Kathryn Eileen Grimes also known as Katie Grimes, 18, is a well-known American swimmer. She took home silver in the 400-meter individual medley and 15000-meter freestyle events at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, she finished fourth in the 800-meter freestyle, making her the youngest member of the US Olympic Team at 15 years old. She is currently an 18-year-old competitor in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Katie Grimes’ Family Life and Swimming Beginnings
Katie Grimes was born on January 8, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada to parents Shari and Christian Grimes. She comes from an athletic family as the youngest of 7 children.
Grimes began swimming at the young age of 6 when she watched her two older brothers practicing with the Sandpipers competitive swim club in Nevada and wanted to join them. Within a year of her first lessons, Grimes had joined the Sandpipers and quickly dedicated herself to the sport.
Both of Grimes’ parents come from athletic backgrounds themselves. Her father Christian played baseball and football growing up. Meanwhile, her mother Shari was a tennis player. Grimes’ brothers are also all athletic as well.
Grimes’ parents Shari and Christian realized when Katie was 12 that they would need to provide immense encouragement, support, and sacrifice for Katie to fulfill her potential.
She is currently still a high school junior. As Grimes prepares for the 2024 Olympic Trials, she continues to train hard with the Sandpipers club in Nevada under long-time coach Ron Aitken.
Katie Grimes Qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024
At just 17 years old, swimmer Katie Grimes etched her name in the record books by becoming the first American athlete across all sports to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Grimes secured her spot on the Paris team by winning a bronze medal in the 10km open water race at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan on the morning of Saturday, July 22nd. It was a tight finish, with Grimes edging defending world champion Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands and reigning Olympic gold medalist Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil by the slimmest of margins.
“I knew it was a photo finish, so I was a little anxious waiting for those results,” Grimes said, as quoted by USA Swimming. “I was in a little bit of shock because (making the 2024 Olympic team) was such a big goal of mine. I just didn’t think it was going to come this soon.”
Grimes said
While the U.S. had previously qualified quota spots for Paris across various sports, Grimes is the first to officially earn a place for herself on the 2024 team. Her world championship medal was crucial, as only the top three finishers in the 10km race qualified for next year’s Olympics.
Katie Grimes’s Swimming Career So Far
Katie Grimes began her swimming career very early on, joining the Sandpipers competitive swim club as a young child growing up in Nevada. Training with the Sandpipers nurtured Grimes’ talents from a young age.
Katie Grimes in the Tokyo Olympics
Grimes had a breakout performance at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, qualifying for the Tokyo Games in the 800m freestyle at just 15 years old. She placed 2nd behind legendary swimmer Katie Ledecky, who prophetically praised the teenage Grimes as the “future” of American swimming following the race.
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When Grimes arrived in Tokyo, she was the youngest athlete on the entire U.S. Olympic team. She continued to impress by ranking 2nd overall in the 800m prelims with a time just over a second behind Ledecky. While Grimes finished just off the podium in 4th place in the event final, she was within striking distance of the silver and bronze medalists.
Her World Championships
In December 2021, Katie Grimes represented the U.S. during the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) held in Abu Dhabi. She competed in both the open water and pool swimming competitions against world-class international fields.
In the 10km open water race, Grimes placed 25th with a time of 2:01:04.0 among a field featuring Olympic medalists. The next day, she qualified 5th overall for the 800m freestyle final. However, Grimes and teammate Lydia Jacoby withdrew from the final due to COVID-19-related protocols.
Grimes rebounded quickly from the challenges at 2021 Worlds to claim an open water distance double, sweeping the senior 10km and junior 7.5km races at the 2022 U.S. Open Championships.
She also showed her versatility during the peak summer season – qualifying at Trials in both pool (200m backstroke) and open water (10km) for the World Championships. At the meet in Budapest, Grimes reached the final of the 1500m freestyle and finished just outside the medals in 4th.
In the fall season, Katie continued piling up strong open water showings. She recorded a top 10 result among an elite international field at a leg of the Marathon Swim Series in Portugal. Then in November, Grimes set a World Junior Record while winning the short course World Cup event in the 1500m freestyle.
By competing gamely against the best in the world both pools and open water at just 16 and 17 years old, Grimes has shown the potential for further greatness as she enters her prime swimming years.
2023 World Aquatics Championships in Japan and Paris Olympics
Katie Grimes demonstrated her world-class open-water prowess in July 2023 at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. In the 10km marathon swim, she led for much of the race but needed every bit of her lung capacity in a furious sprint to the line.
Ultimately, Grimes edged reigning champion Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands and reigning Olympic gold medalist Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil by the narrowest of margins – a mere 0.10 seconds overall – to clinch the bronze medal.
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As one of the top three finishers, the 18-year-old Grimes ensured an automatic berth to compete in the event again at the 2024 Paris Olympics. With the qualification, Grimes became the first American across any sport to secure direct entry to next summer’s Games.
Additionally, Grimes joins a short and illustrious list of only four total U.S. women who have ever qualified for the 10km race since its debut in 2008.
