Claire Weinstein wasn’t sure she was going to be back to an elite swimmer for the USA Swimming Short Course World Championship trials.
She wasn’t sure she would ever be back to elite status.
Weinstein battled viral meningitis for most of 2026. It took a complete toll both physically and mentally on the NCAA champion and Olympian.
But Weinstein felt healthy enough to give it a go in Westmont.
Weinstein ended up winning the 400 freestyle to qualify for the world championships in Beijing.
“It has been super rough. Viral meningitis is a really serious illness. I have downplayed it a lot when I explained it to people, but it was super, super rough,” Weinstein said. “Honestly there was a time when didn’t think I would be able to be a high-level athlete or be racing again.
“I am thankful that I could get some race reps in and do it in a healthy way, not a way that would send me backwards in this long journey I’ve been through.”
Viral meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges specifically caused by a viral infection. The meninges are the areas surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
The journey was agonizing for the Cal and Sandpipers swimmer. While it took a toll physically, the mental toll was just as tough.
“I definitely came out of it with a new perspective. I’ll never take for granted being healthy enough to train and push my body athletically. It was a really unfortunate scenario. It wiped out my summer of training,” Claire Weinstein said. “I have known the past couple weeks that I needed to get back into racing. But it has been a hard balance. As I got healthy, I was trying to measure what my body could take and whether it was sending be backwards in health. I was super nervous to get back because I haven’t raced in so long. I thought this was going to be a good meet – a low-pressure meet. I know it sounds funny that a worlds qualifying meet is low pressure, but I came in with no expectations. I didn’t think a college meet was the best to be the first one back because they are so high energy and tough on the nervous system.”
Weinstein won the race in 4:00.18, holding off Rylee Erisman (4:00.25). The two were pretty much stroke-for-stroke the entire race.
“It is hard. Yes, I got the win, but it is not a time I am proud of. But I am proud of the progress I made, she said. “I am trying to get healthy and see what my body can handle again.”
Weinstein and her coaches have been watching everything closely to make sure they are doing what is best for her body at this point.
“I am not completely out of the woods yet, but hopefully I can move forward and get back into racing and being in the flow of being an elite athlete again,” she said. “I just want to manage the toll it takes on my nervous system.”
Her victory wasn’t painless, but it was the first step toward bigger goals as Weinstein builds back into her Olympic form.
“It didn’t feel very good, but I know I get better the more I race, so this is a good baseline to set to figure out where I am and where to go from here,” Claire Weinstein said.
