M FREESTYLE

Hong Kong’s 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

2Marrit
STEENBERGEN
NED52.2602/16
3Mollie
O'CALLAGHAN
AUS52.2704/17
4Meg
HARRIS
AUS52.6004/17
5Junxuan
YANG
CHN52.6804/23
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

2Summer
MCINTOSH
CAN1:53.6905/14
3Siobhan
HAUGHEY
HKG1:54.0810/21
4Junxuan
Yang
CHN1:54.3704/21
5 Katie
LEDECKY
USA1:54.9704/12
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

SummerCAN
McINTOSH
05/13
3:59.06
2Ariarne
Titmus
AUS3:59.1304/19
3Erika
FAIRWEATHER
NZL3:59.4402/11
3Katie
LEDECKY
USA3:59.4405/16
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

SummerCAN
MCINTOSH
02/08
8:11.39
2Katie
LEDECKY
USA8:12.9504/13
3Lani
PALLISTER
AUS8:15.1110/22
4Simona
QUADARELLA
ITA8:17.4402/17
5Ariarne
TITMUS
AUS8:17.8004/17
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
05/15
15:38.25
2Simona
QUADARELLA
ITA15:46.9902/13
3 Lani
PALLISTER
AUS15:49.9412/13
4Bingjie
LI
CHN15:51.1809/24
5Katie
GRIMES
USA15:57.3104/11
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

KayleeAUS
McKEOWN
10/21
57.33 WR
2Regan
SMITH
USA57.6403/08
3Kylie
MASSE
CAN57.9405/15
4Mollie
O'CALLAGHAN
AUS58.0904/18
5Claire
CURZAN
USA58.2902/13
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 200M BACKSTROKE

2023-2024 LCM Women 200 Back

KayleeAUS
McKEOWN
04/20
2:03.84
2Regan
SMITH
USA2:03.9903/09
3Claire
CURZAN
USA2:05.7702/17
4 Kylie
MASSE
CAN2:06.2405/16
5Summer
McINTOSH
CAN2:06.8112/02
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  through #5  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

KayleeAUS
McKEOWN
04/17
2:06.99
2Kate
DOUGLASS
USA2:07.0502/12
3Summer
MCINTOSH
CAN2:07.0605/19
4Alex
WALSH
USA2:07.6301/13
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 McIntosh‘s world record, the Aussie said after her race, that she is ‘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
5Vivien
JACKL
HUN4:34.9604/11
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
2Evgeniia
CHIKUNOVA
RUS1:05.1104/17
3Tatjana
SCHOENMAKER
RSA1:05.4104/12
4Lilly
KING
USA1:05.6701/11
5 Lydia
JACOBY
USA1:05.7404/11
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

2Kate
DOUGLASS
USA2:19.3001/13
3Evgeniia
CHIKUNOVA
RUS2:19.7404/19
4Tes
SCHOUTEN
NED2:19.8102/16
5Shiwen
YE
CHN2:22.5504/24
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 Zhang 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

TorriUSA
HUSKE
04/12
55.68
2Yufei
ZHANG
CHN55.8609/27
3Angelina
KOHLER
GER56.1102/11
4Gretchen
WALSH
USA56.1404/12
5Regan
SMITH
USA56.3303/07
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
05/18
2:04.33
2Regan
SMITH
USA2:04.8003/08
3Elizabeth Ann
Dekkers
AUS2:05.2004/18
4Yufei
Zhang
CHN2:05.5709/24
5AIRI
MITSUI
JPN2:06.5403/22
View Top 31»

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chickenlamp
18 days ago

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

The unoriginal Tim
20 days 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
20 days 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
19 days 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
20 days ago

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

Southerly Buster
20 days 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
20 days 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
20 days 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
20 days ago

Ok I did the medal tally for those waiting:

AUS – 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥈🥉🥉🥉🥉
USA – 🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥉🥉
CAN – 🥇🥈🥈🥉🥉🥉
CHN – 🥇🥈🥉
HKG/RSA – 🥇🥈
SWE – 🥇
NED – 🥈🥉
ITA – 🥈
GER/POL/NZL – 🥉

SwimStats
Reply to  Giusy Cisale
20 days 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
19 days ago

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

Spotted Zebra
20 days ago

comment image

It’s “fewer.” 🙃

TMZ
20 days ago

Kaylee is so underrated on SwimSwam

Admin
Reply to  TMZ
20 days ago

lol we projected her as the #2 female swimmer in the world for 2024. CRAZY UNDERRATING.

TMZ
Reply to  Braden Keith
20 days ago

Well, she should be #1.

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  TMZ
20 days ago

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

Greg P
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
20 days ago

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

Tencor
20 days ago

Paris Gold Medal Favorites in my view

50 Free: Sjostrom
100 Free: O’Callaghan (Reasonable upset potential for the other AUS swimmer, Haughey, or Steenbergen)
200 Free: O’Callaghan
400 Free: Titmus narrowly favored over McIntosh
800 Free: Ledecky
1500 Free: Ledecky
100 Back: McKeown
200 Back: McKeown
100 Breast: Tang
200 Breast: Smith (Schoenmaker), favored but Douglass or Schouten have reasonable upset potential
100 Fly: Huske or Zhang (can’t count out MacNeil or Kohler)
200 Fly: McIntosh
200 IM: McIntosh + McKeown + Douglass (Three-way Tossup)
400 IM: McIntosh
4×100 Free Relay: Australia
4×200 Free Relay: Australia
4×100 Medley Relay: USA

Last edited 20 days ago by Tencor
‘Murica
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

Australia will choke in the 4×2 again imo

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  ‘Murica
20 days ago

I would laugh my ass off if Australia ended up with 8 bronze medals, yet again.

