USA Swimming Updates Worlds Selection Criteria to Include Stroke 50s In Priority One

The 2025 U.S. National Championships are almost here, set to kick off in Indianapolis, Indiana, from June 3 through June 7. This meet will serve as the official qualifier for the World Aquatics Championships, scheduled to take place in Singapore this summer, from July 26 to August 3.

USA Swimming recently updated its selection criteria for Worlds following the IOC’s announcement that 50-meter stroke events (backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly) will be added to the Olympic program. As a result, these events are now given the same qualification priority as all other individual events. This means the top two finishers in each final who meet the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard will likely be selected for the World Championships team, barring any extreme roster cap issues. The team will allow for up to 26 men and 26 women to be named.

This marks a significant shift from the previous policy, where only the swimmer who touched first was eligible for selection in the 50m stroke events.

While USA Swimming has not issued a formal announcement about the change, the updated selection document—pictured below—shows that the original Priority 3, which included non-Olympic events such as the 50m stroke races, has been removed. The stroke 50s are now being factored in with Priorities 1 and 2, having been elevated from their previous status as Priority 3. As a result, the original Priority 3 has been eliminated entirely, with the former Priorities 4 and 5 now renumbered as Priorities 3 and 4, respectively.

Updated 2025 Worlds Team Selection Priority Order:

• Priority 1: The four best finishing available swimmers based on finish order in the 100 and 200 freestyle and the best finishing available swimmer based on finish order from the finals in each individual Olympic event other than the 100 and 200 freestyle.
• Priority 2: The second-best finishing available swimmer based on finish order in the finals of each individual Olympic event other than the 100 and 200 freestyle
• Priority 3: The fifth-best finishing available swimmer based on finish order from the finals in the 100 and 200 freestyle.
• Priority 4: The sixth-best finishing available swimmer based on finish order from the finals in the 100 and 200 freestyle.

If a Priority 1-qualified swimmer declines to swim the 100 or 200 freestyle at Worlds before the team is finalized on June 7—but remains on the roster through another event—USA Swimming will not add an additional relay swimmer for that event. Instead, the next individual roster spot will be offered to the next fastest swimmer in line. However, this rule does not apply if a swimmer is removed entirely from the team.

This particular section of the selection criteria was first introduced ahead of the 2024 Olympics in response to past inconsistencies. When Katie Ledecky withdrew from the 200 freestyle at the 2013 World Championships, 7th-place finisher Karlee Bispo was called up to fill the relay slot. However, in 2022, when Ledecky again dropped the 200 free, 7th-place finisher Erin Gemmell was not added. Then in 2023, Anna Peplowski was selected under similar circumstances. This mistake prompted USA Swimming to issue a public apology to Gemmell.

The World Championship women’s and men’s rosters are constructed separately, except nations are limited to a combined total of 12 relay-only swimmers. If, after all the priorities are applied, there are more than 12 relay-only swimmers, the involved swimmers will be ranked within priority “according to their percentage of ‘A’ Stanford for the event for which they qualify.” Then, the swimmers with the highest percentage will be added to the team until the maximum number of relay swimmers is reached or the roster is full, whichever comes first. Any relay-only swimmers named to the team must compete at some point during the meet, or the relay they were selected for may face disqualification.

USA Swimming notes under its Discretionary Selection section that “all swimmers who are selected to the team shall be eligible for selection to any and all relays at the Championships provided that relay-only swimmers achieve the ‘B’ time standard for the event within the relay in which they are selected to compete.” The organization also notes that the National Team Managing Direction will be responsible for relay selection “with the advice and consent of the Head Coaches.”

The selection procedures also lay out how the organization would proceed if the top two swimmers at an event at U.S. Nationals don’t both swim under the ‘A’ cut. If the fastest finisher in a U.S. Nationals final only “has a “B” Time Standard, and the available swimmer with the second fastest time from the Finals has an “A” Time Standard, the fastest available swimmer at the [U.S. Nationals] will be selected to the team and will swim that event at [Worlds]. Then, “the second-fastest available swimmer would not be selected to the team for that event…even if they achieve the “A” Time Standard.”

USA Swimming has also explained what happens if the second-place finisher in an individual event at U.S. Nationals has not swum an ‘A’ cut during the qualifying period. In that case, the next best finisher from that event will be added to the team—if they’ve hit the ‘A’ cut during the qualifying period. USA Swimming states “this process will repeat until an available swimmer who has an “A” standard is selected to the team, provided that swimmer finishes in the finals in the event.” If no such swimmer exists, “then USA Swimming will only select one available swimmer to the team in that event.”