In December, we saw multiple teenagers take home wins from the Toyota U.S. Open Swim Meet. The third night of the meet had a 15-year-old, a 16 year-old, and a 17-year-old bring home wins for U.S. Swimming. All three were young women and all three one their respective events.

Sadie Buckley, age 15, won the women’s 400-yard individual medley. Alyssa Sagle, age 16, won the 100-yard backstroke. Kennedi Dobson, age 17, won the women’s 200-yard freestyle. Is there still hope for 20-year-olds?

Gretchen Walsh helped us sort this out a bit in her performances at the 2024 Short Course World Championships. Walsh, not only showed the world that she can win at the ripe old age of 21, she chose to do it by setting 11 records.

Katie Ledecky won her eighth gold medal at the age of 27, but the oldest U.S. Female Swimmer to medal at the Olympics is Dara Torres at the age of 33.

Though we still believe in performance at any age, the trend is showing that the teenagers may take over.