U.S. Paralympics Swimming announced that Summer Schmit has been added to their team roster for the 2023 World Championships in Manchester this summer. She is replacing Michaela Jenkins, the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic gold medalist in the 100 fly, who has opted out “due to academic commitments.”
Ticket punched 🎟
Paralympian Summer Schmit joins our 2023 World Championships roster and will compete in Manchester this summer! Summer replaces Mikaela Jenkins, who opted out of the competition due to academic commitments. pic.twitter.com/3EyksUPFo3
— U.S. Paralympics Swimming (@USParaSwimming) May 11, 2023
Jenkins is a current sophomore at Grove City College in Pennsylvania where she swims and studies biology, on the pre-med track. She earned gold in the 100 fly and 4×100 medley relay at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics. Jenkins has raced the 100 fly S10 at the past two World Para Swimming Championships, earning gold in 2019 and bronze in 2022.
19-year-old Schmit is a current freshman at the University of Minnesota. Similarly to Jenkins, she specializes in butterfly, freestyle, and IM events. During the 2022-2023 collegiate season, Schmit lowered her own American record in the 200 yard butterfly S9 to a 2:14.48.
Schmit also competed at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, placing fifth in the 200 IM, sixth in the 100 fly, and seventh in the 400 free. She made her World Championships debut last year in Portugal, earning bronze in the 400 free and placing fourth in the 200 IM.
Schmit began Paralympic swimming at age 12 in 2015, competed at the 2016 U.S. Paralympic swimming Trials less than a year later, and went on to make the U.S. para-swimming team for the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics. Born with a congenital disarticulation of the right wrist and no right hand, she competes in S9/SB9/SM9 categories.
U.S. Paralympics Swimming released the original 2023 World Para Swimming Championships roster of 16 women and six men in late April. It is a smaller team than they sent last year and spans levels of international racing experience, featuring one of the most decorated Paralympians of all time, Jessica Long, Paralympic champions McKenzie Coan, Hannah Aspden, Elizabeth Marks, and Morgan Stickney, and five para swimmers who will be making their World Championship debut in this summer. You can read our deeper analysis of the full roster here.
The 2023 World Para Swimming Championships will take place from July 31st through August 6th in Manchester.
Updated 2023 U.S. Paralympics Swimming World Championships Team
Women
- Hannah Aspden
- Olivia Chambers
- McKenzie Coan
- Julia Gaffney
- McClain Hermes
- Audrey Kim
- Ahalya Lettenberger
- Jessica Long
- Elizabeth Marks
- Hannah Nelson
- Christie Raleigh Crossley
- Summer Schmit
- Leanne Smith
- Lizzi Smith
- Morgan Stickney
- Colleen Young
Men
One of the best gophers ever! She is as fast as most of the non-para girls
A great Minnesotan Para athlete!
Congratulations Summer!