2024 Olympian Claire Weinstein (@claire_weinstein, World Aquatic bio here) won the 5 km race at the USA Swimming Open Water Swimming National Championships, setting up a tremendously full slate of potential events at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

Weinstein, standing at 183 cm, dominated the race, winning by 41 seconds, an almost unheard-of victory at the 5 km distance.

The 18-year-old, who represents the Sandpipers Of Nevada and future University of California student-athlete, will have a very busy two weeks in Singapore. Her potential schedule could look like this:

• Friday, July 18th: 5 km open water race in Sentosa Island
• Saturday, July 19th: 3 km Knockout Sprints in Sentosa Island
• Sunday, July 20th: 4x1500m mixed open water relay in Sentosa Island
• Sunday, July 27th: 400m freestyle preliminary heats at 11:00 am + finals at 8:00 pm
• Tuesday, July 29th: 200m freestyle preliminary heats at 11:00 am + finals at 8:00 pm
• Wednesday, July 30th: 200m freestyle finals at 8:00 pm
• Thursday, July 31st: 4x200m freestyle relay heats at 11:00 am + finals at 8:00 pm
• Friday, August 1st: 800m freestyle preliminary heats at 11:00 am
• Saturday, August 2nd: 800m freestyle finals at 8:00 pm

That is potentially 12,900 meters of very fast racing against the best open water and pool swimmers in the world – with potentially an opportunity to win 7 World Championship medals.

That overall performance could be very Phelpsian for the 18-year-old with significant upside who combines the speed of an Olympic 200m pool freestyler (lifetime best of 1:54.88) with the stamina of a 10 km marathon swimmer.

Claire Weinstein Pool Swimming Highlights

• She holds the world junior record in the short-course 200m freestyle in 1:51.62
• She holds a world short-course record in the 4x200m freestyle relay
• She finished 8th in the 200m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics and
• She has lifetime best times of 4:00.05 in the 400m freestyle and a 8:19.67 in the 800m freestyle

Claire Weinstein Open Water Swimming Highlights

• She has won the 5 km race at the 2022 FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in the Seychelles
• She won the 7.5 km race at the 2024 FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in Italy
• She won the 3 km Knockout Sprints at the 2024 FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in Italy
• She won the 10 km race at the 2023 World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup in Portugal
• She won a bronze medal at the 4x1500m mixed relay at the 2024 World Aquatics Open Water Swimming Cup in Hong Kong

Recalling Thomas Lurz

Weinstein’s schedule is reminiscent of the tough 45,000m racing schedule of Germany’s Thomas Lurz (MSF bio here, World Aquatics bio here) at the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona. At the age of 33, he earned a podium position in 4 events:

• silver medal in the 5 km on July 20th in 53:32.20
• bronze medal in the 10 km on July 22nd in 1:49:14.50
• gold medal in the 5 km mixed team relay on July 25th in 52:54.90
• gold medal in the 25 km race on July 27th in 4:47:27.0

Recalling Edith van Dijk

Weinstein’s schedule is also reminiscent of the tough 40,000m racing schedule of Edith van Dijk (MSF bio here, World Aquatics bio here) of the Netherlands at the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montreal where she podiumed 3 times at the age of 32:

• won a bronze medal in the 5 km on July 17th in 55:46.6
• gold medal in the 10 km on July 20th in 1:56:00
• gold medal in the 25 km race on July 22nd in 5:25.06 in an era where no mixed relays were held

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