L-R-Erin Gemmell, Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, Claire Weinstein, after winning the Silver Medal in the 4 x 200 meter relay
By Dan Murphy
One of the great stories of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, is the youngest member of the US Olympic team, 17-year-old Claire Weinstein, who grew up in Westchester and White Plains.
Claire began swimming at the age of 3 and began swimming competitively at the age of 6. She is the daughter of Rodney and Diane Weinstein and has three younger sisters and one brother.
Her family attended Reform synagogue of Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, and Claire went to Highlands Middle School in White Plains. For her mitzvah project, Claire volunteered as a coach at Westchester Aquatic swim club. Claire believes that everyone should learn to swim and have the opportunity to swim competitively if they want to. A donation was made to the Christopher Dewey Memorial Swim Foundation that helps low income swimmers pay for the cost of training and travel for competitions.
Claire moved to Las Vegas as a teenager to train at the Sandpipers of Nevada swimming club. And at the age of 13, she qualified for the 2020 US Olympic trials, but did not make the team.
In 2022, Claire was a member of Team USA’s 4 x 200 women’s relay team that won the gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships.
So far, at the summer Olympics in Paris, Claire made the finals of the 200m freestyle and finished 8th. After we go to press, Claire will compete in the 4x200m freestyle relay with Katie Ledecky, who began swimming in the Olympics at age 15, in 2012.
In qualifying for the US team, became the youngest US swimmer to qualify for an Olympic Games since 2008.
Weinstein began her competitive swim career on the Lake Isle team in Eastchester and set several records at the Westchester Swim Conference. She also swam on the White Plains Varsity Swim team while in middle school.
“I’m always learning and figuring out ways to be better. I know every obstacle will only make me better,” said Weinstein, who will be attending UC Berkley in the fall. She enjoys shopping, going to the cinema and spending time with friends…like every other American teenager.
Update: Congratulations to Claire Weinstein for winning her first olympic medal, a silver, in the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Weinstein was able to swim on the team with legend Katie Ledecky, who won her record 13th olympic medal.
