Emma Weyant Hoping for Return to Medal Form as Top American Hope in 400 IM
A fifth-place finish in the 400 individual medley at last year’s World Championships marked the first time Emma Weyant had ever missed an international podium in her career. Weyant had previously won Olympic silver in the event in Tokyo and then bronze medals at the 2022 World Championships and Paris Olympics. She was absent from the global level in 2023 following a controversial disqualification in the event’s prelims at U.S. Nationals.
Now, though, Weyant heads into the summer season in strong position in the longer medley. She is a rare example in 2026 of a swimmer excelling in just one event, and she remains the standard for the United States at the moment. At the recent Fort Lauderdale Open, the 24-year-old swam a time of 4:35.23 to earn the win in comfortable fashion. That makes her the fifth-fastest swimmer in the world this year behind world-record holder Summer McIntosh, China’s duo of Yu Zidi and Ke Wenxi and McIntosh’s Canadian teammate Mary-Sophie Harvey.
Last year, Weyant actually had her fastest time of the year at a similarly-timed meet in Fort Lauderdale, so she will be aiming to improve her positioning gradually throughout the summer on the way to the Pan Pacific Championships in August. Weyant will face strong competition at that meet from the Canadians as well as co-World Championships silver medalists Jenna Forrester (Australia) and Mio Narita (Japan). The Chinese standouts may also make an appearance. Still, reaching the podium is within Weyant’s capabilities, even with a dominating force like McIntosh expected to headline the event.
Further U.S. prospects in this event, however, are murky. Joining Weyant on the Pan Pacs team in this event are Virginia swimmers Katie Grimes and Leah Hayes, both of whom topped out in the 4:36-range last year. Grimes was the silver medalist in the 400 IM at the 2022 and 2023 Worlds as well as in Paris, but she ended up sixth at Worlds last year before posting mixed results during the college season. She ended up fifth in the 400-yard IM at the NCAA Championships while Hayes, who swept the medley races at the World University Games, came in 10th on the college level.
The format of Pan Pacs allows swimmers to race any events once they have qualified for the meet, and there are other swimmers with 400 IM capabilities scheduled to race in Irvine. Caroline Bricker, on the team for the 200 fly, was the NCAA champion in the 400-yard IM last season, but she struggled in her junior campaign at Stanford. Meanwhile, Regan Smith is the second-quickest American thus far in 2026, having gone 4:35.79 in March, but Smith is likely to focus on her signature backstroke events plus the 200 butterfly.
Outside of Pan Pacs, Bella Sims could choose to pursue this event in long course after her NCAA Championships win in the yards event in 3:58.08. Lucy Bell and Teagan O’Dell were the only other U.S. swimmers to crack 4:00 on the college level, but like Sims, neither has shown the ability to contend internationally in the long course event.
Meanwhile, Sadie Buckley could move herself into the mix after the 16-year-old from Nation’s Capital Swim Club clocked 4:39.79 for second place behind Weyant in Fort Lauderdale. Buckley has made enormous drops in the event as of late, having topped out at 4:45.21 last summer before cutting two seconds in the Fort Lauderdale prelims and two more at night.