2025 World Junior Swimming Championships
- August 19-24, 2025
- Otopeni, Romania
- LCM (50 meters)
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After being notably absent from the medal table for the first four days of the 2025 World Junior Championships, Australia made its first appearance on the podium with a gold medal-winning performance on day 5.
Bringing home the first piece of hardware for her country was Ainsley Trotter, who won the girls’ 50 back. The Australian swimmer was the only one in the field to break 28 seconds, blasting into the wall just ahead of Korea’s Kim Seungwon, who broke the Championship Record earlier in the meet.
Turning in another notable performance for his country was Abdul Jabar Adama of Nigeria, who took home silver in the boys’ 50 fly. The 17-year-old made history on Saturday night, as he became the first swimmer, male or female, from his nation to win a medal at a World Aquatics meet.
Japan bumped itself back up to 5th on the medal table thanks to a 1-2 performance in the boys’ 400 IM. Raito Numata and Yumeki Kojima claimed gold and silver, respectively, marking their nation’s second gold medal of the meet and bringing its total tally to 14 medals.
Familiar names continued to make headlines and bring home the medals for their countries. China’s Yang Peiqi won her third individual gold of the meet, giving her nation four total gold medals through day 5.
Team USA only picked up one medal during the fifth finals session, but they did it in record-breaking fashion. The Americans crushed the World Junior Record in the girls’ 4×100 free relay, thanks to the team of Rylee Erisman, Liberty Clark, Julie Mishler and Lily King, bringing the nation’s gold medal count up to eight.
World Juniors Medal Table Through Day 5
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | United States | 8 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| 2 | NAB | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 |
| 3 | China | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 4 | Great Britain | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 5 | Japan | 2 | 7 | 5 | 14 |
| 6 | Italy | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Lithuania | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | Argentina | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Ireland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Australia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Turkey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Ukraine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Korea | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | Romania | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 16 | Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Brazil | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Nigeria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Canada | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Czechia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Denmark | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Looks like McKeown and Titmus better hold on for as long as possible.
Only one medal the whole week for Australia! It’s crazy how far off the pace we are in the juniors versus the seniors.
Other than Ainsley Trotter – well done! – our Sienna Toohey could have been headlining the team, (see the SwimSwam article “16 Year Old Record Setter Sienna Toohey Leads 30 Aussies for World Junior Swimming Championships”) if not for a clash with the World Swimming Championships, which was earlier in August.
I think it’s a real shame that the junior stars such as Sienna don’t have their one moment to shine in the juniors because if you qualify for the senior team you go with them instead. You can only peak for one or the other… Read more »
Without question, Australia’s worst performing team in recent memory. Only 1 podium finish and minimal finals. They should be scared for their home Olympics in 2032.
As long as we’re above New Zealand I’m good
Australia and New Zealand has siblings energy
We do. Everything that’s ours is ours. Everything that’s theirs is also ours. See crowded house, pavlova and (sometimes) Russel Crowe
I used to think Crowded House is Australian as they made my favorite song, “Four Seasons in One Day”, an ode to Melbourne.
I feel like (or maybe it’s just me) it’s developed into much more of a friendship than a rivalry lately. Like, if AUS can’t win netball, most people will want it to be NZ when previously they were our bitter rivals. Or even Jamaica. Just not England haha. But then in swimming Aussies would cheer for Brits for sure, but hate them in cricket.
Very weird to see countries like Australia and Canada behind the likes of Lithuania and Argentina
As a whole Canada swimming is not in a great place currently I feel. Summer does a great job of making them feel like a bigger powerhouse than they are. In LA I imagine masse will be retired too, penny and ruck seem out of their prime and done. Kharun and Liendo are huge talents and young and MSH exists but for the most part they don’t have a ton of depth or strength right now, especially the men
Canada has a young team there, mostly 2008 boys and a lot of young girls. Dawson missed 2 medal opportunities in the breaststrokes; Ethan Ekk could have had multiple podiums if he had attended. It’s a very fast meet, much faster than 2024.
“MSH exists” it’s such a funny drive by drag hahahah
Thank you Ainsley Trotter for brightening up my Sunday morning.
When was the last time. Australia had to wait until day 5 to win a medal in a global meet?
I suppose Montreal 1976. We won one bronze in the pool- Stephen Holland (should have been gold if he had a good swim). Basically nearly all male medals were won by the USA and all female medals were won but East Germany. That was when you could have 3 per country.
Australia built the Institute of Sport because of the poor results overall in 1976.
The one event we couldn’t win at senior worlds we pick up here in women’s backstroke
The one event we could win? There were plenty of events we didn’t win in Singapore, and if I had to choose one to mention it would be one like men’s 200IM, which we have never won and I think only medaled in once, as opposed to the 50 m back, which we won as recently as 2023!
i said in women’s backstroke .. Kaylee won 100/200 back .. 50 back went to USA