Kayla Han facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | Han | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 31, 2008 Brea, California, United States |
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle, individual medley, butterfly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | La Mirada Armada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Kayla Han is an amazing American swimmer. She is known for her skills in freestyle and individual medley races. Kayla became the 800-meter freestyle champion at the 2023 World Junior Championships. She also won a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
At the 2021 U.S. Open Championships, she finished fourth in the 400-meter individual medley. She also placed seventh in the 800-meter freestyle. Kayla was the youngest swimmer at the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Trials at just 13 years old. A video of her winning the B-final of the 400-meter individual medley became very popular on YouTube.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Swimming
Kayla Han was born on May 31, 2008, in Brea, California. She trains and competes with the La Mirada Armada Swim Club.
Early Records (2018–2020)
From 2018 to 2019, Kayla set six national age group records for girls aged 10 and under. Her first record was in December 2018 in the 200-yard individual medley. She continued to break records in 2019, including her first long course (50-meter pool) record in the 200-meter individual medley.
Her talent caught the attention of swimming magazines like Swimming World and SwimSwam. They recognized her as a rising star. SwimSwam even gave her the "Age Group Swimmer of the Year" award for 2019 and 2020. This was for her amazing performances as a 10-year-old and then as an 11–12-year-old.
Breaking Records and Olympic Trials (2021)
Setting New Records
In May 2021, Kayla set three more national age group records for 11–12-year-old girls. This happened at the 2021 California Speedo Grand Challenge.
- On May 28, she broke the 400-meter freestyle record.
- The next day, she broke the 400-meter individual medley record, which had been set by Elizabeth Beisel in 2005. This swim also helped her qualify for the US Olympic Trials.
- On May 30, she broke the 800-meter freestyle record.
Competing at the US Olympic Trials
Kayla was the youngest swimmer to qualify for the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Trials. These trials were held in June 2021 in Omaha, Nebraska, after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was only 12 years old when she qualified!
On June 5, she swam in the 400-meter individual medley. She won the B-final later that day. A video of her race was posted by NBC Sports on YouTube. It became the most-watched video from the swimming Olympic Trials, getting over 1.2 million views. This was more views than videos of famous Olympic gold medalists like Katie Ledecky!
Strong Performances at Summer Championships
In August 2021, Kayla competed at the 2021 West Speedo Summer Championships. She set new personal best times in several events. She swam the 400-meter freestyle in 4:14.52, becoming the third-fastest American girl her age in history.
She also improved her times in the 800-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, and 400-meter individual medley. In the 400-meter individual medley, she was the only swimmer under 14 in the final. She also took second place in the 400-meter freestyle, being the only swimmer under 16 in that final.
2021 U.S. Open Championships
At the 2021 U.S. Open Championships in December, Kayla continued to impress. She finished seventh in the 800-meter freestyle, setting a new personal best time. She also placed fourth in the 400-meter individual medley, finishing close to top swimmers like Leah Smith. Kayla also improved her times in the 1500-meter freestyle and 200-meter butterfly.
Junior Pan Pacific Medalist (2022)
In 2022, Kayla kept improving her personal best times in many events. She swam incredibly fast in the 800-meter freestyle, 1500-meter freestyle, and 400-meter individual medley. Her 400-meter individual medley time of 4:46.01 became the fastest ever for 13-year-old American girls.
Qualifying for International Teams
In April, Kayla competed at the 2022 US International Team Trials. She set new personal bests in the 800-meter freestyle, 400-meter individual medley, and 1500-meter freestyle. Her strong swims helped her get selected for the United States team.
Winning Silver at Junior Pan Pacific Championships
| 2022 Junior Pan Pac Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 400 m individual medley | 4:43.60 (pb) |
In May 2022, Kayla was named to the US team for the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. This big competition was held in Honolulu. On the second day, she won a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley! She swam a personal best time of 4:43.60. She was 14 years old at the time.
End of Year Achievements
In November 2022, Kayla set another National Age Group record. This time it was for girls aged 13–14 in the 400-yard individual medley. She broke a record that had been held by Katie Hoff since 2004! At the 2022 Winter Junior US National Championships in December, she placed third in the 1650-yard freestyle. She was the only swimmer under 15 to finish in the top three.
Continued Success (2023)
In March 2023, Kayla won four individual events at the Speedo Sectionals in Indianapolis, Indiana. She set new personal bests in the 400-meter freestyle and 1500-meter freestyle. In May, just before her 15th birthday, she achieved four more personal best times at the 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series in Mission Viejo, California. These included impressive times in the 400-meter freestyle, 400-meter individual medley, and 800-meter freestyle.
