Italy’s Alessandra Mao Stuns With 1:57.00 In The 200 Free, 3rd Fastest 14 Year Old Ever

2025 World Junior Swimming Championships

• August 19-24, 2025
• Otopeni, Romania
• LCM (50 meters)
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  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

GIRLS 200 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• World Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2024)
• World Junior Record: 1:53.65 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)
• Championship Record: 1:57.08 – Taylor Ruck, CAN (2017)

TOP 8:

1. Yang Peiqi (CHN) – 1:56.25 (Championship Record)
2. Rylee Erisman (USA) – 1:56.76
3. Alessandra Mao (ITA) – 1:57.00
4. Kennedi Dobson (USA) – 1:57.45
5. Yan Tiaoshan (CHN) – 1:57.88
6. Bianca Nannucci (ITA) – 1:59.64
7. Yui Fukuoka (JPN) – 1:59.69
8. Ella Cosgrove (CAN) – 1:59.94

At just 14 years and 4 months old, Italy’s Alessandra Mao stormed to a bronze medal in the 200 freestyle at the World Junior Championships. Her time of 1:57.00 makes her the 3rd fastest 14 year old ever behind Summer McIntosh (2021) and China’s Ai Yanhan (2016). This swim not only landed her on the podium, but also dipped under the previous Championship Record of 1:57.08, a barrier also surpassed by Yang and Erisman.

All-Time 14 & Under Rankings, Girls 200 Freestyle (LCM)*

1. Summer McIntosh (CAN), 1:55.74 – 2021
2. Ai Yanhan (CHN), 1:56.46 – 2016
3. Alessandra Mao (ITA) – 1:57.00 – 2025
4. Franziska Van Almsick, 1:57.90 – 1992
5. Ajna Kesely (HUN), 1:57.96 – 2016
6. Yu Zidi (CHN), 1:58.03 – 2025
7. Li Bingjie (CHN), 1:58.23 – 2016
8. Qiu Yuhan (CHN), 1:58.50 – 2013
9. Sippy Woodhead (USA), 1:58.53 – 1978 / Claire Weinstein (USA), 1:58.53 — 2022

Mao entered World Juniors with a best of 1:58.86, which was set when she won the Italian National Championships back in April. She then swam a 1:59.19 in prelims for the 3rd seed before demolishing that mark in the final. In the process, she shattered multiple records: her own Italian Age Group Record for 14-year-olds—which stood at 2:02.77 in April—and the Italian Junior Record of 1:58.02, a standard set in 2004 by none other than former world record holder Federica Pellegrini at age 16. Pellegrini’s swim came from the Olympic semifinals in 2004, and she went on to win silver in Athens. Four years later, she captured Olympic gold and eventually cemented herself as the only swimmer, male or female, to earn eight consecutive World Championship medals in a single event—the 200 freestyle.

Mao was faster than her prelims time on every 50 of the final, never once breaching 30 seconds. Compared to Pellegrini’s 2004 swim, Mao trailed only the 3rd 50, and by a mere 0.04 seconds. While most of Mao’s edge came from the opening 100 of the damage came from the opening 100, where she was out in under 58 seconds, her closing split was just as striking, as she was nearly half a second faster on the final 50 alone.

This swim caps what has already been a stellar meet for the 14-year old at her first World Junior Championships. She set a new personal best of 54.84 in the 100 free for 6th place, anchored Italy’s mixed 4×100 free relay in 54.69 to clinch bronze, and split 1:59.72 on the 4×200 relay for yet another bronze; in total, she has contributed 3 medals to Italy’s count.