2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
Warmth 2 of the ladies’s 800 freestyle this morning may find yourself wanting like a preview of tomorrow evening’s ultimate, as Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus swam in adjoining lanes. The gold and silver medalists from Tokyo did what they wanted to do to qualify, however they didn’t go 1-2 within the warmth as Paige Madden completed in between them with an enormous private finest.
Madden clocked 8:18.48 to chop over two seconds from her earlier better of 8:20.71, which she swam at Trials to qualify for this occasion. That efficiency additionally represented an enormous drop for Madden, as she had by no means been beneath 8:27 previous to that meet.
With that, Madden jumps from tenth to Fifth all-time U.S. performer within the occasion.
High 10 U.S. Performers – Ladies’s 800-Meter Freestyle (LCM)
- Katie Ledecky – 8:04.79 (2016)
- Janet Evans – 8:16.22 (1989)
- Leah Smith – 8:16.33 (2019)
- Katie Grimes – 8:17.05 (2021)
- Paige Madden – 8:18.48 (2024)
- Kate Ziegler – 8:18.52 (2007)
- Brooke Bennett – 8:19.67 (2000)
- Katie Hoff – 8:19.70 (2008)
- Jillian Cox – 8:19.73 (2023)
- Haley Anderson – 8:20.51 (2021)
Madden improved considerably within the closing 200 meters in comparison with Trials. Whereas she slipped to 2 32-point splits on the finish of her swim in Indy, she stayed sturdy right here, holding 31-points earlier than closing in 30.54. It was solely within the final 200 meters that she handed Titmus, who had been operating second to Ledecky for your complete race prior. The American ladies have the #1 and #2 seed going into the ultimate.
It appears to be an thrilling race brewing for tomorrow evening. Ledecky will take intention at her fourth-straight Olympic gold on this occasion. Titmus, Lani Pallister, and Simona Quadarella all rank inside the top-10 all-time performers. And Madden will look to proceed her momentum from this morning.
WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – HEATS
- Katie Ledecky (United States) – 8:16.62
- Paige Madden (United States) – 8:18.48
- Ariarne Titmus (Australia) – 8:19.87
- Lani Pallister (Australia) – 8:20.21
- Isabel Gose (Germany) – 8:20.63
- Simona Quadarella (Spain) – 8:20.89
- Erika Fairweather (New Zealand) – 8:22.22
- Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (France) – 8:22.99
There have been solely 16 whole swimmers within the ladies’s 800 free prelims this morning, so half the contestants superior to the ultimate tomorrow evening. There have been 4 swimmers from every warmth that completed within the high 8. The 2nd warmth was clearly the sooner of the two, and never simply because Katie Ledecky was in that warmth. To the shock of nobody, Ledecky clocked the highest time of the morning, swimming an 8:16.62. By my rely, the efficiency was Ledecky’s 53rd-fastest time of her profession, which is spectacular, as a result of she earned the highest seed with out a downside.
Fellow American Paige Madden had a wonderful swim this morning, taking 2nd within the 2nd warmth and 2nd total with an 8:18.48. The efficiency marks an enormous profession finest for Madden, as her earlier finest was an 8:20.71, which she swam on the US Olympic Trials to qualify to race it right here in Paris. With the efficiency, Madden turns into the Fifth-fastest American all-time within the occasion.
Australia’s Ariarne Titmus additionally had a pleasant race within the 2nd warmth, swimming an 8:19.87 for Third within the warmth and Third total. Titmus is the 4th-fastest performer all-time within the occasion along with her profession better of 8:13.59 from final summer time.
Fellow Aussie Lani Pallister made it by with out a downside as nicely, profitable the first warmth in 8:20.21, which was good for 4th total. Which means the center of the pool within the ultimate tomorrow evening will function two Individuals and two Aussies.
France’s Anastasiia Kirpichnikova got here in eighth this morning with an 8:22.99. Kirpichnikova had a improbable race for silver within the 1500 a couple of days in the past, so we’ll see what she’s in a position to do from the surface lane within the ultimate tomorrow.
Of observe, China’s Li Bingjie did not qualify for the ultimate. Li clocked an 8:27.92, which was good for ninth, however was 5 seconds off what it took to make it into the highest 8. Li is the Third-fastest performer all-time within the occasion, behind solely Ledecky and Canadian Summer season McIntosh.
