See all of our 2025 Swammy Awards here.
The year 2025 was kind to Canadian sprinter Josh Liendo, shining on both the collegiate stage with the Florida Gators and the international stage for Canada, notably setting a short-course world record in the 100-meter butterfly in his home country. Liendo rewrote the record books at every level and has firmly established himself as a major sprint threat on the global stage.
Liendo kicked off the calendar year with a stellar SEC Championship showing in Knoxville, Tenn., in February. He immediately made his imprint on the meet, breaking his own Championship Record in the 100 fly twice in the same day. He posted a time of 43.70 in prelims, lowering his 2024 record mark from 43.89. That same evening, he dropped it even further, blasting a time of 43.23 in the final, collecting his third-straight SEC 100 fly title, and moving him up to fourth all-time in the event.
Liendo later tied with Tennessee’s Jordan Crooks in the 100 freestyle in 40.15, setting up a powerhouse rematch between two of the fastest men in NCAA history. He also added a 50 free silver (18.35), and split an impactful 1:31.45 on Florida’s 800 free relay meet record. He also clocked the fastest ever fly split on Florida’s NCAA record-breaking 400 medley relay in 42.12, nearly seven tenths faster than the next fastest split.
Closing out his junior season with the Gators at the Men’s NCAA Championships, Liendo picked up right where he left off at SECs; in the 100 fly, Liendo defended his title, shaving one hundredth off of his lifetime best time in 43.06, putting him just over a quarter of a second away from former Gator Caeleb Dressel’s NCAA record of 42.80.
In a 100 free rematch with Crooks, Liendo got the better of his rival. Crooks broke Dressel’s former 100 free NCAA Record in prelims in 39.83, but Liendo powered to the win in the final, becoming the third man under 40 seconds in 39.99 to claim his third straight title in the event. He also placed 2nd in the 50 free (18.23) and contributed to four Gator relays, including the national-title winning 400 medley, as Florida placed 4th in the team standings.
Liendo made the switch back to long course in preparation for the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. He won the men’s 50 free (21.88) and was the runner-up to countryman Ilya Kharun in the 100 fly (50.46)at the Canadian Trials in June, punching his ticket to the World Championships.
At the 2025 Worlds in Singapore, Liendo placed 4th in the 100 fly in a time of 50.09, one-tenth shy of the National Record he set at last summer’s Olympics en route to the silver medal (49.99). He also placed 13th in the 50 fly (23.11), 30th in the 50 free (22.22), and produced the eighth-fastest 100 fly split in history (49.64) to help Canada win bronze in the mixed 4×100 medley relay. He also delivered a blistering 46.90 anchor leg on the Canadian men’s 4×100 medley relay as they finished 5th in 3:29.75, setting a new National Record.
The highlight of Liendo’s calendar year came during the World Cup series in his hometown of Toronto. On the opening night of the final stop of the three-leg tour, Liendo surged to a new short course meters world record in the 100 fly, clipping three hundredths of a second off the previous mark from Noe Ponti of 47.71 with his time of 47.68 and earning his first career world record in his hometown and former training home.
The win for Liendo eliminated Ponti’s chance at a triple crown for the event, and earned Liendo a $10,000 World Record bonus, and another $2,500 as the “crown buster.” His performance in that 100 fly was faster than any of his other times during the series by almost two seconds.
Liendo used the hometown advantage for all it was worth, winning the 50 free in 20.31, setting a new Canadian record with that swim. He continued into the 100 free, lowering a 16-year-old National Record of 45.30 set by Brent Hayden in 2009 (45.30), making him the 9th fastest man in history, and earning another $2,500 for beating Jack Alexy, who had won the event each of the first two stops.
Now, competing as a senior for the Gators, Liendo is already back to championship form.
Just days after his world record in Toronto, Liendo fired an 18.68 50 free in a dual meet against the University of Georgia. That same meet saw Liendo split 19.42 on the butterfly leg of the Florida 200 medley relay, and a blistering in-season 43.87 100 fly.
Liendo capped off the first half of the collegiate season with even more notable results at the Georgia Invite, such as his fastest ever pre-championships 100 fly in 43.42, making it the 8th fastest 100 fly in history. The following day, he notched a share of the nation’s leading 18.40 in the 50 free.
Heading into the final half of the college season, Linedo sits in the top three in the 50 free (tied 1st), 100 free (3rd), and 100 fly (2nd).
Honorable Mentions:
- Ilya Kharun: Kharun opened his 2025 year with a runner-up finish to Lindeo in the 100 fly (43.43) and a 3rd place finish in the 200 fly (1:38.74) at the 2025 NCAA Swimming and Diving championships with Arizona State. His world championship outing saw him finish 3rd in the 100 fly (50.09), and just miss the podium in the 200 fly (1:54.34). Later in the year, he became a serious contender at the World Cup. Kharun went undefeated in the 50 fly and 200 fly across all three stops, setting US Open and World Cup records in the 200 fly in Westmont.
- Finlay Knox: Knox earned a trio of USports Championship titles with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds back in March, where he won the 200 IM (1:54.15), 50 back (23.39), and the 200 fly (1:53.67). Knox carried that momentum into the summer, where he won the 200 IM at the Canadian Swimming Trials in 1:57.25. Knox later represented Canada at the World Championships, placing 18th in the 200 IM and 29th in the 100 breast. Knox then raced on all three World Cup stops, with his highest placing coming in Westmont, where he finished 2nd in the 200 IM (1:52.12).
Shouldn’t he technically be American since he swims for Florida?
Technically he should be Canadian since he is technically Canadian.
What’s the opposite of technically? Practically? IDK maybe.
Swimmer Geek coming in as a last minute entrant for dumbest comments of the year
I wonder who the Canadian female will be.
So difficult to guess. 😀
I’m thinking so hard
Ah!
So it’s about the coaches and where you train.
Got it.
So… Same with every NCAA swimmer?
And then her last Toronto coach was, a Brit…?
Do you forget Summer McIntosh came 4th in 400 free final at Tokyo Olympics age 14 having only ever been coached in Toronto to that point? Summer will make any coach look good.
And all the American swimmers who are coached by American coaches in the mighty USA who are nowhere near the top…??? Sorry, your point is?
I think the point was to have us do this, sit back, and laugh.
Hey SwimSwam (the site not the handle): Aren’t you embarrassed that this user is called Swimswam?
Correct decision.
Didn’t Ilya win a bronze at world champs in the 100 fly?
Those time are in scm
Correct. Ilya went 100 Fly for bronze at 50.07 and Josh got 4th at 50.09.
I’m a little surprised that Josh beat out Ilya for this considering Ilya got a LC major championship medal and Josh didn’t but I guess a better NCAA season + SC WR wins out over a LC bronze?
I think the SC WR gives Josh an edge.
They also gave this award to Ilya instead of Josh last year, because Ilya won gold at SC Worlds while Josh didn’t. It’s Swimmer of the Year award, not Swimmer of the Major Summer Meet after all.
For sure, it’s a close call. I guess my initial instinct was surprise because I feel like Josh was probably disappointed with his major meet this year. But yes if you look at the totality of the year, he had some great highlights.
they both had pretty underwhelming worlds. Ilya missing the final in the 50, 4th in the 200, and bronze in the 100; while Josh’s only medal was from the mixed medley (he did split a 46 and 49 tho), so then his ncaa and scm meter seasons put him over Ilya
The meet referenced was SCM
Good catch, I had mixed up his 100 and 200 fly.