Is Roos Vanotterdijk the Queen of Swimming Versatility?
Imagine a swimmer so skilled, so adaptable, that they dominate across multiple strokes and distances. That swimmer is Roos Vanotterdijk, a 20-year-old Belgian phenom who's making waves in the swimming world. She's not just good; she's a record-breaker, holding a staggering 13 national records in both long course and short course, and astonishingly, she has at least one record in every stroke, including the Individual Medley (IM).
Vanotterdijk's versatility shines particularly bright in short course meters, where she's conquered every stroke except freestyle. In long course, she's a force to be reckoned with in freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and IM. Let's dive into some of her impressive national records:
Short Course Meters (SCM):
- 50 back – 26.43 (2025, World Cup Westmont)
- 100 back – 56.78 (2024, Belgian Championships)
- 200 breast – 2:18.07 (2025, Belgian Championships)
- 50 fly – 25.32 (2024, Danish Championships)
- 100 fly – 55.64 (2025, World Cup Carmel)
- 100 IM – 57.41 (2025, World Cup Westmont)
- 200 IM – 2:05.81 (2025, World Cup Toronto)
Long Course Meters (LCM):
- 100 free – 53.62 (2025, Flanders Cup)
- 50 back – 27.67 (2025, World Championships)
- 100 back – 58.97 (2025, Flanders Cup)
- 50 fly – 25.32 (2025, World Championships)
- 100 fly – 55.84 (2025, World Championships)
- 200 IM – 2:09.73 (2025, French Championships)
But here's where it gets controversial: Does this incredible range of records make her the most versatile swimmer in the world right now? It's a tough question, and the answer isn't so simple.
Other swimmers have also achieved national records in a variety of strokes. Leon Marchand, for instance, holds French records in the Long Course 200 breast, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. In short course meters, he has records in the 200 back, 200 breast, 100 IM, 200 IM, and 400 IM. He is just missing a freestyle record. Marchand led the NCAA in seven events across all five strokes in February 2023. This is in line with the versatility we are seeing from Vanotterdijk, though these times were not NCAA record swims.
Then there's Kate Douglass, who holds World Records in the 100 free and 200 breaststroke SCM, along with the American Record in the 200 IM. This is an impressive combination, but it doesn’t quite match Vanotterdijk's diverse stroke portfolio.
We often see swimmers excel in freestyle and another stroke, or a stroke and the IM events. It's even common to see swimmers compete in freestyle, another stroke, and IM events. But it is rare to see an athlete who is the best in their country at all four strokes and IM.
Vanotterdijk's excellence isn't just about records; it's about performance. At the 2025 World Championships, she earned a silver medal in the 100 fly and a bronze in the 50 fly. During the Swimming World Cup in October, she collected eight bronze medals in the 50 fly, 100 fly, and 100 IM across three meets. She also has a bronze medal from the European Championships in the 100 back, and from European Juniors in the 100 free and 50 back.
The only stroke where she hasn't yet secured an international medal is breaststroke, which is a relatively new event for her. She swam the 200 breaststroke for the first time since December 2019, and she broke the Belgian National Record in the SCM event at the 2025 National Championships. That swim of 2:18.07 currently ranks 5th in the world this season, and would have been 5th in the world last year, even with the SC World Championships factored in.
Vanotterdijk is set to compete for Belgium at the upcoming European Championships, entered in a remarkable nine events: the 50 fly, 100 IM, 200 free, 100 fly, 200 breast, 100 back, 200 IM, 50 back, and 50 free. While she might not swim all of them, she is a legitimate medal threat in all nine.
What do you think? Is Roos Vanotterdijk the most versatile swimmer right now? Do you agree with the assessment, or do other swimmers deserve the title? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
