Jay Litherland is an American competition swimmer of both Japanese and New Zealand descent. He currently represents DC Trident which is part of the International Swimming League. He placed second at the 2016 US Olympic Swimming Trials in the 400m individual medley, qualifying him for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He is a World University Games gold medalist at the 2015 Summer Universiade and a bronze medalist at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships. Litherland competes for the University of Georgia in American collegiate swimming. Jay is a triplet whose brothers Kevin and Mick also swim for University of Georgia. Jay and his brothers grew up swimming at Dynamo Swim Club in Atlanta and were coached by Rich Murphy, Jason Turcotte, and Franz Ressigue.
College Career: University of Georgia
As a freshman Litherland competed at the Georgia Invite where he went best times in many of his events. He also swam at the SEC Championships – he finished seventh in the 400 IM, 10th in the 200 backstroke, and 13th in the 500 freestyle. Litherland made huge improvements in his second year at Georgia. At the 2016 Men's NCAA Division I Championships he won bronze in the 400 individual medley and came 14th in the 200 backstroke. On the 800 freestyle relay, Litherland was a member of the 5th place relay team. Jay once again performed well on the biggest collegiate stage his junior year. Swimming to a best time of 4:14 in the 500 free on the second day of the 2017 Men's NCAA Division I Championships, Jay just missed making it back getting 18th place in prelims. In the 400 IM, he placed 7th. After swimming to 13th place in prelims of the 200 back on the final day of the meet, Jay dropped a personal best of 1:40.03 at night to move up to 10th place.
International career
Litherland competed at the 2014 Junior World Championships in Dubai as well as the 2013 World Cup in Asia. He was also a 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier finishing 53rd in the 400m IM and 36th in the 200m backstroke.
2015 World University Games
Litherland won gold in the 400 meter medley ahead of his USA teammate, Josh Prenot in 4:12.43.
2016 U.S. Olympic Trials
In the first event of the 2016 Trials Litherland finished 2nd in the 400 meter individual medley to punch his ticket to the Rio Olympics. That time moved him up to fourth in the world so far this year.
In his Olympic debut Litherland joined his USA teammate, Chase Kalisz, in the 400 meters medley final on the opening night in the pool. With the medals accounted for, it was a close battle for fourth, fifth, and sixth in the final stages of the grueling event. In the last 50 meters, Litherland managed to overtake Australia’s Thomas Fraser-Holmes but didn’t have enough left to take down Great Britain’s Max Litchfield. Litherland finished fifth in 4:11.68. His compatriot took silver in 4:06.75.
2017 National Championships/World Championship Trials
Litherland qualified for his first senior World Championships with a silver medal in the 400 meter medley in a new best time of 4:09.31. Just like at the Olympic Trials, he finished behind Kalisz.
2017 World Championships
In Budapest Litherland swam in the heats on the 4×200 meter freestyle relay posting a split on 1:47.48 to help qualify Team USA through to the final in 7th position. Blake Pieroni, Townley Haas, Jack Conger and Zane Grothe combined in the final to finish third. Litherland picked up a bronze medal for his efforts in the heats. In the 400 meter medley Litherland finished 5th in the final in 4:12.05.
2018 U.S. National Championships
Litherland finished second in the 400 IM, sixth in the 200 IM and seventh in the 200 freestyle at the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships. He swam a personal best 1:47.58 in the prelims of the 200 free.
2019 World Championships
In his only event of the week, Litherland won his first individual world champs medal in the 400 IM. Litherland nearly ran down heavy favorite Daiya Seto in the last 100, touching just.27 behind him in a time of 4:09.22.
ISL – DC Trident
On June 11, 2019, Jay Litherland was announced as a member of the DC Trident ISL team, headed by GM Kaitlin Sandeno.
