Who Leads the World Rankings With Less Than 90 Days To Paris? (Women’s Edition)

By Giusy Cisale on SwimSwam

There are less than 90 days until the start of the 2024 Olympic Games. There are still plenty of big meets between now and then, including U.S. and Australian Olympic Trials in mid-June. From the season opening World Cup circuit, the 2024 World Championships, and meets like the Australian Open and Tyr Pro Swim Series, swimmers have been putting up fast times all season.

And as the spring rolls on and many countries have already held Olympic Trials or closed their qualification period, it’s beginning to become clearer who is going to be a medal threat in Paris and the times that it may take to get into the final, much less onto the podium.

Heading into the next round of senior level international and domestic meets, here is the state of affairs for the women’s events-the top five so far this season as well as what the medal table would look like based on this season so far.

Note: There are Russian swimmers included in the top five rankings but none are included in the medal tables.

WOMEN’S 50m FREESTYLE

The 2024 World Championships held in Doha last February inevitably influenced the seasonal world rankings. In the spritn freestyle, the top three positions reflect the Doha podium, where Sarah Sjostrom took gold in 23.69, Kate Douglass silver by setting the American record in 23.91, and Poland’s Kasia Wasick bronze in 23.95.

WOMEN’S 100M FREESTYLE

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey during day 3 of the first stop of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, last October, ripped a winning time of 52.02. The result represent the fastest 100m freestyle of her career rendering her the #3 performer in history and 1st in the world in this season. Behind her is the reigning world champion, Dutch Marrit Steenbergen, who took gold at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, with a time of 52.26.
The Australian Mollie O’Callaghan and Meg Harris, looking forward to the Olympic Trials next June, warmed up at the National Championships in the Gold Coast, running the third and fourth fastest times in the world.

WOMEN’S 200M FREESTYLE

The top 5 in the world in the women’s 200-meter freestyle could be the stars of the Olympic final event in Paris. World Record holder, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan achieved a time of 1:53.57 at the Australian Open Championships, the only one in the world so far to have swum under 1:54. Chasing her already at this point in the season are two candidates for the Olympic podium: Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey with 1:54.08 and talented Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh with 1:54.21. The top 5 in the world are also the only ones who have currently achieved a time under 1:55.

WOMEN’S 400M FREESTYLE

Three months before the Olympics, three women have dropped below 4:00 in the women’s 400m free. Ariarne Titmus, who holds the World Record with 3:55.38, clocked 3:59.13 at the Australian Open Championships. Canadian Summer McIntosh, recorded a 3:59.42 last November at the Greensboro leg of the Tyr Pro Swim Series. Both have yet to face their respective Olympic Trials. The other swimmer to have already broken the 4-minute mark is kiwi Erika Fairweather with her gold medal-worthy time at the Doha 2024 World Championships, 3:59.44

WOMEN’S 800M FREESTYLE

Katie Ledecky, Ariarne Titmus and Italy’s Simona Quadarella took gold, silver and bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the women’s 800m freestyle, respectively. We find them again at this point in the season among the top 5 performers in the world, ranked second, fifth and fourth. Ahead of them all at the moment is Summer McIntosh with an 8:11.39 achieved at the Southern Zone South Sectional Championship last February. Katie Ledecky won the Olympic title in the women’s 800m free three consecutive times. Her Tokyo Olympic gold medal was also her 6th gold, making her the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history (most gold medals).

WOMEN’S 1500M FREESTYLE

American Katie Ledecky became the first woman to win the Olympic title in the women’s 1500m freestyle (which made its debut in Tokyo 2020). She is currently first in the world with a time of 15:38.81 achieved in Knoxville during the Pro Swim Series last January. The question at this point in the season will be the same one we will be asking ourselves just hours before the event at the 2024 Paris Olympics: is there anyone on planet Earth who can fight Katie Ledecky‘s dominance in the event?

WOMEN’S 100M BACKSTROKE

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown dominate backstroke events. As we pointed out, Multi-Olympic medalist McKeown ended the 2024 Australian Open Championships two weeks ago with a successful 4 out of 4 gold medals.

The 22-year-old starred in all of her events, taking the podium in the 50m/200m backstroke and the 200m/400m IM.

As it stands right now, McKeown is the #1 swimmer across each of the aforementioned events, giving credence to the opinions that voice she is the best overall swimmer on the planet at the moment.

Solidifying McKeon’s power in the 100m back was the World Record of 57.33 set during the World Aquatics World Cup last October, lowering her own world record set in 2021 in 57.45 at the Australian Olympic Trials.

WOMEN’S 200M BACKSTROKE

WOMEN’S 200M IM

At the Australian Open Championships two weeks ago, Kaylee McKeown achieved the world’s only sub-2:07 result, sending a clear signal to her challengers. Positions #2  through #5  achieved times under 2:08 with Americans Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh and Canadian Summer McIntosh still facing their respective Olympic Trials, where they could surprise with outstanding performances

WOMEN’S 400M IM

Kaylee McKeown has her sights set on the 100m/200m back, 200m IM, women’s 4x200m free relay, women’s 4x100m medley relay and the mixed medley relay at the 2024 Paris Olympic. Despite McKeown’s leading world result of 4:28.22 from Australian Open Championship coming within striking distance of Canadian Summer McIntosh‘s world record, the Aussie said after her race, that she is ‘one and done’ and will not be taking on this event at June’s Olympic Trials.

WOMEN’S 100M BREAST

2024 saw the rise on the international scene of 20-year-old Chinese Tang Qianting. After winning the gold at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, Tang Qianting twice lowered the Asian Record during the Chinese National Championships, which ended just a few days ago. With the time set in Shenzhen of 1:04.39, she ranked #1 in the world and could attack Lilly King‘s World Record of 1:04.13.

WOMEN’S 200M BREAST

Four women have already dropped below 2:20 in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke this season. South African Tatjana Smith (born Schoenmaker) is currently the fastest in the world with a time of 2:19.01 achieved at the South African National Championships. Smith is the reigning Olympic champion having won gold in Tokyo with a time of 2:18.95.

Noted that the current World Record holder, Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova will skip Paris 2024 Olympics and will not seek neutral status for the Paris Olympics this summer because of the International Olympic Committee’s restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes.

WOMEN’S 100M FLY

3 of the 5 fastest athletes in the world right now are American, which gives an idea of the battle we will see next June for the two spots available for Paris. Torri Huske at the San Antonio leg of 2024 Tyr Pro Swim Series scared off her personal best and U.S. Open Record by swimming 55. 68. It seems Huske is ready to take on Paris, and she has the fastest time in the world over Yufei Zhang of China’s 55.86, the only other swimmer this season to break 56 seconds so far in this event. Alex Walsh is No. 4 in the world and takes over No. 2 American this season.

WOMEN’S 200M FLY

Another major player in the seasonal world rankings is American Regan Smith. We talk about her here in the women’s 200-meter fly, where she’s #1 with a time of 2:04.80, the only one in the world to go under 2:05. However, Smith will have epic battles with Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, with whom she will most likely have to fight for the Olympic title in the 100 and 200-meter backstroke. Regan Smith is currently second in the world in both the women’s 100 and 200-meter backstroke.

SwimSwam: Who Leads the World Rankings With Less Than 90 Days To Paris? (Women’s Edition)