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Swimming is one of the most popular sports in the world, with countries from all across the globe tuning in to keep tabs on news related to the sport. In countries such as the United States, Japan, and Australia, the sport has seen a streamlined introduction of quality into the sport, sometimes as young as 14 or 15.
With so many talented athletes gracing the pool, here we take a look at five swimmers under the age of 20 who have the potential to achieve stardom in the future.
5 Rising star swimmers
David Popvici (Romania)
Age: 18; Events: 100m and 200m Freestyle
Although this list is in no particular order, David Popovici is the exception. His achievements so far in the sport alone make him the only person to get a ranked spot on the list.
Popovici arguably puts Romania on the map when it comes to swimming. At the World Championships in Budapest, Popovici impressively swam the 100m freestyle and the 200m freestyle, winning two golds in the process. He is also a versatile swimmer who can take on short course competitions too.
Popovici holds a long course 100m freestyle world record, three junior world records in 100m freestyle (short course and long course) and 200m freestyle.
Summer McIntosh (Canada)
Age: 16; Events: 400m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 200m and 400m medley
Canadian swimmer McIntosh is already making waves in international swimming at the age of 16. She is a versatile swimmer who can perform a variety of strokes in different pool sizes. In 2021, she entered the world stage with a bang after winning a gold medal and two silvers at the World Championships (SC) in Abu Dhabi. The following year, she took her talents to the LC World Championships, where she won two golds, one silver, and one bronze.
Katie Grimes (USA)
Age: 17; Events: 400m medley, 800m and 1500m freestyle, Open water
Grimes has become quite the celebrity in the United States over the last two years. This can primarily be attributed to her success in national events and comparisons to Katie Ledecky.
Grimes' skills really came to light at the 2022 World Championships. She swam in the 400m individual medley final and finished in second place behind Summer McIntosh. Grimes also won a silver medal in the 1500m freestyle where she was bested by Ledecky.
The 17-year-old is one of the most promising swimmers in the States today.
Mio Narita (Japan)
Age: 16; Events: 200m, 400m medley, 200m backstroke
Narita is already a star in Japan thanks to her three-medal haul at the 2022 Junior World Championships in Lima by winning the 200m medley, 400m medley, and 4×100m medley.
The same year, at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Honolulu, Narita won two gold medals (200m medley, 400m medley) and one silver medal (200m backstroke).
The Japanese swimmer is on the right path and could potentially become a potent threat from Asia.
Merve Tuncel (Turkey)
Age: 18; Events: 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle
Tuncel is showing all the signs of a star in the making. She left the 2022 Junior Worlds with three golds and one bronze medal. The Turkish swimmer also holds six Junior European titles.
As a senior, she won a bronze medal at the 2022 European Championships in Rome, six golds at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya, and one gold at the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran.
While this list only contains five swimmers, there are many more formidable swimmers ready to take on the sport on the senior stage. The future of the sport is looking bright.
