Who Else Is Missing the 2023 World Championships? A List of Absent Swimmers

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 23 to 30, 2023
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Marine Messe Fukuoka
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index

With the USA finalizing its roster this past week, the field is set for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships set to be held in Fukuoka, Japan in a few weeks’ time. The competition starts on the 14th with the first swimming event starting on the 23rd.

As SwimSwam previews are released thought the coming fortnight, you can read them all here, this article looks at those swimmer’s names who will not be picked to win or even the final in Fukuoka.

Below is a list, that is by no means exclusive, of potential medal-winning swimmers (both domestic and international) who, for a variety of reasons, have decided to not participate or currently have questions about their participation at the 2023 World Championship (If we have missed any, please kindly mention them in the comments and you can view every roster SwimSwam has covered here).

Last updated: 12:24 EST 7/11

North America

USA (Pre-World Trials)

• Simone Manuel: Has stated a focus on the 2024 Olympic Trials
  • 2019 Worlds – 7 medals, 4 gold: 50/100 Free, 400 Medley Relay, and 400 Mixed Free Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – Bronze medal in 400 Free Relay
• Mallory Commerford: Has not raced since the 2022 Summer Nationals
  • 2022 Worlds – Bronze in 400 Free Relay
  • 2019 Worlds – 4 medals, 2 gold: 400 Medley Relay and Mixed Free Relay,
• Trey Freeman: Has since retired
  • 2022 – Gold in 800 free relay
• Luca Urlando: Injury and not entered into Trials
  • 2022 1st place at Worlds Trials, 5th at 2022 Worlds

USA (Post-World Trials)

• Caeleb Dressel: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 2 medals: gold in 50 Fly and 400 Free Relay
  • 2019 Worlds – 8 medals: 6 gold: 50/100 Free, 50/100 Fly 400 Free Relay and 400 Mixed Free Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – 5 medals: Gold in 50/100 Free, 100 Fly, 400 Free and Medley Relays
• Michael Andrew: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 5 medals, 1 gold: 400 Mixed Medley Relay
  • 2019 Wolrds -1 medal: silver in the 400 Medley Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – 1 medal: gold in the 400 Medley Relay
• Claire Curzan: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 5 medals, 2 gold: 400 Medley and Mixed Medley Relays
  • 2020 Olympics – 1 medal: silver in 400 Medley Relay
• Natalie Hinds: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 2 medals, 1 gold: 400 Medley Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – 1 medal: gold in 400 Free Relay
• Erika Brown: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 5 medals, 2 gold: 400 Medley and Mixed Medley Relays
  • 2020 Olympics – 2 medals, 1 silver: 400 Medley Relay
• Annie Lazor: did not make team
  • 2020 Olympics- bronze in 200 Breaststroke
• Hali Flickinger: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 2 medals, 1 gold: 800 Free Relay
  • 2019 Worlds – 1 medal: silver in 200 Fly
  • 2020 Olympics – 2 medals: bronze in 200 Fly and 400 IM
• Emma Weyant: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 1 medal: bronze in 400 IM
  • 2020 Olympics – 1 medal: silver in 400 IM
• Coby Carrozza: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 1 medal: gold in 800 Free Relay
• Phoebe Bacon: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 1 medal: silver in 200 Back
• Brooks Curry: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 3 medals, 1 gold: 400 Free Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – 1 medal: gold in 400 Free Relay
• Trenton Julian
  • 2022 Worlds – 2 medals, 1 gold: 800 Free Relay
• Leah Hayes: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 1 medal: bronze in 200 IM

Canada

• Penny Oleksiak: Has stated a focus on recovery from an injury
  • 2022 Worlds – 4 medals, 2 silvers: 400 Free Relay and 400 Mixed Free Relay
  • 2019 Worlds – 3 medals:  Bronze in 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay and 400 Medley Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – 3 medals,1 silver: 400 Free Relay
• Taylor Ruck?: Injured hand and has not raced since NCAAs (March 2023) Status Questionable 
  • 2022 Worlds – 3 medals, 2 silver: 400 Free Relay and 400 Mixed Free Relay
  • 2019 Worlds- 3 medals, all bronze: 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay and 400 Medley
  • 2020 Olympics – 2 medals, 1 silver: 400 Free Relay
• Sydney Pickrem: withdrew on 7/11 for personal reasons
  • 2022 Worlds – did not medal
  • 2019 Worlds – three medals: bronze in 200 breast/IM and 400 Medley Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – bronze medal in 400 Medley Relay
• Mabel Zavaros: withdrew on 7/11 for health reasons
  • Slated to be first Worlds appearance.

