Kaii Liam Winkler (born 2006) is a German-American competitive swimmer who swam for North Carolina State University and represented Germany in the 100-meter butterfly at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing 28th. He is a world junior record holder in the long course 4×100-meter freestyle relay. At the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, he won gold medals in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and 4×100-meter medley relay, as well as a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle. Since 2024, he represents team Germany internationally.

Early life Winkler was homeschooled for high school, part of Broward Virtual School, and competed for the South Florida HEAT. As a Junior, he was a First Team All-Broward swimmer representing the South Florida HEAT Swim Club in the 200 freestyle with a state record time of 1:34.18 and a Florida state champion in the 100 freestyle with a state record time of 42.52. Swimming anchor for both events, he was a Florida State Champion runner-up with a time of 3:03.74 in the 4x100 freestyle, and also a runner up in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:30.85. He was made a 2023 Broward "Swimmer of the Year". He has a brother, Finn who is one year older, and was also a competitive swimmer for the South Florida Heat."All Broward Swimming Boys", The Miami Herald, Miami, Herald, January 6, 2023, pg. A22

Career 2021–2022 At his first Florida High School 1A State Championships in the autumn of 2021, Winkler placed second in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 44.00 seconds and second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:36.78.Curreri, Gary (December 25, 2021). "Broward boys swimming first team, second team, honorable mention, coach of the year". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved September 11, 2022. In March the following year, he became the fastest American 15-year-old swimmer in history in the long course 100-meter freestyle with a time of 50.24 seconds at the 2022 Piranhas Senior Invitational in Florida.Hamann, Michael (March 7, 2022). "Kaii Winkler Blasts 50.24 LCM 100 Free, Fastest American 15-Year Old Ever". SwimSwam. Retrieved September 11, 2022. In April, at the 2022 USA Swimming International Team Trials held in Greensboro, North Carolina, he placed fourth in the c-final of the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 49.95 seconds and 33rd in the 200-meter freestyle with a 1:52.05.USA Swimming (April 30, 2022). "2022 Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved September 11, 2022. The next month, USA Swimming selected him to the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships roster in the 100-meter freestyle based on his results at the International Team Trials."2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships U.S. Roster - Version 2". USA Swimming. 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.

2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships

Day one of four at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, held in August and contested at Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Honolulu, Winkler placed fourth in the b-final of the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:50.81 after swimming a personal best time of 1:50.07 in the preliminary heats.Hy-Tek (August 24, 2022). "2022 Jr Pan Pacific Swimming Championships: Results". swmeets.com. Retrieved September 11, 2022.USA Swimming (August 24, 2022). "Day 1 Finals | Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships". YouTube. Retrieved September 11, 2022. On the second day, he placed second in the b-final of the 100-meter freestyle with a 50.12, after swimming a personal best time of 49.47 seconds in the preliminary heats, and contributed a split of 1:51.27 for the fourth leg of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay to help win the exhibition heat with a time of 7:22.66.USA Swimming (August 25, 2022). "Day 2 Finals | Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships". YouTube. Retrieved September 11, 2022.

In his first event of the evening session on day three, Winkler won the b-final of the 100-meter butterfly with a personal best time of 53.94 seconds. Later in the session, he split a 48.95 for the anchor, fourth, leg of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay in the final to help win the gold medal and set a new world junior record and Championships record of 3:15.79 with finals relay teammates Thomas Heilman, Henry McFadden, and Daniel Diehl.Lohn, John (August 26, 2022). "United States breaks World Junior Record in 400 Freestyle Relay at Junior Pan Pacs". Swimming World. Retrieved September 11, 2022.Penland, Spencer (August 27, 2022). "U.S. Breaks Boys 4×100 Free Relay World Junior Record (3:15.79), Diehl Splits 48.6". SwimSwam. Retrieved September 11, 2022.Sagendorph, Kyle (August 27, 2022). "U.S. Captures World Junior Record in 4x100 Free Relay at Junior Pan Pacs". USA Swimming. Retrieved September 11, 2022."Diehl helps set 4x100 freestyle world junior record". Cumberland Times-News. August 28, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022. The following, and final, day, he tied fellow American Diggory Dillingham for the silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle with a personal best time of 22.50 seconds.Sagendorph, Kyle (August 28, 2022). "U.S. Wraps Junior Pan Pacific Championships with 46 Medals, Team of the Meet Honors". USA Swimming. Retrieved September 11, 2022. In the 4×100-meter medley relay final, he and relay teammates Daniel Diehl (backstroke), Zhier Fan (breaststroke), and Thomas Heilman (butterfly), won the gold medal with a Championships record time of 3:36.65.Penland, Spencer (August 28, 2022). "Heilman Throws Down 51.71 Fly Split As U.S. Breaks 4×100 Medley Jr Pan Pac Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved September 11, 2022."Conclusi i Campionati Pan Pacific Juniores. Tutti i vincitori. Tripletta d'oro per Southan, Staples e Gemmel" (in Italian). nuoto.com. August 28, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022. He contributed a split time of 49.18 seconds for the freestyle leg of the relay.

