SwimSwam’s Top 100 For 2025: Women’s #70-61

After an unprecedented year of racing that included the Olympics sandwiched between the Long Course and Short Course World Championships, it’s time to start releasing our fifth annual Top 100 list—check out last year’s rankings here.

As in previous years, we’ve taken a statistically driven approach reliant primarily upon world rankings and medals won at the Olympics, and to a lesser extent, Short Course Worlds and the 2024 Worlds in Doha. We’ve also taken into account things such as potential, future medal opportunities, injuries, and versatility. Long course is weighted more than short course, though performance potential in both formats is factored in.

After a large contingent of Russian and Belarusian swimmers raced at Short Course Worlds in December, those swimmers have started to move back up the rankings after they were low on the lists last year due to lack of competition.

We’ll be breaking down the top 100 into multiple installments, so keep an eye out as they’re released.

These lists are, by nature, subjective. If you disagree, leave your thoughts/ranks in the comments.

Thank you to Daniel Takata for his help with the data and compiling the rankings. 

Women’s Rankings:

• #100 – #91
• #90 – #81
• #80 – #71
• #70 – #61
• #60 – #51
• #50 – #41
• #40 – #31
• #30 – #21
• #20 – #11
• #10 – #1

#70: Jillian Cox, USA (2024 Rank: 67) — Texas freshman Jillian Cox won her first Worlds medal last year, placing 3rd in the 1500 at the SC World Championships in December. She had a “disappointing” Olympic Trials, finishing 3rd in both the 400 and 800 freestyles, just one spot away from making the team. In the long course meters rankings, Cox came in at 75th in the 200 free, 22nd in the 400 free, 12th in the 800 free, and 15th in the 1500 free. While SCY times aren’t included in international rankings, it is worth noting that Cox has been having an exceptional freshman year, swimming times in the 500 and 1650 that could bode well for a World Championships bid later this year.

#69: Nikolett Padar, Hungary (2024 Rank: 75) — Nikolett Padar, 18, had a tough start at the Paris Olympics; she was disqualified in the prelims of her signature event, the 200 freestyle. She rallied, though, and swam a lifetime best 1:56.14, leading off Hungary’s sixth-place 4×200 freestyle relay (7:50.52). That’s got to be a bittersweet feeling for Padar, as that time would’ve qualified for the Olympic final and stands as the 17th fastest swim of the year. Hungary’s women’s 4×200 freestyle relay reached new heights at the 2024 Short Course World Championships, as the quartet set a national record and earned silver. Once again, Padar led off the relay in a lifetime-best 1:52.81. Padar missed the 200 freestyle final with a 12th-place finish, but had she produced that time in prelims, she would’ve easily secured a place in the final. The 200 free is where Padar shines, though she also swam a lifetime best in the long-course 100 free (54.17) at the European Championships. This fall, Padar will head to the University of Texas, where male mid-distance freestylers have flourished.

#68: Louise Hansson, Sweden (2024 Rank: 87) — Louise Hansson has become a staple of the Swedish international roster over the last decade. The sprinter’s year started strongly in Doha, where she won her first individual long-course Worlds medal by taking bronze in the 100 butterfly. Later, she added a silver in the women’s 4×100 medley relay. That was the high point of Hansson’s year from a medal perspective; she did put up a season-best 56.93 in the Olympic semifinals before taking 8th in the final. The rising stars in the event have started to catch Hansson, and it’s going to be more difficult for her to find a spot on a major podium this year. She missed adding to her impressive Short Course Worlds career haul in Budapest, taking fourth in the 100 fly and eighth in the 100 back. That said, Hansson’s range across strokes as a sprinter gives her an edge in the rankings, she’s still a reliable threat to make the championship final, and plays an important role on Sweden’s relays.

#67: Lara van Niekerk, South Africa (2024 Rank: 40) — Breaststroke ace Lara van Niekerk missed out on the Paris Olympics for bizarre administrative reasons, which, unfortunately for her, doesn’t help her in these rankings. Nor does the fact that she was well off her 100 breaststroke best last season. However, it’s a new year, and barring her missing her cut times, van Niekerk should be back on the international stage. She’s primarily a sprint breaststroker, particularly the 50 breast, where she won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships and is the African record holder. If she can get back to her 100 breast best (1:05.47), she should get right back into the action in that event.

