2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
Katie Ledecky has all however confirmed what everybody has speculated all meet—she’s not planning on racing the ladies’s 200 freestyle individually on the Paris Olympics.
After successful final evening’s 200 free last, Ledecky spoke to media on Tuesday morning and stated she received’t race the occasion in Paris supplied “all goes nicely” in her remaining occasions on the Trials, the 800 and 1500 free.
“I imply nothing formally will get determined till the tip of the week, as a result of I’ve received to do what I wish to do within the 800 and the mile, but when all goes nicely I’m not planning on swimming it individually in Paris,” Ledecky stated of the 200 free. “However I can be swimming the relay.”
Ledecky soared to a dominant win within the 200 free last on Monday, clocking a time of 1:55.22 to complete almost a second away from runner-up Claire Weinstein (1:56.18).
Offered Ledecky secures particular person berths in Paris within the 800 and 1500 free later within the meet—which she is going to barring a DQ or sickness—her withdrawal from the 200 free will open the door for Paige Madden to race the 200 free in Paris after she was third within the last in 1:56.36.
Madden certified alongside Ledecky originally of the meet within the 400 free.
At earlier Trials, a withdrawal from one of many prime finishers within the 200 free would open up a roster spot for the Seventh-place finisher, like we noticed final yr when Ledecky opting out allowed Anna Peplowski to the Worlds group. We noticed the identical scenario happen in 2012, when Michael Phelps pulled out of the 200 free to permit Davis Tarwater on the group.
Nonetheless, USA Swimming has up to date its Olympic choice standards which suggests the Seventh-place finisher received’t be added this yr. Taking Seventh within the last was Simone Manuel, who had a powerful exhibiting within the 100 free prelims on Tuesday and is a favourite to qualify on Wednesday evening with as much as six spots accessible within the 100 free or 400 free relay.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE — FINAL
- Katie Ledecky (GSC-FL), 1:55.22
- Claire Weinstein (SAND), 1:56.18
- Paige Madden (NYAC), 1:56.36
- Erin Gemmell (NCAP), 1:56.75
- Anna Peplowski (ISC), 1:57.04
- Alex Shackell (CSC-IN), 1:57.05
- Simone Manuel (SUN), 1:57.13
- Katie Grimes (SAND), 1:57.33
Ledecky received the 2016 Olympic gold medal within the 200 free, setting what stays her private greatest time of 1:53.73, however opted to not race the 200 free on the Tokyo Video games and hasn’t carried out it at every of the final two World Championships (2022 and 2023). The U.S. solely had one finalist within the 200 free between these two meets.
Given the presence of the 2 quickest girls in historical past, Australians Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan, together with sub-1:54 swimmers Summer time McIntosh and Siobhan Haughey, Ledecky’s possibilities at a medal can be skinny at greatest in Paris.
She is, nonetheless, excited to sort out the 800 free relay with Weinstein, Madden, fellow NCAP product Erin Gemmell, Peplowski and Alex Shackell.
“That’s why I hold swimming the 200,” Ledecky stated of the 800 free relay. “I simply wish to proceed to be prepared for that relay, push the opposite ladies individually to try to get our group sooner and I do know we actually wish to put up an awesome exhibiting and we’ve got such an awesome historical past in that relay that I believe we’re very motivated to do rather well there.”
