One year out from the Olympic Games Paris 2024, U.S. athletes are looking comfortable in the water.

The 2023 World Aquatics Championships – featuring competitions in six water-based sports – wrapped up Sunday in Fukuoka, Japan, and the U.S. led all countries with 44 total medals. China topped the gold-medal leaderboard with 20, followed by Australia with 15 and Team USA with seven.

All seven U.S. golds came in swimming, as did most of the total medals, which was expected as that sport has by far the most medal opportunities. However, American athletes also reached the podium in open-water swimming, diving and artistic swimming. The U.S. also had a solid showing in high diving, a sport that is not part of the Olympics. However, a long reign of dominance in women’s water polo came to an end.

Here’s a look back at Team USA’s highlights and takeaways from Fukuoka.

Olympic Qualifying Is In Full Swing

The U.S. roster for the Paris Olympics had to start filling up somewhere. Teenage swimming star Katie Grimes decided that would be July 15. The 17-year-old from Las Vegas finished third in the women’s open water 10K event to become the first Team USA athlete to qualify for the Paris Games by name. She’ll be headed to her second Olympics after being the youngest member of the 2020 team in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, in diving Team USA secured seven quotas for Paris, including two in each of the men’s and women’s 3-meter springboard events. With plenty of time still left to pick up more quotas, Team USA has already confirmed representation in five of the eight diving events. The athletes who fill those quotas will be determined at next year’s Olympic trials.

Swimmers Shine Again

Katie Ledecky’s quest to rewrite the swimming history books continued last week, as the 26-year-old won the women’s 800 and 1,500 freestyle races to bring her career totals to 16 individual world titles and 21 total – surpassing Michael Phelps’ records in both categories.

Her performances highlighted a strong across-the-board showing from the U.S. team, which led all countries with 38 total medals. Though Australia edged Team USA for golds, 13 to 7, several U.S. swimmers shined on the world stage, including rising stars Kate Douglass, Regan Smith and Jack Alexy. That trio, none of whom are older than 21, combined for 16 medals in Fukuoka.

History Made Twice In Artistic Swimming

The United States earned a silver medal in the artistic swimming team acrobatic event, marking the first time the U.S. has medaled in a team event at the world championships since 2007. It was one of four medals – two bronze, two silver – won by U.S. artistic swimmers over seven categories in Fukuoka, including another bronze by the team in the technical routine. And making the team medals even sweeter? Bill May became the first U.S. man to win a medal in the team event. May, 44, came out of retirement after it was announced that men will be eligible for the team event in the Olympics for the first time next year in Paris. Up next for the U.S.? Qualifying the team for the Olympics, something it hasn’t done since 2008.

Highlights And Takeaways From Team USA At The World Aquatics Championships

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