Rylee Erisman Cracks World Junior Record in 100 Freestyle; Continues Sharp Upward Trajectory
The final event of last week’s United States Trials for the World Short Course Championships will be remembered for the world record of Kate Douglass in the 100-meter freestyle. Clocking a time of 49.64, Douglass cut .29 off her previous global standard, which was set at last year’s World Cup stop in Toronto. It was the second world record of the competition for Douglass, who also equaled the all-time mark in the 50 freestyle.
While Douglass capped the U.S. Trials in style, 17-year-old Rylee Erisman also delivered a big-time performance in the final of the 100 freestyle, as she touched the wall in fourth place with a time of 51.22. That outing was good for a world junior record, bettering the 51.45 that Kayla Sanchez produced for Canada in 2018. It was the first WJR for Erisman, who is in her freshman year at Cal-Berkeley and will embrace a busy schedule at next month’s World Short Course Championships in Beijing.
Although the mark was generated in a short-course pool, the performance from Erisman was the latest evidence that she’ll be a major factor on the road to the 2028 United States Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. With LA28 looming, Douglass is the obvious favorite in the event, but Erisman finds herself in contention for a berth, alongside Gretchen Walsh, Anna Moesch, Liberty Clark and Torri Huske, among others.
In addition to her WJR, Erisman was the runnerup in the 200 freestyle (1:51.96) and 400 freestyle (4:00.25) at the U.S. Trials. Erisman’s time in the 200 freestyle moved her to No. 5 among Americans.
