The 2026 Toyota U.S. Swimming National Championships is set to take place from Tuesday to Saturday. It’s airing live on Peacock and NBCSN. This event is critical for Team USA as it’s the last national event before the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, starting in August. This will be the first major international long-course meet in the U.S. since the 2010 Pan Pacs.
Some notable athletes, including Katie Ledecky, Regan Smith, and Bobby Finke, will skip nationals to prepare for the upcoming Pan Pacs, which will begin merely 11 days later.
Stars to Watch at Nationals
Caeleb Dressel
Caeleb Dressel is competing as the No. 3 seed in both the 50m fly (23.28) and 100m fly (51.26). After taking a break post the 2024 Paris Olympics, Dressel, holder of nine Olympic gold medals, is gradually returning to form. In 2026, he achieved a personal season-best of 21.84 in the 50m free at the Indianapolis Pro Series, marking his fastest time since Paris.
Gretchen Walsh
Despite a restricted schedule leading up to the Pan Pacs, Gretchen Walsh enters nationals with the spotlight on her. She holds world records in the 50m free and 100m fly, having recently lowered her 100m fly mark to 54.33 and set a new 50m free record of 23.55. Walsh also recorded the world’s fastest time this year in the 50m fly (24.51).
Kate Douglass
Kate Douglass comes in as the No. 1 seed in the 100m breast (1:05.27) and No. 2 in the 50m free (23.59). The five-time Olympic medalist recently set a world record in the 50m free at the TYR Pro Swim Series before Walsh claimed the mark days later. Douglass ranks in the top five across four different events, demonstrating her versatility and high performance.
Michael Andrew
Michael Andrew is the top seed in the 50m breast (26.75), No. 2 in the 50m fly (23.08), and No. 5 in both the 50m free (21.78) and 100m breast (59.99). Andrew is training with his father in Hawaii as he eyes a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.
Katie Grimes
The top seed in the 1500m free (16:04.20) and No. 2 in the 400m IM (4:36.52), Katie Grimes first made headlines as the youngest U.S. Olympic swimmer since 1996. In 2026, she ranks 12th globally in the 1500m free and 19th in the 400m IM.
Jack Alexy
Jack Alexy leads as the top seed in the 100m free (46.81) and plans to compete in the 200m free. He broke Caeleb Dressel’s American record in the 100m free, clocking a 46.81 at the 2025 World Championships.
Emerging Stars to Know
Van Mathias is the fastest breaststroker in American history, setting an American record in the 50m breast (26.30) and has remained undefeated in 2026. Ilya Kharun holds the top seeds in the 50m and 100m butterfly events, transitioning from Canadian to U.S. citizenship in January.
Quintin McCarty recently lowered his 50m free season-best to 21.43, making him the fastest American this year. Luka Mijatovic, at 17, became the youngest American to break 15 minutes in the 1500m free earlier this season.
In the women’s events, Anna Moesch stands out as the top seed in the 100m and 200m free. Isabelle Stadden leads the backstroke events, while Ryan Erisman and Kieran Smith lead in the freestyle and medley events, respectively.
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