Welcome to the SwimSwam Top 100 Swimmers of 2026: Men’s Edition. This is our outlook on the top 100 swimmers to watch globally in 2026.
Like most non-Olympic even-numbered years, the world of swimming will be scattered across the globe, with no real single meet to weigh the medals from most. That means times will rule the day in the 2026 rankings, which makes some things easier and some things harder.
The principles for ranking:
- Trajectory
- Age
- Performance in 2023-2024-2025 (more recent results weighted more heavily)
- Anomalies to trajectories (one bad year doesn’t mean a swimmer isn’t still one of the best in the world, if it was pretty isolated or illness may have impacted performance)
- Versatility. A swimmer who might be #3 in the world in three events could leap a one-trick pony who is #1 or #2 in their best event and outside the top 10 in their next-best event.
- Competitive Atmosphere. A swimmer ranked #9 in the world in a more competitive event could be ranked higher than a finalist in a less competitive event.
We start with data, and then debate, massage, re-rank, re-rank again, and eventually wind up with some vision of a top 100 that makes sense to our collective hivemind.
Note: we’ve excluded swimmers who have no sign of being in the pool in 2026, and hedged on others like Sarah Sjostrom that we expect to be back but don’t really know how they’ll be. These ranks always wind up a bit wonky because there’s so much opacity to the situations.
Men’s Rankings:
#90: Keaton Jones, USA (2025 Rank: 76) – Jones broke out at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, qualifying for the American team in Paris after dropping a time of 1:54.61 in the final of the men’s 200 back, more than two seconds faster than his PB coming into the meet (1:56.79). After placing 5th in the event at his debut Olympics in 1:55.39, the Cal Golden Bear backed up his sub-1:55 performance in 2024 by doing it again at the 2025 U.S. Nationals, clocking 1:54.85 to earn a berth at the World Championships in Singapore. Now 21, Jones ended up 12th at Worlds in 1:56.20, but his swim from Nationals ranked him 7th in the world for the year, just six-tenths shy of 3rd. He also took a step forward in the 100 back in 2025, bringing his best time down from 54.31 to 53.79 to rank 43rd in the world.
#89: Carles Coll Marti, Spain (2025 Rank: 82) – Coll Marti has been the man to beat in the short course 200 breast each of the last two years, following up his short course world title in 2024 by winning the European SC title in December in a time of 2:00.86, ranking him 6th all-time. The Spaniard also placed 5th in the 100 breast (56.28 in prelims) and 8th in the 50 breast (26.03 in semis), showing impressive range and setting himself for a strong showing at Short Course Worlds in 2026. In the long course pool, Coll Marti made big strides in 2025, lowering his best time by more than two seconds after clocking 2:08.49 in the semis at Worlds, a swim that ranked him 12th in the world for the year. He went on to take 7th in the World Championship final in 2:09.44 (touching 8th before Aleksandr Zhigaov was disqualified), giving him two career swims sub-2:10 after coming into the meet with none. In the 100 breast, his fastest swim in 2025 was 1:00.51, ranking him tied for 82nd in the world.
#88: Kamil Sieradzki, Poland (2025 Rank: NR) – Sieradzki went from being a relay-only swimmer at the 2024 Olympics to challenging for an individual medal at the 2025 World Championships. The Polish native, who turned 24 on Jan. 11, smashed his own national record in the 200 free by a full second in the semis in Singapore, clocking 1:45.00 to advance 3rd into the final while crushing his previous mark of 1:46.02. In the final, he placed 5th in 1:45.22, sitting in medal position until the last 50. Sieradzki’s swim from the semis ranked him 9th in the world for the year, while his 100 free time of 48.36 from May tied for 42nd. He followed up with a solid short course season, highlighted by winning bronze in the 200 free at SC Euros in a Polish Record time of 1:41.48 while also placing 11th in the 100 free (46.37) and 11th in the 400 free (3:39.22). He also showed off some impressive speed with multiple 20-point 50 free relay splits. At a local meet in December, he ripped off times of 21.2/46.3/1:42.8/3:40.4 in the 50/100/200/400 free and added a 50.48 clocking in the 100 fly. Sieradzki will be a medal contender in the 200 free this year at both the European Championships in long course and the Short Course World Championships, with potential to start making more of an impact in the 100 free.
