Maximus Williamson (born September 4, 2006) is an American competitive swimmer and six time World Aquatics Junior swimming champion. He is a 100 m freestyle and 200 m individual medley champion in 2023 World Junior Championships, as well as in the freestyle, freestyle, medley and mixed medley, and silver medalist in mixed freestyle. In 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships he was a gold medalist in the 200 meter individual medley and silver medalist in the 200 meter freestyle, 400-meter individual medley, and 4×200 meter freestyle relay. In 2022, he became the fastest male American swimmer in history in the 15-16 age group in the long course 200 meter individual medley with a time of 1:59.01.
Background Williamson was born in 2006.Hy-Tek (August 27, 2022). "2022 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships: Results". swmeets.com. Retrieved October 25, 2022. He attended Southlake Carroll in Southlake, Texas for his freshman year of high school, where he competed as part of the school swim team.Overend, Riley (August 12, 2022). "One of Texas' Top Swim Clubs Faces Struggles Amid Allegations of Mismanagement". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 24, 2023."For love of the swim! Check out these incredible photos from the final day of the 2022 UIL state meet". The Dallas Morning News. February 19, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.Keith, Braden (February 21, 2022). "Freshman Maximus Williamson Goes 42.98 in 100 Free at Texas HS State Meet". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 25, 2022. After his freshman year, he transferred to Keller High School in Keller, Texas, starting his sophomore year the following school year, including competing for the school swim team, in the autumn of 2022. He trained and competed with the North Texas Nadadores swim club, based in Southlake, through 2022. Partway through 2022, he started training with Lakeside Aquatic Club, based in Lewisville, Texas, competing for the team at the 2022 Winter Junior US National Championships in December.
Career 2021 On July 23, at the 2021 Texas Age Group Swimming Championships in Arlington, Texas, 14-year-old Williamson swam a 1:53.26 in the 200 meter freestyle and set a new National Age Group record for the boys 13-14 age group, meaning he became the fastest male American performer in the event in history in the specified age range.Rutemiller, Shoshanna (January 10, 2022). "Up & Comers: North Texas Nadadores' Maximus Williamson". Swimming World. Retrieved October 25, 2022.Keith, Braden (July 23, 2021). "Maximus Williamson Breaks 13–14 National Age Group Record in 200 Free". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 25, 2022. Later in the year, as a 15-year-old at the 2021 Speedo Winter Junior National Championships in December in Austin, Texas, he won the 200 yard individual medley with a personal best time of 1:43.16.Gibbs, Robert (December 9, 2021). "Maximus Williamson Clocks 1:43.16 200 IM, Now #3 All-Time in 15–16 Age Group". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 25, 2022. The following day of competition, he finished in a personal best time of 3:42.22 in the 400 yard individual medley to win the event and rank as the second-fastest male American swimmer in history in the 15-16 age group by 0.14 seconds.Rieder, David (December 10, 2021). "Performance of the Week: Katie Grimes, Maximus Williamson Just Miss 400 IM NAG Records in Austin". Swimming World. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
2022 As a 15-year-old freshman competing for Southlake Carroll at his first Texas High School 6A State Championships, held at Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas in February 2022, Williamson won individual titles in the 200 yard individual medley, with a new meet and state record of 1:43.70, and the 100 yard backstroke, with a 48.26, as well as relay titles in the 4×50 yard freestyle relay, where he split a 19.87 for the lead-off leg of the relay, and the 4×100 yard freestyle, on which he set a new meet and state record on the lead-off leg of the relay with a personal best time of 42.98 seconds.Hy-Tek (February 19, 2022). "Meet Results: 2022 6A State Meet". uiltexas.org. Retrieved October 25, 2022. The following month, he won five individual titles at the 2022 Speedo Sectional Championship Series in College Station, Texas, including the 200 yard backstroke with a personal best time of 1:42.92, the 500 yard freestyle with a meet record and personal best time of 4:19.82, the 200 yard freestyle with a meet record and personal best time of 1:34.97, the 100 yard backstroke with a personal best time of 47.14 seconds, and the 50 yard freestyle with a personal best time of 19.84 seconds.AGS Swim Team (March 6, 2022). "2022 Speedo Sectionals Championship Series: Results". teamunify.com. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
2022 US International Team Trials In April, at the 2022 USA Swimming International Team Trials in Greensboro, North Carolina, Williamson placed eighth in the C-final of the 200 meter freestyle on the second day of competition with a 1:54.94.USA Swimming (April 27, 2022). "Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Men's 200m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved October 25, 2022. Later the same day, he won the B-final of the 200 meter backstroke with a personal best time of 1:58.75.USA Swimming (April 27, 2022). "Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Men's 200m Backstroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved October 25, 2022. The following day, he swam a 4:20.01 in the B-final of the 400 meter individual medley and placed second.USA Swimming (April 28, 2022). "Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Men's 400m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved October 25, 2022. On the fourth day, in the C-final of the 100 meter backstroke, he finished in a time of 56.57 seconds to placed sixth.USA Swimming (April 29, 2022). "Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Men's 100m Backstroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved October 25, 2022. Day five of five, he won the B-final of the 200 meter individual medley, finishing in a personal best time of 2:01.45, which ranked as the fastest time in the event by a 15-year-old male American swimmer.USA Swimming (April 30, 2022). "Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Men's 200m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved October 25, 2022.Sutherland, James (April 30, 2022). "arena Swim of the Week: Maximus Williamson Scorches Home For 2:01.45 In 200 IM". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 25, 2022. Over the five-day program, he also placed thirty-third in the 100 meter freestyle on day one with a time of 50.69 seconds and thirty-eighth in the 50 meter freestyle on day five with a 23.67.USA Swimming (April 30, 2022). "Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
