Erisman Siblings Positioned to Reach Short Course Worlds Together
Over the past few months, Ryan Erisman has emerged as one of the country’s best in the mid-distance and distance freestyle events. Erisman exceled while representing the United States in London in late May, and then he captured U.S. national titles in the 200 free, 400 IM and 800 free. He finished the summer ranked in the top-10 in the world in the 400-meter races of freestyle and medley as well as the 800 free, and he followed that up with a brilliant beginning to his sophomore season at Cal.
Now joining Erisman racing for the Golden Bears is younger sister Rylee Erisman, who graduated high school one year early to begin her college career at age 17. But even before that, Rylee had represented the United States in senior-level competition.
Erisman’s dominant performance at the 2025 World Junior Championships booked her ticket to the Pan Pacific Championships this summer. She took part on the U.S. women’s 800 free relay at Pan Pacs, earning silver, and she finished the summer ranked 10th in the world in the 100 free and 12th in the 200 free. While Ryan won MVP for his efforts in Cal’s first College Swimming League competition, Rylee sat that one out before excelling three weeks later, winning the 200 backstroke and earning two second-place finishes in sprint freestyle.
Now, look for the Erisman siblings to qualify for the same senior-level international competition for the first time. With the field set for this week’s U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials, both are set up to place well in their signature events.
Ryan Erisman — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
For Ryan, qualification for the Beijing-bound team would mark his first appearance on such a squad, and he stands a great chance of making the cut given that many of his top rivals have opted out of competing. None of Bobby Finke, Luka Mijatovic, Aaron Shackell or Carson Foster chose to attend, making Erisman the strong favorite in the 400, 800 and 1500 free plus the 400 IM.
Erisman will also contend for a relay spot in the 200 free, although that event features a stronger group of contenders including world-record holder Luke Hobson, Gabriel Jett and Chris Guiliano. Erisman is entered with all long course times, having little experience racing in the 25-meter format, but given his results in both short course yards and long course, he should have no trouble making the “A” cuts required to secure qualification.
Rylee, meanwhile, has the 50, 100, 200 and 400 free plus the 50 and 200 back on her schedule, and her top chances will come in the 100 and 200 free, where four spots will be available for relay purposes. Her challenge will come with experienced fields awaiting in both events: Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, Simone Manuel, Liberty Clark and Camille Spink among the contenders in the 100, while Huske, Manuel, Spink, Clark, Claire Weinstein and Anna Peplowski await in the 200. Even though Rylee did race at Pan Pacs, Short Course Worlds would mark the first senior-level global competition of her career.
The United States has a long history of siblings qualifying for major teams together, with the Walsh sisters and Shackell siblings each going to the Paris Olympics together. Ryan and Rylee Erisman have broken out simultaneously but never at the same international competition. Now, they have their chance to qualify together.
