SwimSwam’s Top 100 For 2023: Women’s #30-21

After the action-packed year that was 2022, we’re gearing up for another exciting year over here at SwimSwam, and part of that is releasing our third annual Top 100 list—check out last year’s rankings here.

We’ve taken a more statistically-driven approach this year, while also taking into account things such as potential, World Championship medal opportunities, injuries, and versatility. Long course is weighted more than short course, though performance potential in both formats is taken into account.

We’ll be breaking down the top 100 into multiple installments, so keep an eye out as they’re released.

These lists are, by nature, subjective. If you disagree, leave your thoughts/ranks in the comments.

Women’s Rankings:

• #100 – #76
• #75 – #51
• #50 – #41
• #40 – #31
• #30 – #21
• #20 – #11
• #10 – #1

#30: Bella Sims, USA – With such a wide-ranging skillset, it’s tough to get a read on what kind of impact Sims could make this year for the United States internationally. By qualifying for the World Championships last year in the 800 free relay, she didn’t race at Junior Pan Pacs, so we never really got to see her take on a full program in the summer fully tapered. She finished just shy of earning an individual spot at Worlds, taking third in the 400 free (4:06.61), 800 free (8:22.36) and 1500 free (16:15.87) at U.S. Trials while getting on the relay by placing fifth in the 200 free (1:57.72). In Budapest, she anchored the Americans to gold in the 800 free relay with a 1:54.60 split, and then went on to have a phenomenal short course season in both short course meters (FINA World Cup) and short course yards, setting new World Junior and National Age Group Records. Now 17, Sims, who will join the University of Florida in the fall, should be a key member of the U.S. team at the World Championships. In what event remains to be seen, but the 200 free is the frontrunner, but we could see her emerge elsewhere in long course in medley or backstroke events, where she’s been sensational in short course thus far.

#29: Shayna Jack, Australia – It’s been a rocky few years for Jack, who missed the Tokyo Olympics due to a doping suspension, and then after coming in as a medal hopeful in the women’s 50 and 100 free at the World Championships, she fractured her hand in the warm-up pool in Budapest (on the morning of the 100 free prelims), forcing her to withdraw from the meet. That came after Jack won the 50 free (24.14) and placed second in the 100 free (52.60) at the Australian Championships in May, both best times that ultimately ranked her fourth and second in the world, respectively, in 2022. The now 24-year-old had successful surgery and came back to win three medals at the Commonwealth Games one month later, including earning individual silver in the 100 free and bronze in the 50 free. While Jack ranked fourth and second in the world in her two primary events last year, she was still the second-fastest Australian in both, so she’ll have to be on her game at Trials, but she’s clearly established herself as a premier medal contender at the World Championships. After a tough stretch out of the water, Jack is back.

#28: Simona Quadarella, Italy – Quadarella has been among the top female distance freestylers in the world since she broke through and swept the 400, 800 and 1500 at the 2018 European Championships. The Italian native picked up the 2019 world title in the mile when Katie Ledecky withdrew due to illness, and has consistently found the podium at major meets, earning bronze in the 800 at both the Tokyo Olympics and 2022 World Championships. Now 24, Quadarella also repeated in the 800 and 1500 free at Euros last summer, and finished the year ranked fourth in the mile (15:54.15), sixth in the 800 (8:19.00) and ninth in the 400 (4:04.77). The main thing working against her is that she hasn’t lowered her best times since 2019, and is being slowly surpassed by the next generation of names such as Katie Grimes and Lani Pallister.

#27: Li Bingjie, China – Li is still just 20, but has been in the upper echelon of women’s mid-distance freestyle swimming for the last five years. Having swept the 200, 400 and 800 free at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacs, Li won silver in the 800 free and bronze in the 400 free at the 2017 World Championships at the age of 15. Although progress hasn’t been linear, the Chinese native has recently re-established herself near the top of the sport over the last year and a half, winning Olympic bronze in the 400 free and then claiming two SC world titles in the 400 and 800 to close out 2021. This past year, Li performed well short of expectations at the Long Course World Championships, though she still made the 800 free final and took fifth. She then obliterated the world record in the SCM 400 free in 3:51.30, but was forced out of SC Worlds after COVID went through the Chinese team. If she can carry her late 2022 momentum into this year, Li is a factor at the World Championships in a few different events, though specifically in the 400 free, there’s a stack of talent ahead of her.

