Rylee Erisman Blasts 52.79 Effort to Win 100 Freestyle Gold at World Junior Championships; Becomes No. 6 American in History
After setting a pair of championship records during the prelims and semifinals, American 16-year-old Rylee Erisman savd her finest effort for the final of the 100-meter freestyle at the World Junior Championships. Securing the gold medal by more than a second, Erisman fired off a time of 52.79 in Otopeni, Romania to just miss the world junior record in the event.
Coming off performances of 53.17 and 53.09 in the first two rounds, Erisman destroyed those swims on Thursday night. En route to her latest championship record, Erisman was out in 25.49 and came home in 27.30. In addition to setting another meet standard, Erisman again lowered her National Age Group (NAG) record for the 15-16 classification. The mark stood at 53.55 when the meet started, meaning Erisman has sliced .76 off the record set by Claire Curzan in 2021.
By going 52.79, Erisman just missed the world junior record of 52.70, set by Canada’s Penny Oleksiak at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Oleksiak posted her time while tying American Simone Manuel for the gold medal. More, Erisman now ranks as the No. 6 performer in United States history.
Top U.S. Performers – 100 Freestyle
Simone Manuel – 52.04
Torri Huske – 52.29
Kate Douglass – 52.56
Mallory Comerford – 52.59
Gretchen Walsh – 52.78
Rylee Erisman – 52.79
Erisman, who trains with the Windermere Lakers in Florida, blew away the field, as she was followed to the wall by countrywoman Lily King (54.19) and Great Britain’s Theodora Taylor (54.20). At the start of the meet, Erisman owned a personal best of 53.75, posted at last summer’s Junior Pan Pacific Championships. A year later, she is a full second quicker, and offers significant promise for the future in international competition.
Erisman still has the 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle to come in individual action, and will continue to see relay duty at World Juniors for the United States.
