Weinstein’s road to Singapore began in April at the U.S. Open Water National Championships, where she secured her place on the open water team with a dominant win in the 5km and a runner-up finish in the 10km. But for the Las Vegas-based Sandpipers of Nevada swimmer, open water is only part of the picture. “The pool is still my main focus,” she said—and she proved it with a demanding and successful performance at the 2025 Toyota USA Swimming National Championships in June.

On the first night in Indianapolis, Weinstein took on the tough double of the 100m and 800m freestyle, finishing eighth and second respectively—the latter behind Katie Ledecky, a familiar name and frequent rival. But the turning point came two days later in the 200m freestyle final. Trailing early in the race, Weinstein surged over the final 50 meters to beat Ledecky by 0.34 seconds, clinching her place on the U.S. pool team and reaffirming her status as one of America’s brightest young stars. By week’s end, she had qualified for Singapore in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events—joining a rare group of athletes competing across such a wide range of distances and disciplines.

“It’s huge,” said Ledecky, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist whose own breakthrough came in the 800m freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics. “Claire’s got the 100 through the 10K—lots of choices. It was really impressive to see what she did, just on the first night alone with the 100 and 800 double, and she went from there. I’m excited for her, excited for her summer, and of course excited to be on a relay with her in Singapore.”

Ledecky and Weinstein have shared lanes and podiums for years, with a friendly but competitive dynamic that traces back to Weinstein’s international debut in 2022. At just 15, she finished second to Ledecky in the 200m freestyle at the U.S. team trials, qualifying as the youngest swimmer on Team USA for that summer’s World Championships in Budapest. There, she led off the U.S. women’s 4x200m freestyle relay alongside Ledecky, helping the team capture gold in championship-record time—and picking up her first world title in the process.

Weinstein’s path began even earlier. At age 13, she was one of the youngest swimmers to qualify for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, where she placed 20th in the 400m freestyle. In 2021, she made a key decision to move to Nevada to train under coach Ron Aitken with the Sandpipers, joining a powerhouse group that included Olympic medallists Bella Sims, Katie Grimes and Erica Sullivan.

Since then, her momentum has only built. In 2023, she won the 200m freestyle national title, narrowly beating Ledecky in a breakthrough moment for the teenage swimmer. One year later, at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, she earned her first Olympic berth in the 200m freestyle. In Paris, she reached the Olympic final in the event and contributed a crucial lead-off leg to the silver-medal-winning 4x200m freestyle relay, where her 1:54.88 split became the fourth-fastest 200m freestyle ever by an American woman.

Now, with a stacked program in Singapore that includes distances from the 200m to the 10K, Claire Weinstein is poised for another landmark chapter. We caught up with Claire to talk about her evolution as a swimmer, the Ledecky rivalry, and how she’s preparing—physically and mentally—for a World Championships like no other.

“Just Keep Building” | Rising Star Claire Weinstein on Racing, Resilience, and Representing Team USA

You’re heading to Singapore as a rare double threat in both pool and open water events. How does that feel?
The pool will always be my focus. I think open water is just a fun way to challenge myself and try something new. I’m glad that I’m still improving in the pool too—it shows I can do both, but the pool is definitely where my heart is.

What did it mean to win the 200m freestyle at Nationals?
I feel good—I’m just glad I got the win, honestly. I was hurting really bad from the 100 free and 800 free double earlier. All day I was convincing myself that I was fresh and felt good. So I’m just happy I was able to pull it off. I know the time isn’t exactly what I wanted—I know I can go faster—but I’m excited to have made the team in another event.

How does it feel to now be at the top of U.S. women’s 200m freestyle?
It feels great. I think I’ve been taking small steps in the right direction over the years. I used to feel jealous of swimmers who had those big breakout moments and immediately made a name for themselves. But for me, it’s been more gradual—just getting better in practice and racing consistently. Our 200 free final at Nationals was so fast, and that’s really exciting for the U.S. 4x200 freestyle relay. I’m looking forward to that.

How did the tough double on Day 1 affect how you approached your other races, like the 400m and 1500m free?
It definitely affected me a lot. I was probably the most tired I’ve ever been for a trials meet. But I think that’s a good thing—it shows I’m pushing myself. I’ve made the 200 free individually the past three years, and now I’m at a point where I can go into a trials meet with goals beyond just making the team. That mindset really helped me this year. I didn’t sleep much the night before my 400 free—I’m not even sure why—but I just told myself I felt fresh, like the 200 free was no big deal. I’m glad I have a day off now so I can reset before the 400 free.

Walk us through your 400m freestyle race—it looked like a tough one.
That was a really interesting race. I think it’s the most I’ve ever talked to myself during a race. In the first 200, I honestly couldn’t even lift my arms out of the water. I was so close to just giving up—like, “Should I just get out of this race? I don’t want to finish last and embarrass myself.” But then I started thinking, “Maybe if I catch this person, I won’t get last,” and I just kept building and building. In the end, I guess it turned out pretty well.

How do you mentally and physically manage fatigue and pain across so many events?
I think the “reps for time” that we do in training have really helped with my approach to the 100 and 800 free. Before those races, I remind myself that I have nothing to lose. I get my tech suit on and get excited to race. I’m the kind of person who just loves racing people—I love the thrill of it. That definitely helped get me through the tough sessions last night and today.

Confidence-wise, how did making the Olympic team last year shape your mindset going into this season?
Honestly, it didn’t affect me as much as people might think. Other meets this season have done more to build my confidence. Trials last year were really hard for me with everything I went through. People always bring up that I swam a 4:14 in the 400 free at Trials—that was tough. But I’m definitely in a better place now. The meets I’ve had this year, where I’ve improved my end-of-season times, have really helped me feel more confident and assertive in my racing.