#87: Edward Sommerville, Australia (2025 Rank: NR) – Sommerville is a young, burgeoning freestyler for Australia, but remains largely unproven on the international stage. The 20-year-old has had two 200 free performances that really jump off the page: He went 1:40.64 at the Australian Short Course Championships in 2024, setting a new Oceanian and Aussie Record, and then at the 2025 Australian Trials, he exploded for a time of 1:44.93, earning him a World Championship berth and jumping to #4 all-time among Aussies. The latter performance also ranked him 8th in the world for the 2025 calendar year, but at the World Championships, he wasn’t able to back that swim up, placing 17th in the prelims (1:46.72). He then led off Australia’s preliminary 4×200 free relay in 1:46.86, leading to him being left off the squad in the final. He closed out the year strong, setting a 100 free best time of 48.37 and clocking 1:45.34 in the 200 free at the Japan Open in November before adding another 1:45.3 swim in the 200 at the Queensland Championships in December.
#86: Gabriel Jett, USA (2025 Rank: NR) – Long a force in the NCAA with the Cal Golden Bears, Jett took a big step forward in 2025, rebounding from a poor Olympic Trials performance in 2024 to make the U.S. World Championship team. Jett dropped a big best time of 1:44.70 in the 200 free to place 2nd in the final at Nationals behind Luke Hobson and become the fourth-fastest American ever. He also placed 5th in the 200 fly (1:55.37) after clocking 1:54.87 in the prelims, nearing his best time set back in 2022 (1:54.37). The now 23-year-old was consistent at the World Championships, reeling off three straight 1:45 swims in the 200 free to make the final, where he ended up placing 8th (1:45.92). Having landed a spot on the Pan Pac team, Jett will be a top contender in the 200 free, 200 fly, and perhaps get the opportunity to show off some of his versatility, having notably hit a best time of 1:59.16 in the 200 IM at the U.S. Open in December.
#85: Flynn Southam, Australia (2025 Rank: NR) – Coming off a decorated junior career, Southam has made the leap to the senior international stage with plenty of success in relay events, but he’s still awaiting his next breakthrough individually. The 20-year-old first broke the 48-second barrier in the 100 free in 2023, clocking 47.77 at the Australian World Championship Trials, and after not quite doing it in 2024, he got back into the 47s in 2025, doing so multiple times. Southam set a best time of 47.69 at the Australian Trials before leading off the Aussie men to gold in the 4×100 free relay at the World Championships in 47.77. Later in the meet, he clocked 47.73 in the prelims and 47.90 in the 100 free semis in Singapore, earning him 12th place. Southam is also solid in the 200 free–he set a best time of 1:45.85 at the 2025 Aussie Trials, lowered it to 1:45.80 to place 10th at the World Championships, and then led off the Aussie 4×200 free relay to bronze in 1:45.85. In November at the Japan Open, he set a new best time of 21.85 in the 50 free, finishing the year ranked 32nd in that event, while he sat 13th at year-end in the 100 free and 24th in the 200 free. If he can carry that 47-point consistency over to 2026, Southam will be a medal hopeful in the event at Pan Pacs, not to mention a key cog for the Australian relays and an outside shot at a top-five finish in the 50 or 200 free if he can take another step forward.
#84: Jamie Jack, Australia (2025 Rank: NR) – Jack, the younger brother of Olympic gold medalist Shayna Jack, has been 5th in the 50 free at each of the past two Australian selection meets, clocking 22.06 in the final of the 2024 Olympic Trials and then 21.84 at the 2025 World Trials. However, the now 23-year-old took a big step in August at the U.S. Pro Championships in Irvine, setting a best time of 21.63 in the prelims of the 50 free before matching it in the final and booking the victory. The following day, he fired off a time of 21.43 in a time trial, ranking him 4th all-time in Australia and tied for 4th in the world in 2025. And though it’s not a direct comparison, that time was faster than what it took to win bronze at the World Championships. He’s also consistently been between 48.3 and 48.9 in the 100 free, and could be a contender for a spot on the Aussie 4×100 free relay at Pan Pacs if he continues to develop in the event. But his bread and butter right now is the 50 free, and 2026 will be a big year as he looks to establish himself as one of the world’s best after the 2025 breakout.
