Jessica Thompson (swimmer)
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jessica Thompson |
| Nationality |  South Africa |
| Born | 30 April 2007 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Strokes | Backstroke, Butterfly, Freestyle |
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Jessica Thompson (born 30 April 2007) is a South African competitive swimmer specializing in backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle sprint events.[1] She is the current African and South African record holder in the women's 50-metre backstroke in both long course and short course formats.[2] Thompson gained international recognition as a gold medalist at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games and a multi-record breaker at the 2025 and 2026 South African national championships.[3][4]
Early life and education
Thompson was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She attended St Stithians Girls' College, a school noted for its strong aquatic program.[3] In August 2025, it was announced that she had committed to the University of Virginia (UVA) in the United States. She is set to join the "Cavaliers" swimming program for the 2026–2027 season as part of a high-profile international recruiting class.[5]
Swimming career
Junior Success (2023–2025)
Thompson's international breakthrough occurred at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago. She won the gold medal in the 50m butterfly, twice breaking the championship record previously held by Olympian Erin Gallagher to finish in 26.84 seconds.[6]
In May 2025, at the African Junior Swimming Championships in Cairo, Thompson was named the Best Female Swimmer of the meet.[7] She broke the African Junior records in the 100m freestyle (57.49) and the 100m backstroke (1:02.51), ultimately helping South Africa top the medal table with eight total medals (five individual gold).[8][9]
Senior and Record-Breaking Achievements (2025–2026)
At the 2025 South African Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg, Thompson won five gold medals.[10] During the meet, she clocked 26.85 seconds in the 50m backstroke, breaking a 16-year-old South African record and equalling the African record held by Olympic champion Kirsty Coventry.[11][12]
On 20 March 2026, competing at the South African National Youth Championships in Gqeberha, Thompson established herself as a global contender. She broke the African and South African long-course records in the 50m backstroke with a time of 27.67 seconds, lowering the previous mark of 27.91.[2] This performance moved her to 9th in the world rankings for the 2026 season.
References
- ↑ "Jessica THOMPSON | Medals | World Aquatics Official". World Aquatics. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Race, Retta (2026-03-19). "Jessica Thompson Breaks South African Women's 50 Back National Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lemke, Gary (2026-03-20). "Thompson continues her rise up the ranks". TeamSA. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ Peter, Karabo (2025-09-30). "Jessica Thompson Smashes 16-Year-Old Record at SA Nationals". Good Things Guy. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ Folsom, Madeline (2025-08-29). "Virginia Picks Up World Juniors Finalist Jessica Thompson For 2026". SwimSwam. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ Sport South Africa (2023-08-08). "Team South Africa at 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games: Medals, Records, and Resilience on Display". South Africa Sports News and Blog Site | South Africa Sport. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ "16th Africa Aquatics Results Book" (PDF). 2025-05-05. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ Manaleng, Palesa. "SA junior swimming team brings home 52 medals from African championships". EWN. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ "Africa Aquatics". africaaquatics.org. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ Callaghan, Rowan (2025-09-28). "Teen sensation Jessica Thompson makes big splash at SA Short Course Championships". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ Lohn, John (2025-09-26). "Jessica Thompson Ties African Record in 50 Backstroke at South African Champs; Chad le Clos Doubles Again". Swimming World. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ gsport (2025-09-27). "Jessica Thompson Sets New SA Record, Matches African Record". gsport4girls. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
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- Articles containing suspected AI-generated texts from August 2026
- 2007 births
- South African female swimmers
- South African female backstroke swimmers
- South African female butterfly swimmers
- South African female freestyle swimmers
- Swimmers from Johannesburg
- Virginia Cavaliers women's swimmers
- 21st-century South African sportswomen
