McKenzie Siroky Ready for Moment as Swim-Off Win Launches International Career
For 48 hours, McKenzie Siroky went over the minutiae that would decide if she qualified for her first World Championships. She was aiming for something akin to her performance in the event’s prelims, only without the half-stroke, head-up finish that cost her several tenths. That evening, she got the finish right but struggled elsewhere during the race, putting Siroky in a dead-heat with Emma Weber for second place behind Lilly King.
Her performance in the 100 breast the next day was nothing special either, with the University of Tennessee sophomore originally from Livonia, Mich., product fading to sixth place in the final. All that was left was the one-on-one matchup inserted into the Nationals program at the start of the final session of the meet.
Siroky was ready for the moment. She blasted ahead on the start, and fueled by her up-tempo, power-driven breaststroke, she never surrendered ground to Weber. The final time was 30.05, a half-second ahead of Weber and enough to give Siroky a spot in top-five in the world for 2025.
“I’m honestly kind of happy we had that swim-off because I knew there was something I could touch up and that there was more left in the tank. The swim-off is kind of a great way to make my first team for USA,” Siroky said. “Everything just kind of hit, connected. I was feeling great in warm-up. Talking to my coach, the vibes were good. I just knew to dig deep and give it my all. I knew where I could end up.”
The emotion and energy surrounding a pool deck brings a little extra to Siroky, formerly an elite junior-level hockey player and Division I commit. The keep-to-yourself mentality common in elite swimming is foreign to her, with a heavy preference for the raucous but positive spirit more common to a hockey locker room.
A heavy dose of “feel-good” music follows Siroky around the deck at swim meets. Before a big race, expect to see her dancing and smiling rather than sitting. The same is true during practices in Knoxville.
“I feel like for swimming, it’s very easy to go internal and feel very pressured, so in practice, I’m always singing on the walls, annoying my teammates. It’s just one way for me to stay positive, keep training positive. It’s one thing that has helped my swimming so much,” Siroky said.
“Coming from hockey, I’m used to the speaker blasting and everyone pumping each other up. To come here, and I know some swimmers go very internal. I personally cannot do that. I need the energy. I need the feel-good vibes. For me, that’s a very important part of my process, staying loose and having fun.”
Siroky will now head to Singapore as the rare fresh face on a roster laden with veteran stars. Of the 21 women who qualified to represent the U.S. this year, all but three have been part of a previous World Championship or Olympic team. Siroky joins Caroline Bricker and Anna Moesch as the newcomers.
And she’s still only two years into full-time swimming. Her natural feel for breaststroke and big-race acumen are traits that cannot be taught. As Siroky continues to develop her endurance in the next few seasons, progress should follow in the 100-meter race. This trip to Singapore could be a soft launch for big things to come.