Based on his performances, Williamson was named to the USA Swimming roster for the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in the 200-meter individual medley and 400 meter individual medley."2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships U.S. Roster – Version 2". USA Swimming. 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships
The first day of competition at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, conducted in August in Honolulu, Hawaii at Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center, Williamson started off with a tenth-place finish in the preliminary heats of the 100 meter backstroke with a personal best time of 55.83 seconds, before withdrawing from further competition in the event. Later in the day, in the final of the 200 meter freestyle, he won a silver medal with a personal best time of 1:48.21, finishing 1.10 seconds behind gold medalist Flynn Southam of Australia and 0.05 seconds ahead of bronze medalist Adam Wu of Canada.Penland, Spencer (August 24, 2022). "15-Year-Old Maximus Williamson Doubles Down, Lowers 200 FR PB in Finals - 1:48.21". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 25, 2022."Teen Bondies make a splash in Hawaii". Bond University. August 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022."Wu earns bronze for Canada on first night of Junior Pan Pacs – Swimming Canada". Swimming Canada. August 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022. In his first final on day two, the 400 meter individual medley, he won the silver medal with a personal best time of 4:17.58, which was 2.35 seconds slower than gold medalist Ei Kamikawabata of Japan.Overend, Riley (August 26, 2022). "Maximus Williamson Joins Phelps as Only 15-Year-Old Americans Under 4:20 in 400 IM". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 25, 2022. For his second event, the 4×200 meter freestyle relay, he split a 1:49.68 for the fourth leg of the relay to help win the silver medal with a final time of 7:15.18.Sagendorph, Kyle (August 26, 2022). "U.S. Grabs One Relay, Three Individual Titles on Junior Pan Pacs Night Two". USA Swimming. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
On the evening of day three and morning of day four, Williamson won the B-final of the 200 meter backstroke with a 1:59.95 and placed twenty-first in the 50 meter freestyle with a 23.65, respectively. For his final event, the 200 meter individual medley, he won the gold medal with a Championships record and personal best time of 1:59.01, which lowered the mark 0.50 seconds from the 1:59.51 it was set at in 2012 by Chase Kalisz.Lohn, John (August 27, 2022). "Junior Pan Pacs - Day 4 Finals: Maximus Williamson Crushes NAG Record (15–16) in 200 IM; Aussies Sweep Men's Freestyles". Swimming World. Retrieved October 25, 2022.Penland, Spencer (August 27, 2022). "15-Year-Old Maximus Williamson Breaks U.S. 15-16 NAG In Boys 200 IM - 1:59.01". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 25, 2022.Sagendorph, Kyle (August 28, 2022). "U.S. Wraps Junior Pan Pacific Championships with 46 Medals, Team of the Meet Honors". USA Swimming. Retrieved October 25, 2022. His time also set a new National Age Group record (NAG) for the boys 15-16 age group in the event, registering as 0.44 seconds faster than the former record of 1:59.45 established in 2018 by Carson Foster.
2022 Winter Junior National Championships In December 2022, at the 2022 Winter Junior US National Championships conducted in short course yards in Austin, Texas, Williamson swam a personal best time of 1:33.07 for the first leg of the 4×200 yard freestyle relay on day one, setting a new National Age Group record for the boys 15-16 age group in the 200 yard freestyle and lowering the former record set by Drew Kibler in 2017 by 0.23 seconds.Rieder, David (December 7, 2022). "Maximus Williamson Beats 200 Free 15-16 NAG Record as Relays Kick Off Junior Nationals West". Swimming World. Retrieved December 7, 2022. The following evening, he swam a personal best time of 1:42.07 to place second overall in the 200 yard individual medley.Gibbs, Robert (December 8, 2022). "Maximus Williamson Goes 1:42.07 to Rattle Heilman's One-Hour Old 200 IM NAG Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 8, 2022. Later in the same session, he achieved a personal best time of 19.82 seconds in the final of the 50 yard freestyle."2022 Speedo Winter Junior Championships - West: Results". USA Swimming. December 10, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023. He won three events for his locality, the West edition, the next day, including the 400 yard individual medley with a boys 15-16 National Age Group record of 3:39.83 that was over two full seconds faster than the former record set approximately 20 years earlier, the 200-yard freestyle with a 1:33.60, and the 100 yard backstroke with a personal best time of 46.90 seconds.Gimbel, Annie (December 15, 2022). "Keller High swimmer Maximus Williamson breaks record set by Michael Phelps". KTVT. Retrieved January 24, 2023.Lohn, John (December 9, 2022). "Down Goes a 20-Year-Old Michael Phelps NAG Record As Maximus Williamson Shines in 400 IM". Swimming World. Retrieved December 9, 2022.