SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers which reigning World Junior champion they’re most bullish on taking the next step this year:
Question: If you had to pick one, which 2025 World Junior champion are you buying stock in for 2026?
RESULTS
- Rylee Erisman – 67.8%
- Filip Nowacki – 12.1%
- Audrey Derivaux – 4.5%
- John Shortt – 3.8%
- Carlos D’Ambrosio – 3.4%
- Kuzey Tuncelli – 3.1%
- Yang Peiqi – 2.0%
- Mizuki Hirai – 1.8%
- Charlotte Crush – 1.1%
- Tajus Juska – 0.4%
Rylee Erisman was the runaway winner in our most recent poll asking SwimSwam readers which reigning World Junior champion they’re backing for a big year in 2026.
Erisman, who still has two more years of eligibility to compete at the junior level, made a major impact on the world rankings last year and earned a spot on the U.S. senior roster for the Pan Pacific Championships later this year.
Though the 16-year-old missed out on qualifying for the World Championships at U.S. Nationals in June, she had a strong showing with a trio of ‘B’ final wins and 9th-place finishes in the women’s 50 free (24.74), 100 free (53.90) and 200 free (1:57.29) while also taking 8th in the 100 back (59.39) and 10th in the 50 back (28.08).
Erisman then exploded at the World Junior Championships two months later, winning gold in the girls’ 50 free (24.70) and 100 free (52.79), setting a new Championship and U.S. 15-16 National Age Group Record in the latter while coming within nine one-hundredths of the World Junior Record.
That swim in the 100 free ranked Erisman 6th in the world in 2025 and earned her a berth on the Pan Pac team, putting her in a position to do some damage on the senior international stage this year after piling up medals at Junior Pan Pacs in 2024 and then World Juniors last year.
2025 World Rankings, Women’s 100 Freestyle (LCM) (Jan. 1-Dec. 31)
- Torri Huske (USA), 52.43 – 2025 U.S. National Championships
- Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 52.55 – 2025 World Championships
- Meg Harris (AUS), 52.56 – 2025 Queensland Championships
- Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 52.67 – 2025 World Championships
- Gretchen Walsh (USA), 52.78 – 2025 U.S. National Championships
- Rylee Erisman (USA), 52.79 – 2025 World Junior Championships
- Simone Manuel (USA), 52.83 – 2025 U.S. National Championships
- Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 52.89 – 2025 Chinese National Games
- Milou Van Wijk (NED), 52.91 – 2025 World Championships
- Daria Klepikova (RUS), 52.98 – 2025 World Championships
In December, Erisman showed off some more of her range, clocking 1:40.93 in the SCY 200 free to obliterate Katie Ledecky‘s 15-16 NAG record while also going 4:34 in the 500 free, displaying a rare level of versatility from the 50 to the 500.
Erisman earned 67.8% of votes in the poll, and the only other swimmer picking up more than 10% was British breaststroker Filip Nowacki.
Nowacki lit up the junior scene in 2025, winning gold in the boys’ 100 and 200 breast at both the European Junior Championships in July and the World Junior Championships in August.
He finished the year ranked 3rd globally in the 200 breast at 2:07.32, even higher than Erisman did in the 100 free, while in the 100 breast, Nowacki sat 14th in the world at the end of 2025 at 59.20.
Despite ranking 3rd in the world in the 200 breast, Nowacki was still only the second-fastest junior, with Japan’s Shin Ohashi owning the top time in 2025 after setting a new World Junior Record of 2:06.91 at the Japanese High School Championships in July. Ohashi was the runner-up to Nowacki in the 100 and 200 breast at World Juniors, missing out on gold, which is why he wasn’t included in the poll.
Also earning a solid chunk of votes was versatile American talent Audrey Derivaux, who won World Junior golds in the girls’ 200 back, 200 fly and 200 IM, while Irish backstroker John Shortt had a strong finish to the year at the European SC Championships to rank 4th in the poll, just ahead of Italian freestyle phenom Carlos D’Ambrosio.
One thing working against Derivaux is that she did not qualify for the U.S. Pan Pac roster, so she won’t compete at the biggest meet for U.S. swimmers in 2026, while Erisman did earn a spot, and the likes of Nowacki, Shortt, and D’Ambrosio still have the chance to book their ticket to the European Championships.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Will the men’s 200 back world record finally go down this year?
