Newcomers to watch at the 2025 World Swimming Championships

NBC Sports

3 days ago

From Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh facing off in the 800m freestyle to Lilly King swimming the final race in her professional career, the 2025 World Swimming Championships will be filled with unforgettable races from some of swimming's most familiar faces.
But it will also be filled with a whole new slate of young swimmers making their debut on the international stage and previewing what the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games might have in store.
With the 2025 World Swimming Championships set to take place in Singapore beginning tomorrow, let's look at some of the rising American stars to keep an eye on throughout the meet.
Nick Zaccardi,
Campbell McKean
50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke
Campbell McKean (mick-CANE) is a name you should expect to see all over the breaststroke events in the next few years. The 18-year-old from Bend, Oregon, made history at the U.S. Open when he became the first male swimmer 18 or under to break 59 seconds in the 100m breaststroke. McKean will be vying for a medal in the 100m breaststroke– as he is seeded fourth– but he shouldn't be overlooked in one of the newest Olympic races, the 50m breaststroke, in which he won the national title over veteran Michael Andrew this year.
Caroline Bricker
200m butterfly
Caroline Bricker, a rising junior at Stanford University, is set to make her debut on the international stage after shocking the crowd at the U.S. Open– and herself– as she won the national title in the 200m butterfly. Bricker, who was seeded seventh coming into the meet, unexpectedly surged past Olympic gold medalists Regan Smith and Alex Shackell on the final lap of the race, out-touching Smith at the wall and clocking a lifetime best that was nearly four seconds faster than her entry time. Bricker is coming into the World Championships as the fourth seed, but it would be no surprise if she ended up on the podium with a new lifetime best swim.
Luka Mijatovic
400m freestyle
Rising high school junior Luka Mijatovic (mee-YAH-duh-vitch) is set to be the youngest American male to compete at a World Championships since Michael Phelps in 2001. The 16-year-old finished second in the 400m freestyle at the U.S. Open behind Rex Maurer, shattering his own national age group record for 15-16-year-olds, while also swimming under the 17-18-year-old record. Mijatovic also broke the 200m freestyle record for 15-16-year-olds and swam faster than Michael Phelps' 17-18 record set in 2003. The World Championships will be the perfect opportunity for Mijatovic to get his foot in the door with swimming on an international stage. Mijatovic is seeded 11th in the 400m freestyle.
McKenzie Siroky
50m breaststroke
Three years ago, McKenzie Siroky (sir-OH-kee) was committed to play Division I hockey. Two years ago, she swam her first-ever long-course meet and qualified for the Olympic Trials. Now, she's competing in the 50m breaststroke at the World Swimming Championships against the best swimmers in the world. The best part is, Siroky even has a chance to end up on the podium, as she is seeded fifth, less than two-tenths of a second behind Olympic gold medalist King.
For someone who has a unique story, Siroky had nothing short of a unique qualification for this meet. After tying Emma Weber for second in the finals of the U.S. Open, the two had a swim-off, where Siroky swam a lifetime best 30.05 to claim the spot. Siroky is just getting started, and she will be a name to keep an eye on as the 2028 Olympics near.
Rex Maurer
400m freestyle, 400m IM, 4x200m freestyle relay
Rex Maurer had one of the biggest breakthrough seasons in collegiate swimming history this year. After missing the finals by a landslide at the 2024 NCAA Championships in the 500y freestyle and 400y IM, Maurer was crowned NCAA champion in both events a year later. He then brought that momentum into the U.S. Open earlier this summer, swimming arguably the best meet of his career en route to qualifying for his first World Championships.
Maurer became the third-fastest American in the 400m freestyle and broke the 17-year-old U.S. Open record while shattering his own personal best time by over three seconds. Maurer is seeded seventh in this event, but he ranks second in the world this season, only behind Germany's Lukas Martens. Maurer is seeded eighth in the 400m IM, standing as a strong contender to make the final and fight for a podium spot. Maurer will also swim a leg in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Gabriel Jett
200m freestyle
While Gabriel Jett might be slightly older than the rest of the newcomers making their first World Championship appearances, he is not to be overlooked. The 22-year-old finished just behind Olympic bronze medalist Luke Hobson in the 200m freestyle at the U.S. Open to claim a spot on the World Championship team for the first time in his career. Jett is heading to Singapore as the fourth seed, just one hundredth of a second behind Great Britain's Matthew Richards, and is hoping to leave with some hardware.
How to Watch 2025 World Swimming Championships
The 2025 World Swimming Championships will stream on Peacock starting Saturday, July 26.
● Dates: July 26 - August 2
● Venue: Singapore Sports Hub
● Streaming: Peacock