Torchbearer
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
19 days ago

It could have been 8 4th-placings….a lot of bronze medallists are very happy!

Robbos
Reply to  ‘Murica
20 days ago

There is a chance, but with O’Callaghan & Titmus are giving Australia 3-4 seconds lead, not sure the other teams can make that up.

Dan tm
Reply to  ‘Murica
20 days ago

No , Leah Neale certainly will not be replacing MOC this time.
Wrong Team
Wrong Order
Slowest swimmer (Neal) replaced the Faster swimmer from the heats (MOC)
It was an absolute stuff up

and proven since Australia continues to demolish the WR.

Troyy
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

Seven golds would be lovely

Sub13
Reply to  Troyy
20 days ago

That would actually be less than Tokyo despite having (IMO) a much stronger team.

Exact same events except lose the 50 free and swap the Medley relay for the 200 relay

Troyy
Reply to  Sub13
20 days ago

It’s only the women’s. If we’re to match or exceed the gold medal tally from Tokyo it will include more gold from the men imo.

Last edited 20 days ago by Troyy
Sub13
Reply to  Troyy
20 days ago

Yeah but the women won 8 gold in Tokyo, so the women’s team alone would technically be worse

Troyy
Reply to  Sub13
20 days ago

So what are you expecting then?

Sub13
Reply to  Troyy
20 days ago

I don’t know what I’m expecting. I was just commenting that despite having a superior team it looks like they’ll win less golds.

In Tokyo the women really won every possible gold except 100 fly and 200 relay. We have arguably more chances at gold this year but less likely to convert at least 8

Torchbearer
Reply to  Sub13
19 days ago

The World is now faster, and McIntosh has also arrived. One less Gold for the women would still be a great and world leading result.

Doe
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

Downvoters should say what they disagree with (I think it all sounds reasonable).

phelpsfan
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

Walsh for a Four-way tossup in the 200IM

I miss the ISL (Go dawgs)
Reply to  phelpsfan
20 days ago

I really don’t get the downvotes on this. It’s always been a 4 girl race. Alex Walsh is literally a tenth or two away from all 3 of Summer, KD, and McKeown. She’s a fantastic racer and even when she had a rough season last summer she was 2:07.9 in the 200 and 4:34 in the 400 IM. If her recent SCY success is anything to go off of, she’ll be right in that race.

BairnOwl
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

I agree with this. It’ll be interesting to see how many of these gold medal favorites actually get the gold medal.

SwimStats
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

I like this. All we have to go on (until we actually get to Paris and the races are swum) is recent form. Anything can happen once we get there but at the moment, this is what the numbers say.

commonwombat
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

Hard to argue with that list; either with it’s calls or nominees.

Having said that, there are comparitively few events where you can say that you could describe as “locks”. Maybe only 1500, 400IM and probably 50 amongst the individual events.

SimCLR
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

Why does everyone discount Alex Walsh in the 200 IM, she’s always shown up when it mattered and is just one tenth away from Douglass and McKeown

Last edited 20 days ago by SimCLR
Nick the biased Aussie
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

“Titmus narrowly favored over McIntosh”
This has to be a joke

Admin
Reply to  Nick the biased Aussie
20 days ago

Because you think McIntosh is actually the favorite?

Nick the biased aussie
Reply to  Braden Keith
19 days ago

McIntosh is obviously going to do well, we know she was the previous WR holder. But Titmus hasn’t been beaten since 2019, is defending Olympic champ and 2x world champ, blew everyone away in Fukuoka, just swam 3:59 in season at Nationals.
Titmus is as clear as a favourite as you can get right now, nothing narrow about it.

Troyy
Reply to  Nick the biased aussie
19 days ago

You’re making it seems like she’s a Ledecky in the 1500 level favourite and she’s nowhere near it.

Admin
Reply to  Troyy
19 days ago

Yeah I think she’s a favorite…but not like a “I can have an off swim and still win” favorite.

Admin
Reply to  Braden Keith
19 days ago

Nick just Tweeted that he thinks Titmus can go 3:52, so I guess maybe that explains the difference in perspective. I do not think she can go 3:52.

https://twitter.com/nicktehwalrus/status/1785845282988777728

Troyy
Reply to  Braden Keith
19 days ago

That’s a bit nutty.

Ron Friel
Reply to  Nick the biased aussie
12 days ago

McIntosh is the only swimmer in history that has held the world record in the 400 IM and 400 free simultaneously. If i were Summer I would want that again as a top priority.

I miss the ISL (Go dawgs)
Reply to  Tencor
20 days ago

Alex Walsh says dont forget me

chickenlamp
Reply to  Tencor
18 days ago

Throw Walsh in the mix for 200 IM and Mac Neil for 100 fly. Otherwise I think it’s spot on.

About Giusy Cisale

Giusy Cisale

 GIUSY  CISALE A law graduate, and attorney for 15 years while devoting herself to running her swimming-focused blog, Scent of Chlorine. In 2015, she collaborated with Italian swimming news websites before joining SwimSwam in 2017. She loves swimming from every point of view and in 2016  became an official of the Italian …

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