#83: Vladyslav Bukhov, Ukraine (2025 Rank: 73) – Bukhov is in a similar spot to Jack, but with one key difference. The Ukrainian is a world champion, having upset Cameron McEvoy for the 50 free title at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, clocking 21.44 in the final (to McEvoy’s 21.45) after setting a lifetime best of 21.38 in the semis. In 2025, Bukhov showed solid form at the European U23 Championships in June, putting up a time of 21.52 in the prelims, which proved to be his fastest for the year and ranked him tied for 8th globally. He ended up falling to silver in the final at U23 Euros in 21.74, and then at Worlds, he finished 13th in 21.82. At the SC European Championships in December, he produced a pair of 20.7 relay splits, but failed to advance out of the heats in the 50 free (21.48). The 23-year-old will be one of the favorites for gold at LC Euros this year in the 50 free, as with Ben Proud joining the Enhanced Games, only Egor Kornev and Andrej Barna were faster among Europeans in 2025.
#82: Ivan Kozhakin, Russia (2025 Rank: NR) – A veteran breaststroker, Kozhakin made his major international debut at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, placing 4th in the 50 breast (26.73) at the age of 27. Kozhakin also split 58.73 on the Russian men’s 4×100 medley relay in the prelims, earning a gold medal after the team was victorious in the final. Earlier in the year at the Russian Championships in April, Kozhakin went 26.46 in the 50 breast, a new national record that ranked him 4th in the world for the year and 6th all-time among Europeans. At the Sette Colli Trophy in May, he went 59.14 in the 100 breast, a season-best that ranked him 12th in the world for the year. If Russians are able to race at the European Championships this year, Kozhakin will be a podium threat in both sprint breaststrokes. He’s also been as fast as 25.9/56.6 in short course meters, so he could be a factor at SC Worlds as well.
#81: Andrei Minakov (2025 Rank: 67) – Minakov is in an interesting spot in his career. After hitting the heights of an individual silver medal at the 2019 World Championships in the 100 fly (50.83) and breaking the World Junior Record in the 100 free in 2020 (47.57), he’s yet to reach another major international podium individually, though he has racked up the relay medals. In 2025, Minakov wrapped up his collegiate career at Stanford in March, and then lowered his best time in the 100 fly for the first time in six years in April, clocking 50.82 at the Russian Championships. He produced three more 50-point swims in the 100 fly at the World Championships, ending up 6th in the final (50.90), and he also split 50.17 on the Russian men’s winning 4×100 medley relay while taking 19th in the 100 free (48.48). The 23-year-old is coming off a strong finish to 2025, clocking 49.23 in the SCM 100 fly at the Salnikov Cup in December, indicating he’s in a good spot entering 2026, where LC Euros (assuming Russians can compete) and SC Worlds will be his main focuses.
Lowkey already a stacked list and we aren’t even a quarter of the way through
Where is my lord and savior Michael Andrew
I’ll be very surprised if he is in the top 80
Why is the one trick Flynn Southam below super sigma male Gabriel Jett
Everything else isnfine
Flynn is 3 years younger and a triple world champion so is somewhat proven, while I don’t believe Jett has ever won a medal. I don’t think one spot difference in the 80s is much of a big deal anyway
Jett below southam is a bit diabolical I cant lie. Hes in the 60’s imo
Real ones know in a years time Jett will be top 20
Jamie Jack would totally rank top 5 for the hottest male swimmers alive 🥵
lol really? When I look at his face all I see is Shayna with shorter hair.
Ponti, however…
That Grousset/Ponti/Ceccon 50 fly podium at Worlds felt like the universe making a meme.
