Claire Weinstein

{{Infobox swimmer|name=Claire Weinstein|image=File:Claire Weinstein Official Photo.png|image_size=|alt=|caption=Weinstein in 2025|fullname=|nicknames=|nationality={{USA}}|strokes=Freestyle|club=Sandpipers of Nevada
Westchester Aquatic Club (former)|coach=Ron Aitken|birth_date={{Birth date and age|mf=yes|2007|3|1}}|birth_place=White Plains, New York, U.S.|height={{convert|6|ft|0|in|cm}}|weight=

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}}}}

File:Olympic rings.svg

{{MedalSilver|{{GamesName|SOG|2024}}|4×200 m freestyle}}

|collegeteam= University of California, Berkeley}}

Claire Weinstein (born March 1, 2007) is an American Olympic freestyle swimmer, who swam for Las Vegas-based swim team the Sandpipers of Nevada. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, Weinstein helped Team USA win the gold medal in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Weinstein swam the individual 200m freestyle, in which she made the final, and came in 8th. She won the silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay, joined by Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, and Erin Gemmell. Weinstein's split of 1:54.88 was the fastest on the team, and the fourth-fastest freestyle at 200m by an American woman in history.

Early life

Weinstein is a daughter of Rodney and Diane Weinstein, has one older brother (Michael) and three younger sisters (Mary, Sophie, and Emma), and was born in White Plains, New York.{{cite web | url=https://www.readkong.com/page/lamb-in-like-a-congregation-kol-ami-2439949 | title=Lamb – IN LIKE A – Congregation Kol Ami }}{{cite web | url=https://www.readkong.com/page/lamb-in-like-a-congregation-kol-ami-2439949?p=2 | title=Lamb – IN LIKE A – Congregation Kol Ami }} She is Jewish, was raised in the Reform Judaism tradition, and had a bat mitzvah at the Reform synagogue of Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, New York.[https://www.heyalma.com/18-things-to-know-about-jewish-swimmer-claire-weinstein/ "18 Things to Know About Jewish Swimmer Claire Weinstein,"] Hey Alma. She attended the Highlands Middle School in White Plains.

For her Mitzvah project, she volunteered her time to help coach the younger swimmers in the Westchester Aquatic Club swim school at inter-team meets and practices, because of her passion for the sport and belief that everyone should learn to swim and have the opportunity to be a competitive swimmer if they desire. On her behalf a donation was made to the Christopher Dewey Memorial Swim Foundation to assist low-income swimmers. She has attended White Plains High School.[https://www.swimcloud.com/swimmer/1639488/ "Claire Weinstein,"] SwimCloud.

Swimming career

=Early career=

Weinstein began to swim competitively at six years of age. She began her competitive swim career on the Lake Isle team in Eastchester, New York, setting multiple records at the Westchester County Swim Conference Championships.{{cite web | url=https://www.westchesterswimconference.com/2015-2016-2017.html | title=2015, 2016, 2017 }}[https://www.westchesterswimconference.com/uploads/2/3/5/6/23563142/2015_championship_swim_finals_results.pdf "2015 WCSC Championships - 8/7/2015 to 8/13/2015"] During the school year, Weinstein swam on the White Plains Varsity Swim team and competed year-round on club team Westchester Aquatic Club.{{Cite web |last=Lepesant |first=Anne |date=July 16, 2021 |title=Claire Weinstein Comes Within .42 of 200 Free NAG on Relay Leadoff at Sr Mets |url=https://swimswam.com/claire-weinstein-comes-within-42-of-200-free-nag-on-relay-leadoff-at-senior-mets/ |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}} Westchester Aquatic Club head coach Carle Fierro described Weinstein as "extremely easy to coach and ... really good at communicating how she felt in the water... In addition, she displayed a great singlemindedness in attaining goals. She was diligent about doing workouts and motivating team members to do their best as well."{{Cite web |last=Stott |first=Michael |date=May 3, 2022 |title=How They Train: A Look at the Work That Prepared Claire Weinstein For Star Turn (Sample Sets) |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/how-they-train-a-look-at-the-work-that-prepared-claire-weinstein-for-star-turn/ |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=Swimming World News |language=en-US}}

= 2021 =

In 2021, at 13 years of age Weinstein qualified for the 2020 United States Olympic trials, becoming one of the youngest swimmers to qualify for the trials.{{Cite web |last= |date=February 21, 2021 |title=13-year-old swimmer from Westchester qualifies for US Olympic Team Trials |url=https://westchester.news12.com/13-year-old-swimmer-from-westchester-qualifies-for-us-olympic-team-trials |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=News 12 – Westchester}} She placed 20th in the 400m freestyle, not qualifying for that year's 2020 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web |last= |date=February 7, 2021 |title=White Plains teen swims for spot on US Olympic team |url=https://connecticut.news12.com/white-plains-teen-swims-for-spot-on-us-olympic-team |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=News 12 – Connecticut}}

In September 2021, Weinstein moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, to train with the Sandpipers of Nevada.