#66: Jenna Forrester, Australia (2024 Rank: #30) — After an explosive 2023 where she won 400 IM bronze at the World Championships and made finals in two other events (200 back and 200 IM), Australia’s young star Jenna Forrester took a bit of a step back last year. She did qualify for her first Olympic Games, but only in one event, the 400 IM. There, she finished 9th (4:40.55) just missing the Olympic final and well off her lifetime best (4:32.30). Forrester’s best swims of the year came at the Australian Trials, where she swam season-bests in the 200/400 IM that rank her 37th/18th in the world on the year. She did swim multiple lifetime bests in short-course meters at September’s Australian Short Course Championships and placed 3rd in the 400 IM. If Forrester can get back down to her lifetime bests in the long-course pool and flex the range she displayed in 2023 from mid-distance freestyle to backstroke and IM, the 21-year-old will shoot up these rankings.

#65: Kennedy Noble, USA (2024 Rank: 51) — Kennedy Noble is another swimmer who’s had to face down the American women’s depth in the backstroke events. After a breakout at the 2023 U.S. Nationals, Noble was a strong force at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She finished third in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the 200, hitting lifetime bests (58.79/2:07.52) in both events at the meet. Those swims both ranked 8th in the world for 2024 and would’ve made the Olympic finals—another signal of the U.S. depth in her events. Noble faces an uphill battle towards qualifying for a senior U.S. international team, but she’s kept improving, and if she manages to upset the established favorites she’ll be a strong contender for a Worlds final.

#64: Alina Zmushka, Neutral Athletes (2024 Rank: NR) — Alina Zmushka had a busy 2024; she raced at both the World Championships and the Olympic Games (she was one of three Belarusian swimmers approved for Neutral Athlete status for Paris). The Belarusian breaststroker made at least one final at all three major competitions. In Doha she finished sixth in the 100 breast and fourth in the 200 breast, swimming a lifetime best in 2:24.44 in the latter. She swam a lifetime best of 1:05.93 in Paris, before taking 8th in the final. Then, she made finals in all three Budapest breaststroke distances, taking fourth in the 100/200 breast with lifetime bests (1:03.41/2:17.30) and seventh in the 50 breast. Zmushka turned 28 earlier this month and is showing that she’s still a consistent finals threat in all three distances. In 2025, she’ll look to upgrade to a spot on the podium.

#63: Arina Surkova, Neutral Athletes (2024 Rank: 97) — Russian sprinter Arina Surkova swam two-lifetime bests at April’s Russian Championships, clocking 24.34 in the 50 freestyle and 57.53 in the 100 butterfly, which stand up as the 13th and 25th fastest times in the world this year. Surkova was not approved for neutral athlete status until shortly before the 2024 Short Course World Championships, which kept her out of the Paris Olympics. Once approved, she quickly got back onto the medal podium, helping the Neutral Athletes ‘A’ contingent win gold in the 4×50 and 4×100 mixed medley relays. She also finished 4th in the 50 fly, 8th in the 50 free, and 9th in the 100 fly in Budapest. At 26, Surkova appears to be back on the international scene, and the lifetime bests she swam last year—particularly the 50 freestyle—show she can get involved in the fight for a finals lane against a global field.

#62: Freya Anderson, Great Britain (2024 Rank: 81) — Freya Anderson had a difficult 2024. In March 2024, she announced she had been diagnosed with glandular fever and was “unlikely” to race at the British Olympic Trials. She was able to compete in one event, taking 3rd in the 100 freestyle. She earned a spot on the Olympic Team and contributed to the 4×100 and 4×200 freestyle relays. It was a tough break for Anderson, who’s struggled with injury in the past. At her best, Anderson is right in the thick of the 200 freestyle action, though her lifetime best of 1:55.85 now puts her with some ground to make up after the breakthroughs her competition had this year. Anderson raced at the 2024 Short Course World Championships, taking 7th in the 200 free, which was a positive sign in her recovery. If she can continue to recover well, expect to see her line up for the 200 free Worlds final and continue to play a key role in Team GB’s relays.

#61: Barbora Seemanova, Czech Republic (2024 Rank: 79) — 24-year-old Barbora Seemanova had a lot to celebrate last year. After swimming a lifetime best in the 200 freestyle (1:55.12) at the AP Race London International, she headed to Belgrade for the European Championships. She cleaned up there, winning five medals, including gold in the 100/200 freestyle. Seemanova hit the deck for her third Olympic Games in July. There, she swam the 100 free, 200 free, 100 fly, and 200 IM. Her best event was the 200 free, where she finished sixth (1:55.47), though she also swam a lifetime best in prelims of the 100 fly (57.50), eventually finishing 11th, and placed 13th in the 100 freestyle. It’s hard not to feel like unless she has a massive breakthrough, Seemanova is approaching her global championship ceiling in her primary events, particularly the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly, which are so crowded at the top. However, Seemanova keeps improving, showing she’s not one to be counted out for a surprise.