#26: Yang Junxuan, China – After leading China to a gold medal and new world record in the 800 free relay at the Tokyo Olympics, having clocked 1:54.37 on the opening leg to rank ninth all-time in the 200 free, Yang won the World Championship title last year in Budapest in a time of 1:54.92. The recently-turned 21-year-old has now broken 1:55 in the event for three straight years (also going 1:54.98 in January 2020), and also has the potential to make an impact down the road in the 100 free, owning a PB of 53.02 and having split 52.7. But as the defending world champion, her true wheelhouse is the 200 free. Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus are the only others who have been under 1:55 in each of the last two years.

#25: Lani Pallister, Australia – Pallister really came into the limelight at the Short Course World Championships in December, as she rolled to a dominant sweep of the women’s distance freestyle events, including winning the 1500 by more than 25 seconds. The 20-year-old Aussie also had a very strong performance at the LC World Championships in Budapest, winning bronze in the 1500 free (15:48.96), taking fourth in the 400 free (4:02.16), and then after qualifying second into the final of the 800 free, she was forced to withdraw due to COVID-19. Had she raced the final, she would’ve been the favorite for silver, as her opening split in the 1500 (8:20.46) was within two seconds of what countrymate Kiah Melverton went to take second (8:18.77), and Pallister also went 8:17.77 at the Australian Championships in May. Finishing 2022 ranked third worldwide in the 1500 free and fifth in both the 400 and 800, look for Pallister to be a consistent podium presence in these events alongside Katie Ledecky for the foreseeable future.

#24: Lara van Niekerk, South Africa – After breaking the 30-second barrier at the end of 2021, van Niekerk became a consistent 29-point swimmer in the women’s 50 breaststroke last year. The 18-year-old South African finished the year ranked third in the world at 29.72, and won bronze at the World Championships, gold at the Commonwealth Games and silver at the SC World Championships. van Niekerk also took massive leaps in the 100 breast, as after missing the final at the World Championships, she broke through with a PB of 1:05.47 at the Commonwealth Games, winning gold over teammate Tatjana Schoenmaker. van Niekerk and Benedetta Pilato are on track to be mainstays on major podium in the 50 and 100 breast for a long time, and that includes this year, though they’ll have to contend with the likes of Lilly King and Ruta Meilutyte.

#23: Evgeniia Chikunova, Russia – Although the times were unsanctioned, Chikunova posted the fastest time in the world last year in the 200 breast, clocking 2:20.41 at Russia’s Solidarity Games in July. That edged out her previous best of 2:20.57, set in Tokyo, and then a week after turning 18 in November, she swam the second-fastest time ever in the SCM 200 breast in 2:14.70, just .13 off the super-suited world record. Given her age and trajectory, Chikunova would likely be everyone’s favorite for gold in the 200 breast this summer and next had the circumstances surrounding her home nation been different. In 2023, she’s poised to join the sub-2:20 club and challenge for gold in Fukuoka if eligible to compete.

#22: Benedetta Pilato, Italy – Given the wealth of international experience she’s accumulated, it’s hard to believe that Pilato only turned 18 on Jan. 28. The Italian has been one of the world’s premier sprint breaststrokers for the last four years, winning silver in the 50 breast at the 2019 World Championships at the age of 14, and then in 2021, at 16, breaking the world record in the event in 29.30. She’s now broken 30 seconds 21 times, including doing so in all three of her swims at the World Championships where she ultimately won silver in 29.80. Pilato’s 100 breast has slowly but surely been catching up to the elite level she showed early on in the 50, bringing her PB down sub-1:06 in 2021 before hitting a best of 1:05.70 in April 2022. She then won the world and European titles in the summer with a pair of 1:05-high swims. She’s one of the top contenders to win both events this year at the World Championships.

#21: Tatjana Schoenmaker, South Africa – After a history-making performance at the Olympics that included winning gold and setting a new world record in the 200 breast, last year was a quiet one for Schoenmaker, who opted out of competing at the World Championships and only raced internationally at the Commonwealth Games. In Birmingham, the South African native rolled to a dominant gold medal victory in the 200 breast in 2:21.92, with her prelim time of 2:21.76 ranking third in the world for the year despite being well off her world record of 2:18.95. The 25-year-old added a silver in the 100 breast behind van Niekerk, and her fastest swim of the year (1:06.06) ranked ninth in the world. As Schoenmaker ramps things back up in preparation for the 2024 Olympics, she remains the clear favorite for gold in the 200 breast this summer, especially considering the winning time at the 2022 World Championships was three and a half seconds slower than what she went in Tokyo. We also can’t overlook her ability in the 100 breast, where she’s been 1:04 multiple times and will be hard to knock off the podium if she’s back at her best.