International Championships
| Meet | 200 freestyle | 400 freestyle | 800 freestyle | 1500 freestyle | 200 butterfly | 400 individual medley |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USOC 2021 (age: 13) |
6th (b) (2:04.28) |
2nd (b) (4:15.74) |
7th (8:46.18) |
1st (h) (16:43.02) |
5th (b) (2:16.80) |
4th (4:47.92) |
| PACJ 2022 (age: 14) |
19th (4:14.17) |
9th (8:35.85) |
7th (16:43.13) |
 (4:43.60) |
Personal Best Times
Long Course Meters (50 m pool)
| Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Age | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m freestyle | 58.35 | h | 2022 Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions | Mission Viejo, California | April 1, 2022 | 13 | |
| 200 m freestyle | 2:02.17 | 2022 Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions | Mission Viejo, California | April 2, 2022 | 13 | ||
| 400 m freestyle | 4:08.21 | 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials - Indianapolis | Indianapolis, Indiana | June 15, 2024 | 14 | ||
| 800 m freestyle | 8:32.88 | 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series - Mission Viejo | Mission Viejo, California | May 20, 2023 | 14 | ||
| 1500 m freestyle | 16:26.92 | 2023 Speedo Sectionals - Indianapolis | Indianapolis, Indiana | March 26, 2023 | 14 | ||
| 200 m butterfly | 2:16.68 | Road to 2022 Senior Invitational | La Mirada, California | January 2022 | 13 | ||
| 200 m individual medley | 2:16.29 | b | 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series - Mission Viejo | Mission Viejo, California | May 20, 2023 | 14 | |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:42.96 | 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series - Mission Viejo | Mission Viejo, California | May 19, 2023 | 14 |
Legend: h — prelims heat; b – b-final; exb – exhibition
Short Course Yards (25 yd pool)
| Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Age | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 yd freestyle | 51.40 | 2022 Road to Paris Senior Invitational | La Mirada, California | January 15, 2023 | 14 | |
| 200 yd freestyle | 1:47.93 | 2022 Kevin B. Perry Senior Meet | La Mirada, California | November 5, 2022 | 14 | |
| 500 yd freestyle | 4:39.18 | 2022 Kevin B. Perry Senior Meet | La Mirada, California | November 4, 2022 | 14 | |
| 1000 yd freestyle | 9:41.77 | 2022 Kevin B. Perry Senior Meet | La Mirada, California | November 3, 2022 | 14 | |
| 1650 yd freestyle | 16:05.75 | 2022 Winter Junior US National Championships | Austin, Texas | December 10, 2022 | 14 | |
| 100 yd butterfly | 55.38 | 2021 CA/NV Speedo Sectionals | Huntington Beach, California | December 17, 2021 | 13 | |
| 200 yd individual medley | 2:00.16 | 2021 CA/NV Speedo Sectionals | Huntington Beach, California | December 17, 2021 | 13 | |
| 400 yd individual medley | 4:06.95 | 2022 Kevin B. Perry Senior Meet | La Mirada, California | November 5, 2022 | 14 |
National Age Group Records
Long Course Meters (50 m pool)
| No. | Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Age | Age Group | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 m individual medley | 2:28.70 | 2019 Speedo Grand Challenge | Irvine, California | May 26, 2019 | 10 years, 360 days | 10 & under | |
| 2 | 400 m freestyle | 4:17.65 | 2021 CA Speedo Grand Challenge | Irvine, California | May 28, 2021 | 12 years, 362 days | 11–12 | |
| 3 | 400 m individual medley | 4:50.70 | 2021 CA Speedo Grand Challenge | Irvine, California | May 29, 2021 | 12 years, 363 days | 11–12 | |
| 4 | 800 m freestyle | 8:50.58 | 2021 CA Speedo Grand Challenge | Irvine, California | May 30, 2021 | 12 years, 364 days | 11–12 |
Short Course Yards (25 yd pool)
| No. | Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Age | Age Group | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 yd individual medley | 2:13.33 | Winter Age Group Championships | Palm Springs, California | December 9, 2018 | 10 years, 192 days | 10 & under | |
| 2 | 500 yd freestyle | 5:13.45 | 2019 California MVN Senior Qualifier | Mission Viejo, California | January 19, 2019 | 10 years, 233 days | 10 & under | |
| 3 | 200 yd individual medley (2) | 2:13.01 | February 16, 2019 | 10 years, 261 days | 10 & under | |||
| 4 | 200 yd individual medley (3) | 2:12.24 | March 17, 2019 | 10 years, 290 days | 10 & under | |||
| 5 | 200 yd individual medley (4) | 2:11.99 | March 17, 2019 | 10 years, 290 days | 10 & under | |||
| 6 | 400 yd individual medley | 4:06.95 | 2022 Kevin B. Perry Senior Meet | La Mirada, California | November 5, 2022 | 14 years, 158 days | 13–14 |
Awards and Honors
- Swimming World Up & Comers, Age Group Swimmer of the Month: June 2019, July 2021
- SwimSwam, Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming: November 12, 2021
- Arena, Swim of the Week: January 21, 2022
- SwimSwam Swammy Award, Age Group Swimmer of the Year 13–14 (female): 2022
- SwimSwam Swammy Award, Age Group Swimmer of the Year 11–12 (female): 2020, 2021
- SwimSwam Swammy Award, Age Group Swimmer of the Year 10 & under (female): 2019
See Also
- 2008 in the United States
- 2020 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)
- 2024 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)
