Top Competitors at the Upcoming U.S. Swimming National Championships

The final U.S. national swim meet of the summer, the 2026 Toyota U.S. Swimming National Championships, is set to air from Tuesday through Saturday on Peacock and NBCSN. This event is critical for Team USA as it serves as their last competitive opportunity before the Pan Pacific Championships in August, taking place in Irvine, California.

Notable Absentees

A few prominent swimmers will not be participating in the nationals. Katie Ledecky, Regan Smith, and Bobby Finke are concentrating on their preparations for the Pan Pacs scheduled to start 11 days after the nationals conclude.

Key Swimmers to Watch

Caeleb Dressel

Caeleb Dressel comes into the competition as the third seed in the 50m fly (23.28) and the 100m fly (51.26). The nine-time Olympic gold medalist is making a return after a break following the Paris 2024 Olympics. This year, he clocked a season-best 21.84 in the 50m free, his fastest time since the Paris event.

Gretchen Walsh

Walsh is entered only in the 50m free, where she holds the world record. Despite a limited schedule, the four-time Olympic medalist set a world record of 23.55 in the 50m free and has the fastest time in the 50m fly this year (24.51).

Kate Douglass

Douglass is the top seed in the 100m breast (1:05.27) and the second seed in the 50m free (23.59). An 18-time world champion, she recently set a 50m free world record at the TYR Pro Swim Series before Walsh bested it. Douglass has ranked in the top five in several events this season: the 50m free, 200m breast, 200m IM, and 50m fly.

Michael Andrew

• Top seed in the 50m breast (26.75)
• Second seed in the 50m fly (23.08)
• Fifth seed in the 50m free (21.78)
• Fifth seed in the 100m breast (59.99)

Michael Andrew contributed to the 4×100 medley relay win in Tokyo. He aims to make a return to the Olympics in 2028, training again in Hawaii with his father.

Katie Grimes

Grimes leads as the top seed in the 1500m free (16:04.20) and the second seed in the 400m IM (4:36.52). She made history in the 2020 Tokyo Games as the youngest U.S. Olympic swimmer since 1996, having joined the team at age 15.

Jack Alexy

Jack Alexy is the top seed in the 100m free (46.81) and will also compete in the 200m free. He notably broke Caeleb Dressel’s American record in the 100m free with a 46.81 at the 2025 World Championships, achieving a silver medal.

Emerging Talent

Van Mathias remains unbeaten in 2026 in his events, setting an American record in the 50m breast (26.30). Ilya Kharun, a newcomer to U.S. Nationals since switching citizenship from Canada, holds the top seed in both the 50m and 100m butterfly. Quintin McCarty, now the top seed in the 50m back, posted the fastest American time this year.

Luka Mijatovic broke the 15-minute barrier in the 1500m free, becoming the youngest American to do so. In addition, Virginia’s Anna Moesch leads in both the women’s 100m and 200m free, breaking the American record in the 100m earlier this year.

Additional Competitions

Isabelle Stadden, Ryan Erisman, Kieran Smith, Leah Hayes, and Bella Sims are also noteworthy competitors, each leading in various backstroke and freestyle events.