16-Year-Old Pleasanton Swimmer Wins U.S. Open Championships

PLEASANTON, CA — Foothill High School swimming prodigy Luka Mijatovic won the Toyota US Open Championships in Austin, Texas over the weekend.

Mijatovic, 16, completed the 800-meter finals in 7:48:28, which according to a report in Pleasanton Weekly is the 12th fastest of all time by any American, and the highest of the 15-16 national age group record.

See here to watch him compete.

“I’m pretty happy with the meet. I know it’s only December and I have a lot more to prove,” he told Pleasanton Weekly. “I’m continuing building more, training and working harder so I can get progressively better as I race.”

He's already proven quite a bit. In June, he became the youngest U.S. male swimmer to compete at a World Championships event since Michael Phelps in 2001, according to NBC News. He broke national age group records for 15 and 16-year-olds in national competitions, and beat age group records for 17 and 18-year-olds as well.

He holds multiple other National Age Group Records, including the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1500-meter freestyle in long course meters.

He represented the U.S. on the international stage at the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in 2024 at age 15, where he won gold in the boys' 200 free, 400 free, and 4x200 free relay.

SEE ALSO:

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• Dublin Native Breaks D3 Swimming Record