2024 Paris Summer time Olympic Video games
By the Numbers: Girls’s 800 Free
Persevering with Her Reign
Katie Ledecky has been the queen of the 800 freestyle for over a decade, with hardly any rivals coming remotely near dethroning her since her Olympic debut within the occasion in 2012.
Not solely is she a three-time Olympic champion within the occasion, Ledecky can also be a six-time world champion within the 800 and the one swimmer to ever win the identical occasion at six consecutive World Championships. Other than her spectacular medal haul, Ledecky holds the 16 quickest occasions of all time and 24 out of the 25 high occasions, and till February of this 12 months, she had been undefeated within the occasion since 2010.
Katie Ledecky – courtesy of Simone Castrovillari
Whereas Ledecky was handed her first loss within the 800 in over a decade by Canadian Summer time McIntosh on the Southern Zone Senior Championships earlier this 12 months, knocking her right down to #2 on the world rating for 2024, she stays the strongest competitor heading into the Olympics. McIntosh didn’t contest the 800 free on the Canadian Swimming Trials, which means Ledecky will enter the Video games with the quickest time within the area.
Since her runner-up end behind McIntosh, Ledecky has lowered her season greatest to a time of 8:12.95, simply half a second off the time that gained her the gold medal on the Tokyo Olympics. She posted a time of 8:14.12 at Trials in June, however Ledecky has a historical past of dropping time on this occasion between Trials and the Video games; she sometimes doesn’t have to swim too quick on the U.S. Olympic Trials in an effort to qualify.
Ledecky’s Previous Olympic Time Drops
| Yr | Trials Time | Olympic Video games Time |
| 2012 | 8:19.78 | 8:14.63 |
| 2016 | 8:10.32 | 8:04.79 |
| 2021 | 8:14.62 | 8:12.57 |
Ledecky will undoubtedly be seeking to defend her Olympic title and maintain onto her crown because the queen of the 800, and with McIntosh out of the best way, she seems to be in a great place to just do that.
The Menace from Down Below
Australia’s Ariarne Titmus will doubtless be one of many largest contenders for the gold in Paris. She was the runner-up behind Ledecky on the Tokyo Olympics, touching lower than half a second behind her in a time of 8:13.83, and has been a relentless fixture on the high of the world rankings within the years since.
Ariarne Titmus –
courtesy of Fabio Cetti
Titmus has additionally been remarkably constant along with her swims every year, tending to put up her greatest performances within the 800 round July or August. She lowered her private greatest to a time of 8:13.59 on the 2022 Commonwealth Video games, solely to duplicate the very same time one 12 months later on the World Championships in Japan.
In 2023 Titmus was ranked #3 on this planet behind China’s Bingjie Li and Ledecky; whereas she nonetheless sits within the #3 spot this 12 months, she surpassed Li and now has solely Ledecky and McIntosh forward of her. With McIntosh out of the working for the 800 on the Olympics, Titmus could have an excellent larger likelihood at securing an Olympic title within the occasion.
On the Australian Swimming Trials in June, Titmus was simply narrowly off her lifetime greatest, profitable the 800 in a season greatest time of 8:14.06. She was clearly in high kind on the meet, as she additionally broke the world document within the 200 free. Whereas it stays to be seen if that kind will carry over into the Olympics themselves, Titmus is bound to be a high contender for the rostrum and presumably even the gold.
Pushing for the Podium
Whereas few swimmers can maintain a candle to Ledecky and Titmus’s constant domination within the 800 over time, there isn’t any scarcity of rivals who will probably be vying to earn a spot on the rostrum and produce residence an Olympic medal.
Simona Quadarella – courtesy of Len European Aquatics
One of many high contenders for a podium end will doubtless be Simona Quadarella. The Italian star will probably be racing the 800 free at her second straight Olympic Video games, having gained bronze within the occasion in 2021. Quadarella has inched her means up the worldwide rankings during the last three years, along with her season-best time of 8:17.44 trailing solely Titmus and Ledecky heading into Paris. Quadarella posted the excessive rating time when she took residence the gold on the World Championships in February
Quadarella has not approached her private greatest time of 8:14.99 since setting it again in 2019, however her season greatest this 12 months is barely sooner than what she posted within the ultimate in Tokyo, which means that if she will be able to keep in keeping with that point then she ought to be in a great spot for the ultimate.
Crew USA’s second consultant Paige Madden will probably be one to keep watch over in Paris. Madden noticed a large time drop on the U.S. Olympic Trials, chopping practically seven seconds off of her greatest when she posted a time of 8:20.71. The efficiency bumped her as much as #7 on this planet for the 2024 season up to now and confirmed large enchancment from the place she was simply six months in the past when she established her earlier greatest time.
Nonetheless, provided that she was clearly at peak kind to qualify for the Olympics, it could be arduous to duplicate that efficiency with simply over a month in between. Supplied that Madden stays constant, she ought to be capable of land herself within the ultimate; if she will be able to proceed to construct upon her latest enhancements, then she could possibly shoot for the rostrum.
Australia’s Lani Pallister may even be making a play for the rostrum. Paris will mark Pallister’s Olympic debut, as she missed out on qualifying in 2021, however she is poised to be proper within the coronary heart of the competitors with the entire veterans.