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
Erisman was expected, but I truly think John Shortt is one to watch.
On average, only 1 world junior champ per edition goes on to win an individual Olympic gold. Outstanding juniors who don’t win at world juniors are much more likely. My money’s on Yu Zidi
2006 Clary and Belmonte.
2008 N/A
2011 Hagino and McEvoy.
2013 Dressel, Meilutyte and Horton.
2015 Chalmers.
2017 Milak and Martinenghi.
2019 Huske and Ceccon.
2022 Popovici.
World Junior champions of recent edtions still have chance to win individual Olympic golds. Regan Smith (2017), Gretchen Walsh (2019), Luca Urlando (2019), Chikunova (2019), Pallister (2019) and Pieter Coetze (2022) are a few examples.
I would say the average is closer to 2.
Clary was not on my list. No idea he changed his name from Scott Flowers lol. Neither Clary nor Belmonte won their Olympic gold in an event they won at Juniors but I suppose that doesn’t matter.
Meilutyte was an Olympic champion when she attended Junior worlds and never won another Olympic medal after that so she doesn’t count.
Even counting both Clary and Belmonte, the average is 1.33 so definitely not closer to 2. Even if it were 2, 34 individual events and an average of 2 translating is not great lol. My point still stands.
Your arguments make me think it will be interesting if we look at it from another angle. What were the Paris 2024 Olympic champions doing when they were juniors?
Cameron McEvoy: WJC champion.
Pan Zhanle: He was 47+ and made the senior world championships final at 18, but was overshadowed a bit by the world champion David Popovici of the same age. I don’t think he ever competed at WJC.
David Popovici: WJC champion and WJR holder.
Lukas Maertens and Daniel Wiffen: Both competed at WJC at 17-18, but didn’t make any finals.
Bobby Finke: He was selected to 2017 world championships so didn’t go to the WJC.
Thomas Ceccon: WJC champion.
Hubert Kos: WJR holder. He only competed at… Read more »
yeah its kinda a silly argument to say that junior results arent predictive of future success lol. ofc not all juniors pan out but the biggest stars rarely come out of nowhere if youre paying attention.
Literally no one said that, though? Why are you arguing against something that no one said? Of course if you look at Olympic champions it’s likely they showed some promise as a junior, but it is actually very rare for someone to be a dominant junior and a dominant senior.
This article only allowed people to vote on World Junior Champions specifically. History shows that winning a WJC is essentially meaningless when compared to senior success. Of the 300+ World Junior Champions, only 10 have gone on to win an individual Olympic gold, and only 2 have won more than one. The vast majority never win an Olympic medal at all.
Aussies are so bitter lmao! Guess that just convicts gene
It’s weird how basic factual information makes some people so mad! But whatever works for you
AHEM.
He was Scott Flowers in 2006
Funny thing about Ruta is, she was already Olympic AND World Champion *before* she won WJ.
I think I picked Nowacki or Ohashi
Hubert waits for 2027 to surpass Peirsol
Agreed. He will need the home pool advantage to break that insane supersuited WR.
There is also a non-zero chance that Coetze gets there first… small as it may be.
Don’t scare me like that
Hirai + Crush = BIG ORANGE CRUSH
The Lady Vols machine is getting oiled and greased up for an amazing run at SECs!
Nowacki for me. Though Erisman is an incredible talent, her events are much more competitive than Nowacki’s going into 2026.
MOC vs Summer vs Rylee 200 Free LA 2028, who will win?
MOC
Rylee seems to be turning her attention more to the 200 in recent months and I think she has great potential there. But I think her best medal prospects in LA will be in the 100.
McIntosh in 1:51
Nah! 1:50.76
Nah! 1:48.12
Summer or MOC. Rylee better chance in the 100.
Is it my imagination or does she look a bit like Summer McIntosh?
It’s your imagination.
It’s only your imagination
Nowacki would have won senior worlds with that time ; should have got way more votes.
I voted for him
Nowacki has interesting competition with Ohashi as top junior in his events. He did beat him in Romania. But it’s not a given moving forward (Ohashi has the quicker times).