Most handsome podium in the history of all men’s sports probably.
Easily!
I’m surprised Jamie Jack ranked ahead of both Southam and Somerville based on his international experience
They said they were focussing more on times. Jamie ranked 4th in the world in the 50, Flynn was 11th in the 100 and Ed was 8th in the 200. So I guess they gave the edge to the one with a time closest to a medal time (and Jamie’s time would have medalled if he swam it at worlds).
Talking more generally though, Jamie is the most likely to end the year without any kind of medal since he may not make a relay.
They should also take into account in ranking that it wasn’t done in a race situation but a time trial ..
I know it’s only one place but I personally wouldn’t have Jack ahead of Southam given he’s yet to produce when it matters.
Minakov over Dressel?
Dressel didn’t qualify for Singapore nor did he qualify for Pan Pacs this year.
I’m taking Dressel over Minakov
In his best event, Minakov went 51.8 during the summer of 2017. In 2026, his PB is 50.8
I’m really confused by how you think this supports Dressel over Minakov at all?
Trajectory: Minakov set multiple PBs in 2025 and Dressel was nowhere near any of his.
Age: Minakov 23 to Dressel 29
Performance: Minakov beat Dressel in all their events in 2025
Versatility: yeah overall Dressel has more but not based on recent performance
Competitive atmosphere: they swim the same events and Minakov was faster
Your point is moot.
“Multiple PBs” = 1 and that PB was a 50.82 in the 100m fly. He first went 50.8 in 2021 (50.86).
Tell me with a straight face that you’d pick Minakov over Dressel in 2026.
Dressel barely came back and is already within half a second of what Minakov has been going for years in the 100 fly. His 100 free PB is from 5+ years ago.
People are very much “what have you done for me lately?” in the comment section
I don’t think you understand the term “moot”. I literally just looked at the criteria that you quoted and applied them. If you don’t care about the criteria then dont pretend you do.
I would absolutely pick Minakov in 2026 because Dressel literally cannot qualify for an international LCM meet this year.
You can absolutely say that you, personally, would rank Dressel higher. But the criteria don’t support your opinion.
Bobthebuilder you haven’t figured it out yet??? Only Australians, and specifically GOATKeowns’, opinions matter (in all of his various iterations over the years).
You’re probably an American (also known as a non-Australian, for those of us who have picked up on the fact that you’re not an American), so your opinion doesn’t count.
Try to keep up!
you said he set multiple PBs in 2025. He set one in 2025. That makes your entire argument irrelevant to me. Come back in a year and we’ll see who’s higher, Minakov or Dressel.
I will come back to this in a year. The fact that people think Minakov will be higher ranked at the end of this coming year is so insane to me.
if you knew what moot actually means, you wouldn’t be making this case for dressel
Here, to help you out: “To render (a subject or issue) irrelevant.”
oh I know what it means. making this extensive case for dressel is moot because he has no opportunity to swim an international lc championships in the defined time period of 2026, when lc comprises most of the weighting here. dressel is barred from pan pacs, while minakov can swim at euros.
the multiple PBs claim does not make disqualify their argument because you only addressed one criteria of the 5 you laid out yourself. even if the trajectory criteria is conceded, minakov still clearly comes ahead in 4/5 of your self-defined criteria, thereby being an obvious pick over dressel
Why do you two keep bringing up Dressel not making Pan Pacs? This is written in the article:
“Like most non-Olympic even-numbered years, the world of swimming will be scattered across the globe, with no real single meet to weigh the medals from most. That means times will rule the day in the 2026 rankings, which makes some things easier and some things harder.”
Minakov DOES NOT come out in front of Dressel in terms of versatility. Don’t be brain dead. Dude has 1 event. his best time in the 50 fly is 3 tenths off of what Dressel has been going at these last few meets, his best 50 freestyle is a 22.4. His best 100 free is from… Read more »
yes and based on current and recent form as well as age, its actually not controversial.
AGE?!?!
I think neither of them should be on the list to be honest.
Minakov is quite the relay jobber for Russia
You are probably closer to the truth to be honest