2022 U.S. Open Championships Leading up to the year's U.S. Open, Winkler competed at the 2022 Florida 1A High School State Championships in Stuart, Florida, where he won the 100-yard freestyle with a National Age Group record time of 42.52 seconds for the boys 15–16 age group on November 18, which was 0.15 seconds faster than the former record by Ryan Hoffer in 2014.Overend, Riley (November 18, 2022). "Kaii Winkler Breaks Caeleb Dressel's 200 FR FHSAA Record, Then Sets 100 FR NAG Mark". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 9, 2022.Lohn, John (November 18, 2022). "Kaii Winkler Breaks NAG (15-16) Record in 100 Freestyle At Florida State Champs". Swimming World. Retrieved December 9, 2022. He also won the state title in the 200-yard freestyle, in which he set a Florida high school record with a 1:34.18.Curreri, Gary (November 20, 2022). "South Florida Heat juniors Erika Pelaez, Kaii Winkler double-winners at 1A state swimming". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved February 20, 2023.

At the 2022 U.S. Open Swimming Championships, held in November and December in Greensboro, North Carolina, Winkler tied for nineteenth-place in the 50-meter freestyle on day two with a time of 22.97 seconds, which qualified him for the c-final.USA Swimming (December 1, 2022). "2022 Toyota U.S. Open Championships: Men's 50m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 1, 2022. He lowered his time to a 22.82 in the evening to win the c-final.USA Swimming (December 1, 2022). "2022 Toyota U.S. Open Championships: Men's 50m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 1, 2022. The following day, he swam a 1:50.97 in the preliminary heats of the 200-meter freestyle to qualify for the b-final ranking eleventh across all preliminary heats.USA Swimming (December 2, 2022). "2022 Toyota U.S. Open Championships: Men's 200m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 2, 2022. Improving his time in the evening finals session, he won the b-final with a time of 1:50.26, which was 2.88 seconds slower than a-final winner Jake Mitchell.USA Swimming (December 2, 2022). "2022 Toyota U.S. Open Championships: Men's 200m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 2, 2022. For his final event, the 100-meter freestyle on day four, he ranked seventh in the preliminary heats and qualified for the a-final with a time of 49.56 seconds.USA Swimming (December 3, 2022). "2022 Toyota U.S. Open Championships: Men's 100m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 3, 2022. In the evening final, he achieved a sixth-place finish with a personal best time of 49.45 seconds.USA Swimming (December 3, 2022). "2022 Toyota U.S. Open Championships: Men's 100m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved December 3, 2022.

2022 Winter Junior National Championships Later in December, at the 2022 Winter Junior US National Championships, Winkler finished in a personal best time of 19.70 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle to place fourth at the East edition of the meet. The following day, he placed second in the 200-yard freestyle with a personal best time of 1:33.36."2022 East Speedo Winter Junior Championships: Results". USA Swimming. December 10, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023. In the morning preliminaries on the fourth and final day, he swam a personal best time and new boys 15–16 National Age Group record of 42.21 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle to qualify for the final ranking first, his time broke the record he set in the event less than one month earlier at 42.52 seconds.Lohn, John (December 10, 2022). "Winter Juniors-East: Summer McIntosh Stars Again, Kaii Winkler Sets NAG During Fast Prelims Session (Live Updates)". Swimming World. Retrieved December 10, 2022.Gibbs, Robert (December 10, 2022). "Kaii Winkler Lowers 15-16 100 Free NAG Record with 42.21 Prelims Swim in Greensboro". SwimSwam. Retrieved December 10, 2022. He won the event in the evening with a time of 42.22, which was one-hundredth of a second slower than his time in the morning.Lohn, John (December 10, 2022). "Hot Streak For Daniel Diehl Continues With Sub-1:40 Blast in 200 Backstroke At Winter Juniors". Swimming World. Retrieved December 10, 2022.

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