= 2022 =

On April 3, 2022, Weinstein won the USA Swimming National and Junior Championship 5K event by over a minute.{{Cite web |last=Munatones |first=Steven |date=April 3, 2022 |title=Claire Weinstein Wins the USA Swimming National and Junior Championship 5K Title |url=https://www.openwaterswimming.com/claire-weinstein-wins-the-usa-swimming-national-and-junior-championship-5k-title/ |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=World Open Water Swimming Association |language=en-US}}

At the 2022 USA Swimming International Team Trials, Weinstein qualified for the United States team in the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. In the process she became the fastest American 15-year-old to swim the 200m freestyle event.{{Cite web |last=Overend |first=Riley |date=April 28, 2022 |title=Claire Weinstein Becomes Fastest 15-Year-Old American Woman In 200m Free |url=https://swimswam.com/claire-weinstein-becomes-fastest-15-year-old-american-woman-in-200m-free/ |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}}

== 2022 World Championships ==

At the 19th FINA World Championships Budapest 2022, Weinstein won a gold medal as a part of the United States Women's 4x200 relay at the age of 15; she was the youngest American swimmer to compete in the World Championships in 15 years.{{Cite web |last=Li |first=Yanyan |date=June 22, 2022 |title=Huge Splits From Ledecky, Sims, Lead Americans To 4x200 Free Championship Record |url=https://swimswam.com/huge-splits-from-ledecky-sims-lead-americans-to-4x200-free-championship-record/ |access-date=August 29, 2022 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Claire WEINSTEIN {{!}} Results {{!}} FINA Official |url=https://www.fina.org/athletes/1516284/www.fina.org/athletes/1516284/claire-weinstein |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=FINA |language=en}} She also competed in the women's 200-meter freestyle, finishing in 10th place in the semi-finals and missing finals qualification by only seven hundredths of a second.{{Cite web |title=Competition Results {{!}} FINA Official |url=https://www.fina.org/competitions/2902/19th-fina-world-championships-budapest-2022/www.fina.org/competitions/2902/19th-fina-world-championships-budapest-2022/results |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=FINA |language=en}}

=2023 U.S. Championships=

At the 2023 U.S. Championships, at 16 years of age Weinstein won the 200m freestyle in 1:55.26 (making her the 24th-fastest woman at the distance in history), defeating seven-time Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky.[https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rjece6553 "Jewish swimming phenom poised to make a splash in Paris Olympics,"] Ynet.

== 2024; U.S Olympic Team Trials ==

On June 17, 2024, at the 2024 U.S Olympic Team Trials, Weinstein placed 2nd in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:56.18, securing her spot for the individual 200m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

=2024 Paris Olympics=

At 17 years of age, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Weinstein swam the individual 200m freestyle, in which she made the final, and came in 8th. She was the youngest swimmer in the field.[https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/07/29/paris-olympics-kate-douglass-pelham-ny-swimming-silver-medal-claire-weinstein-white-plains-competes/74592678007/ "Pelham swimmer Douglass medals in Olympics; White Plains' Weinstein competes in 200 free,"] Lohud.

She competed as well in the 4x200m freestyle relay, joined by Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, and Erin Gemmell.[https://sports.yahoo.com/claire-weinstein-misses-podium-200m-030806142.html "Claire Weinstein misses podium in 200m freestyle, places 8th,"] NBC Sports. With a collective time of 7:40.86, and Weinstein swimming the fastest split on the team (1:54.88) as she led off the relay, the team won the silver medal, earning Weinstein her first Olympic medal.{{cite web |title=Las Vegas swimmer Claire Weinstein wins silver in 4x200 Olympic relay |date=August 2024 |url=https://news3lv.com/news/local/las-vegas-swimmer-claire-weinstein-wins-silver-in-4x200-olympic-relay-katie-ledecky-paige-madden-erin-gemmell-paris-games-summer-2024 |access-date=2 August 2024}} Weinstein's time was a personal best, and with it she became the fourth-fastest American woman ever in the 200m free, at 17 years old.Riley Overend (August 1st, 2024). [https://swimswam.com/claire-weinstein-17-leads-off-4x200-free-relay-in-154-88-fourth-fastest-american-ever/ "Claire Weinstein, 17, Leads Off 4×200 Free Relay in 1:54.88, Fourth-Fastest American Ever"], SwimSwam. Among American women, only Allison Schmitt (1:53.61), Ledecky (1:53.73), and Missy Franklin (1:54.81) had swum times faster than Weinstein’s 1:54.88.

2025 U.S Swimming National Championships

At the 2025 U.S Championships, Weinstein won the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:54.92, defeating the 2016 Olympic Champion in the 200m freestyle Katie Ledecky. She also earned second-place finishes in both the 400m and 800m freestyles. These results qualified Weinstein for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

Weinstein has committed to attend UC Berkeley for college.