South America

Brazil

• Bruno Fratus: Recovering from shoulder surgery
  • 2022 Worlds – Did not Final
  • 2019 Worlds – Silver medal in 50 Free
  • 2020 Olympics – Bronze medal in 50 Free
• Nicholas Santos: Has since retired 
  • 2022 Worlds – 1 medal: Silver in the 50 Fly
  • 2019 Worlds – 1 medal: Bronze in the 50 Fly

Europe

Great Britain

• Adam Peaty: Withdrew from British Trials to focus on mental health and 2024 Paris Games
  • 2022 Worlds – Absent
  • 2019 Worlds – 4 medals, 3 gold: 50/100 Breast and 400 Medley Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – 3 medals, 2 gold: 100 Breast and 400 Mixed Medley Relay
• Luke Greenbank: Did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – 2 medals, 1 silver: 200 Back
  • 2019 Worlds – 2 medals, 1 gold: 400 Medley Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – 2 medals, 1 silver: 400 Medley Relay
• Kathleen Dawson: Recovering from Injury
  • 2020 Olympics – 1 medal: gold in 400 Mixed Medley Relay

Germany

• Sarah Kohler Wellbrock: Has since retired
  • 2022 Worlds – Absent
  • 2019 Worlds – 2 medals: Silver in 1500, gold in team open water
  • 2020 Olympics – Bronze in 1500

Hungary

• Kristof Milak: Has withdrawn for mental and physical reasons
  • 2022 Worlds – 2 medals: Gold in 100/200 Fly, World Record in 200 Fly
  • 2019 Worlds – 1 medal: Gold in 200 Fly
  • 2020 Olympics – 2 medals: Gold in 200 Fly and silver in 100 Fly
• Katinka Hosszu: Has announced her pregnancy 
  • 2022 Worlds – Absent
  • 2019 Worlds – 2 medals: Gold in 200 I.M. and 400 I.M.
  • 2020 Olympics – 5th in 400 I.M and 7th in 200 I.M.

Africa

South Africa

• Matt Sates: Focus on 2024 Paris
  • 2022 Worlds – 8th in 200 IM
  • 2022 SC Worlds – Gold in 200 IM, bronze in 400 IM
• Pieter Coetze: Focus on 2024 Paris
  • 2022 Worlds Jr. – Gold 200 Back
• Chad le Clos: withdrew on 7/10 due to an undisclosed illness
  • 2022 Worlds – withdrew from meet after 33rd-place finish in 50 fly
  • 2019 Worlds – 2 medals: bronze in 100/200 fly

Asia

Japan

• Yu Hanaguruma: did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – Silver medal in 200 Breast

China

• Tang Muhan: not named to team
  • 2022 Worlds – bronze in 200 Free
  • 2020 Olympics – gold in 800 Free Relay

Oceania

Australia

• Mack Horton: Did not make team
  • 2022 Worlds – Silver medal in 800 Free Relay
  • 2019 Worlds – 2 medals: Gold in 800 Free Relay, Silver in 400 free
  • 2020 Olympics – Bronze in 800 Free Relay
• Josh Edwards-Smith: Did not make team
  • Held the #1 time in 200m Back thru Aussie Trials, currently #2 in the world post-US Trials
• Cate Campbell: Has stated a focus on Paris 2024
  • 2019 Worlds – 5 medals, 2 gold: 400 Free Relay and 400 Mixed Medley Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – 3 medals, 2 gold: 400 Free Relay and 400 Medley Relay
• Bronte Campbell: Did not make team
  • 2019 Worlds – 3 medals, 2 gold: 400 Free Relay and 400 Mixed Medley Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – 2 medals, 1 gold: 400 Free Relay
• Mitch Larkin: Did not compete at trials
  • 2019 Worlds – 2 medals: gold in 4×100 Mixed Medley Relay
• Jenna Strauch: Recovering from knee injury
  • 2022 Worlds – 2 medals: Silver in 200 breast and 400 Medley Relay
• Chelsea Hodges: Recovering from hip surgery
  • 2020 Olympics – Gold in 400 Medley Relay
  • 2022 SC Worlds –  Gold and WR in 200 Medley Relay
• William Yang: Recovering from back surgery
  • 2022 Worlds – Silver in 400 Free Relay and gold in 400 Mixed Free Relay
• Zac Incerti: Recovering from shoulder injury
  • 2022 Worlds – Silver in 800 Free Relay, gold in 400 Mixed Free Relay
  • 2020 Olympics – Bronze in 400 Free Relay and 800 Free Relay