Four Storylines to Follow at the Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open ...Middle East

By Terin Frodyma on SwimSwam

2026 Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open

With a loaded psych sheet and marquee names out in full, the Sunshine State is primed to raise the heat and play host to some fast swimming at the Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open this week.

With so many major stars in attendance, here are four storylines to keep an eye on as the action unfolds in Fort Lauderdale.

Could the 2025 Ft. Lauderdale Magic Be Back in the Air for Ledecky?

One of the sport’s biggest stars is back in Fort Lauderdale, as Katie Ledecky is set to race the 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, and 1500 free this week. The last time that she raced here, she managed to turn back the clock and deliver one of the best showings of her career, blasting a new World Record in the 800 freestyle in 8:04.12, and the #2 all-time 1500 free in 15:24.51.

There is no questioning that Ledecky will be the heavy favorite to win both events, but could we see another all-time best swim from the nine-time Olympic Champion? It was right around this time last year when Ledecky managed to silence any doubters and confirm her status as one of the most dominant swimmers in history.

She will have the event fields to help elevate her back to the top of the final results once again, as she finished as the top performer in the 400, 800, and 1500 in Ft. Lauderdale last season, and runner-up in the 200 free. Ledecky sits with the 2nd-fastest entered time in both the 200 free and 400 free; only Summer McIntosh, who has had her fair share of colossal clashes with Ledecky over the last few years, is faster (1:53.65 to Ledecky’s 1:53.73 and 3:54.18 to Ledecky’s 3:56.46). McIntosh has firmly cemented her place as one of the best mid-distance swimmers in history, and will have several chances, likely side-by-side with Ledecky, to nail home further that title.

Her 800 free and 1500 free will likely not be as tightly contested, but each still has its own field looking to keep up with Ledecky, including the likes of Jillian Cox, Katie Grimes, Becca Mann, and Cavan Gormsen, among many others.

Ledecky had a very solid outing at the Pro Series in Westmont in early March, winning the 400 free (4:00.54), 800 free (8:08.57), and the 1500 free (15:40.86). Seeing how well she performed at this point in her season last year, this could be the catapult meet that kicks off a fast summer season for Ledecky.

Walsh Sisters Loaded Up On Events

Gretchen Walsh and Alex Walsh, the two sisters, are set to race in 13 races, with each also entered in some ‘non-traditional’ events that differ from their usual lineups.

Gretchen, one of the top female sprinters in history, is set to race all three sprint freestyle races, notably as a top seed in the 50 free (tied with Kate Douglass at 23.91) and 3rd seed in the 100 free. Her sort-of surprise event is the 200 free, where she enters as the #26 seed, while Alex is 12th. Her best time of 2:01.17 came at the Tennessee Invitational in November of 2023 and has not raced that event since. Her other events (the 50/100 fly and 50 back) are no strangers to her.

Similar to Ledecky, Gretchen was one of the stars of the Pros Series stop here last year, obliterating her former World Record in the 100 fly of 55.09 to become the first woman ever to crack the 55-second barrier in 54.60. As she has been many times over the last four or so years, Gretchen Walsh is a main-event-caliber swimmer who is at risk of rewriting world history any time she dives into the water.

Alex Walsh is a bit of a different story, looking to climb the world rankings once again. She is racing a more diverse lineup, including the 50/100/200 breast, 200/400 IM, 200 free, and the 200 fly. The IMs are no surprise, as she is an Olympic Silver medalist in the 200 IM (2020), a world champion (2022), and a two-time silver medalist in that event (2023 and 2025). She raises some eyebrows with her entry in the 200 fly.

She is entered in the 200 fly as the #41 seed, with her yards time of 1:49.16. We have nothing to go off of when it comes to what she is capable of going in this race (nor if she will actually race it in Ft Lauderdale). Still, her IM and mid-distance ability suggest that she could very well contend with some of the US’s best, including Regan Smith, Tess Howley, and Lindsay Looney.

Marchand Looking to Build Up for Hopeful Summer

French phenom Leon Marchand recently said he will be looking to lower his 400 IM time at the upcoming European Championships this summer, and this meet could serve as a solid stepping stone toward that goal.

Marchand raced in Westmont at the Pro Series stop in March, winning only two events (200 back and 200 breast) and choosing not to race either IM race, both of which he is the all-time top performer in. That is not the case here, as he is entered in both the 200 and 400 IM, the 200 breast, and 200 fly, all four events in which he won Olympic Golds in Paris.

One of the most exciting races to watch will be the battle between Marchand and his two training partners, Hubert Kos and  Carson Foster, in the 200 IM Marchand is entered with his other-worldly World Record 1:52.69 from the World Championships in Singapore last summer, while Kos and Foster are 2nd and 3rd on the psych sheet in 1:55.34 and 1:55.65, respectively.

Marchand will not race the 200 back, 200 free, or 400 free, all of which he raced at Westmont, but this lineup suggests a new focus on some of those more primary races as we get deeper into the long-course season.

Marchand will battle with Foster in all four of those races, and with it being nearly two months since his last racing outing, the two Bob Bowman products could push one another to strong early-season performances and set one another up for multiple battles throughout the summer.

Men’s Sprinters Galore

Caeleb Dressel, Josh Liendo, Chris Giuliano, Ilya Kharun, Patrick Sammon, and many more will make appearances in Ft Lauderdale this week. Many of whom will look to put themselves at the top of the world rankings as a top sprinter in the world this season.

Names like Liendo, Kharun, Maximus Williamson, and Quintin McCarty are all coming off their college seasons and will be looking to make an immediate splash on the long-course season. Liendo is entered in both the 50/100 fly as well as the 50/100/200 freestyles. Kharun is not entered in the 200 fly, looking to focus on sprint-focused events, both the 50/100 free and fly races. Williamson, a two-time NCAA champion in 2026, is entered in six events of his own, including all three sprint freestyle races, the 100 breast, 200 back, and 200 IM.

Dressel raced only three times in Westmont, with his top finish coming in the 50 free, where he touched 9th in 22.28. He did not finish higher than 10th in either of his other two races (10th in the 50 fly, 12th in the 100 free). Dressel, competing in his home state, will look to build on those swims with his 50/100 free and 50/100 fly lineup here. Last season, Dressel raced at the Pro Series stop in Ft. Lauderdale, though he competed only in the 50 free and 50 fly. With Dressel now having spent a good bit of time with Sporting Jax Aquatic Club and working with Aquatis Sport Performance, this may be the summer that Dressel flashes a bit of that late 2010s/early 2020s form and returns to the top of the global sprinters hierarchy.

Giuliano was one of the biggest stories coming out of the Westmont Pro Series, clocking a pair of major times in both the 50 free and 100 free, notably swimming the world’s top time in the 100 in 47.38 in the prelims of that meet. Now being surrounded by an even deeper pool of talent, including Dressel, Sammon, Liendo, Shaine Casas, and Luke Hobson, there is a strong chance that he manages to top that performance from Westmont and continue his rise in the “fastest in the world” conversation.

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