2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
Katie Ledecky‘s win this night had extra on the road than including a third particular person occasion (as she plans to drop the 200 free). Along with her time of 8:14.12 and her thirty sixth quickest time. Ledecky has now gained the 800 free on the final 4 Olympic Trials courting again to the 2012 Trials, her first when she was simply 15 years outdated.
At these Trials in 2012, Ledecky entered because the third seed in 8:25.85 behind Chloe Sutton‘s 8:24.05 and Kate Ziegler‘s 8:21.59. After the prelims, Ledecky sat in second place behind Sutton and, within the finals, posted a time of 8:19.78 to qualify first and punched her ticket to London, and the remainder, as they are saying, is historical past. Within the intervening years between London and now, Ledecky solely reset the World File quite a few instances and have become the best distance swimmer of all time and within the dialog of the best swimmers of all time.
Prelims | Finals | Olympic Finals | Podium | |
2012 | 8:27.91 | 8:19.78 | 8:14.63 | Gold |
2016 | 8:10.91 | 8:10.32 | 8:04.79 | Gold |
2021 | 8:16.61 | 8:14.62 | 8:12.57 | Gold |
2028 | 8:17.70 | 8:14.12 | ??? | ??? |
Ledecky’s profitable time this night of 8:14.12 was sooner than her profitable time from 2021, that means she ought to be seeking to go sooner this 12 months. This season, she has already been as quick as 8:12.95 swimming open air in San Antonio. Final summer time, Ledecky gained the 800 in Fukuoka in 8:08.87 accumulating her twenty first gold World Championship medal.
Whereas we’ve seen swimmers this meet full the triple, profitable the identical occasion at three Olympics in a row, Ryan Murphy with the triple-double within the backstroke and Lilly King within the 100 breast, just one different Olympian has gained 4 in a row: Michael Phelps.
Phelps gained the 200 fly from the 2004-2016 Olympic Trials in addition to the 200 IM in the identical span. Amongst US feminine swimmers, Ledecky’s feat of even attending 4 Video games is a outstanding one as she joins the likes of Jenny Thompson and Allison Schmitt. It’s slightly extra widespread in different nations. The upcoming video games will probably be French star Charlotte Bonnett‘s fourth Olympics and World File holder Sarah Sjostrom‘s fifth. Not to remove from their accomplishment, however with US Trials usually being known as the toughest meet ever, Ledecky’s feat appears all of the extra legendary.
WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL
- World File: 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2016 Olympic Video games
- American File: 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2016 Olympic Video games
- U.S. Open File: 8:06.68, Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2016 Professional Swim Sequence, Austin
- World Junior File: 8:11.00, Katie Ledecky (USA)
- 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Katie Ledecky, 8:14.62
- 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 8:26.71
Ultimate:
- Katie Ledecky (GSC), 8:14.12
- Paige Madden (NYAC), 8:20.71
- Jillian Cox (TXLA), 8:22.97
- Aurora Roghair (ALTO), 8:28.59
- Rachel Stege (ABSC), 8:28.77
- Kate Hurst (SCAR), 8:28.92
- Claire Weinstein (SAND), 8:29.80
- Ashley Twichell (TAC), 8:32.75
And with that commanding win within the 800 freestyle, Katie Ledecky joins Michael Phelps as the one swimmers who’ve gained an occasion 4 instances at U.S. Olympic Trials. Ledecky posted an 8:14.12 en path to her four-peat and gained the race by over six seconds.
Whereas the second by sixth place qualifiers for this last have been separated by lower than a second going to race, this didn’t develop into a very shut race. Paige Madden settled into second on the first flip and stayed there for your entire race. She’s had a wonderful Trials after having a troublesome couple years after the Tokyo Olympics. However now she’s confirmed for a second particular person race in Paris after ending second within the 400 free and incomes a spot on the 4×200 freestyle relay.
Madden clocked an enormous private finest for second, swimming 8:20.71. That efficiency reduce 6.93 seconds off the lifetime finest she swam earlier this 12 months at January’s Knoxville PSS.
2023 Worlds finalist Jillian Cox touched third in 8:22.97, 2.26 seconds behind Madden.