Her performances within the 800 free have been on an upward trajectory during the last 12 months, reducing her private greatest time twice briefly succession again in October to put up a time of 8:15.11. The efficiency made her the 4th-fastest particular person on this planet in 2023 and the eighth all-time high performer on this planet.
Pallister turned in a time of 8:18.46 to take second behind Titmus on the Australian Swimming Trials, cruising in practically 12 seconds forward of the third place finisher and simply qualifying for the Olympics. The decisiveness of her qualification bodes nicely for her debut in Paris as she gears up for the Video games.
Finals Threats
Returning Chinese language Olympian Li Bingjie will probably be seeking to make her Olympic breakthrough within the 800 free. Bingjie secured a bronze medal within the 400 free on the Tokyo Video games however missed out on the ultimate within the 800 altogether when she positioned tenth in a time of 8:22.49.
Bingjie has considerably improved her time since then, posting a private greatest time of 8:13.31 on the World Championships final summer season and taking second behind Ledecky. Nonetheless, her most up-to-date performances have dropped off a bit; Bingjie has not swam below an 8:20 since final July, and he or she turned in a time of 8:25.43 on the Chinese language Nationwide Swimming Championships. At the moment ranked thirteenth on this planet, Bingjie might discover herself within the Olympic ultimate this 12 months however must drop again down nearer to her private greatest time in an effort to safe a spot.
Germany’s Isabel Gose narrowly missed out on making the Olympic ultimate within the 800 in Tokyo, putting Ninth general. The 22-year-old Olympic returner will probably be seeking to rectify that this summer season, as she has considerably improved her 800 free for the reason that final Video games. In February, Gose took second within the occasion on the World Championships, posting a private greatest time of 8:17.53, which is over 4 seconds sooner than her Tokyo efficiency.
Though her efficiency in Doha marked the Fifth-fastest time in 2024, Gose’s occasions within the 800 usually dip up and down, with every high swim tending to be adopted by a drop off. Throughout her most up-to-date race in Might, Gose turned in a time of 8:23.35, exhibiting a dip in her kind. Gose might want to make a return to her World Championship kind in an effort to safe a spot within the ultimate this Olympics.
Erika Fairweather – courtesy of Simon Watts/www.bwmedia.co.nz
New Zealand could also be poised to propel two swimmers into the ultimate of the 800 free. 20-year-old Erika Fairweather will probably be racing in her second Olympic Video games, though this will probably be her first time contesting the 800 on the Olympic degree. Fairweather established her private greatest time of 8:21.06 on the 2023 World Championships, the place she positioned eighth general; she went on to deliver residence a bronze medal within the occasion on the 2024 championships in Doha. Fairweather has been remarkably constant along with her performances, hovering proper round her greatest time in every of the 4 races since establishing it. Fairweather posted the Seventh-fastest time on this planet in 2023 and holds the Ninth-fastest time (8:21.67) up to now in 2024.
New Zealand’s different returning Olympian is Eve Thomas, who completed 18th within the 800 in Tokyo. Thomas has lowered her time by over 10 seconds since then, posting a private greatest time of 8:22.27 simply months in the past in April. Thomas took fourth behind Fairweather on the World Championships in Doha and at present sits at #10 on this planet rankings for 2024. She has been steadily climbing the world rankings over the previous couple of years, and if she will be able to keep her latest upward momentum then she may break into the ultimate in Paris.
Former Russian Olympian turned French swimmer Anastasiia Kirpichnikova will probably be preventing for a spot within the ultimate in Paris. Kirpichnikova competed for Russia on the Tokyo Video games, the place she positioned eighth within the 800 free with a time of 8:26.30 regardless of posting a greatest time of 8:18.77 within the qualifying heats.
Now competing for France, she simply gained the 800 free on the French Elite Championships, however it stays to be seen if she will be able to safe herself a spot within the ultimate. Kirpichnikova’s season greatest this 12 months is a time of 8:26.38, marking a drop off from final season’s better of 8:22.74.
Kirpichnikova has been hovering across the #13 and #14 spots on this planet for the previous couple of years since Tokyo, and lots of the swimmers ranked forward of her will probably be contesting the 800 in Paris. Nonetheless, the French Elite Championships marked an enchancment in her latest occasions, which means that if she will be able to proceed this momentum and return to high kind for the Olympics, she might battle her means into the ultimate.
The Verdict
The 800 free seems like it’s shaping as much as be a battle between Ledecky and Titmus. Whereas it might go both means, Ledecky has confirmed herself to be virtually unbeatable on this occasion and appears poised to deliver residence one other gold within the 800. Titmus will definitely be proper there along with her, however we’ve put Ledecky in for the highest spot given her historical past of dominance within the race and consistency in performances.
SwimSwam’s Picks
Darkish Horse: Gao Weizhong (China) – At simply 16 years outdated, Gao Weizhong has established herself within the distance freestyle and butterfly occasions. Though the teen has but to deliver residence a world medal, her private greatest time of 8:25.27 within the 800 free made her #15 on this planet in 2023. Whereas Weizhong didn’t hit the qualifying time at Trials, she had beforehand been below the minimize along with her 2023 efficiency and will fill the remaining slot within the occasion behind Bingjie. Weizhong has solely raced the 800 a handful of occasions, but when she chooses to compete within the occasion in Paris and might flip in a powerful efficiency, she is probably not far off the ultimate.
