Who is Erika Fairweather? 19-year-old New Zealand swimmer moves to sixth best in history with 4:00.62 in 400 freestyle

Swimming is one of the most competitive sports and we have seen several swimmers rise to the occasion during competitions. From Michael Phelps to Katie Ledecky, every legendary swimmer has grabbed the spotlight through a particular swim in which they became famous.

One such swimmer who is destined for a massive future in the sport of swimming is Erika Fairweather. She clocked a time of 4:00.62 in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2023 New Zealand Open Championships.

But who is Erika Fairweather? Erika is a New Zealand swimmer. She was born on December 31, 2003, in Dunedin, New Zealand. She is of mixed European and Maori descent. The Dunedin-born swimmer attended Kavanagh College.

Erika competed in the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics and the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Games. She won the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle event at the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Erika missed out on another medal at the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships when she finished in fourth place in the finals of the 400-meter freestyle event.

She represented New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics. Erika Fairweather finished second in her heats of the 400-meter freestyle event with a time of 4:02.28. In the final of the 400-meter freestyle event, she finished in eighth place with a time of 4:08.01.

The upcoming swimmer competed in the 2022 World Championships (SC) in Melbourne. Erika went on to win two silver medals. She finished in second place in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:56.00 and claimed the silver medal. Competing in the 800-meter freestyle event, she clocked a time of 8:10.41 and won the silver medal.

She has all the capabilities to become one of the best swimmers in the world in the near future.

Erika Fairweather's 400-meter freestyle performance in the 2023 New Zealand Open Championships

The 2023 New Zealand Open Championships began on April 1 and will take place until April 5. On the third day of the New Zealand Open Championships, Erika Fairweather competed in the 400-meter freestyle event.

She swam a national record-breaking time of 4:00.62 in the 400-meter freestyle. This was a slight improvement from her previous best time of 4:00.97 in the 400-meter freestyle. Her previous best time came at the 2023 South Island Championships in Invercargill, according to Swimswam.

Erika's best time before the 2023 South Island Championships was the time of 4:02.28 when she swam in the heats of the 400-meter freestyle event at the Tokyo Olympics.

Erika Fairweather is now the sixth fastest in history behind Canada's Summer McIntosh, who recently clocked a world record time of 3:56.08. Following Summer McIntosh, the others on the list are Ariarne Titmus, Katie Ledecky, Federica Pellegrini, and Joanne Jackson.

This was her second event win at the 2023 New Zealand Open Championships and her second national record at this championship. Earlier this week, Erika Fairweather posted a time of 1:55.44 in the 200-meter freestyle.

The Dunedin-born swimmer is quickly rising through the ranks and if she continues her consistent performances, she may even clinch a medal at this year's World Championships or even the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

All-time performers in the women's 400-meter freestyle

The all-time performers in the women's 400-meter freestyle as revealed on Swimswam are attached below:

Summer McIntosh – 3:56.08 (2023)
Ariarne Titmus – 3:56.40 (2022)
Katie Ledecky – 3:56.46 (2016)
Federica Pellegrini – 3:59.15 (2009)
Joanne Jackson – 4:00.60 (2009)
Erika Fairweather – 4:00.62 (2023)
Leah Smith – 4:00.65 (2016)
Rebecca Adlington – 4:00.79 (2009)