Katie Ledecky on 400 IM Battle with Leah Smith: “It was fun to deliver that”

2022 US SUMMER NATIONALS

• Tuesday, July 26 – Saturday, July 30, 2022
• William Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
• Prelims 9 AM / Finals 5 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
• Meet website
• Meet information
• Psych Sheet
• OMEGA Live Results
• Day 3 Prelims Recap

Reported by Robert Gibbs.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINALS

• World Record – 4:26.36, Katinka Hosszu (2016)
• American Record – 4:31.12, Katie Hoff (2008)
• U.S. Open Record – 4:31.07, Katinka Hosszu (2015)
• LC Nationals Record – 4:31.12, Katie Hoff (2008)
• World Junior Record – 4:32.04, Summer McIntosh (2022)ff

Top 3:

1. Katie Ledecky (Gator Swim Club) – 4:35.77
2. Leah Smith (Texas Longhorn Aquatics) – 4:36.66
3. Felicia Pasadena (Ohio State) – 4:42.79

This promised to be a fun race, and it didn’t disappoint.

Lindsay Looney of Sun Devil Aquatics was the early leader, and she touched first at the 100m mark, with Katie Ledecky in second. Ledecky took over the lead on the first length of backstroke, but Leah Smith passed her on the second length, and led by 0.09s of a second at the halfway point.

Ledecky kept it close on the breaststroke leg, setting her up nicely for a big freestyle leg. Sure enough, Ledecky made up over a second on the first 50 of the freestyle leg alone. Smith battled hard, but Ledecky continued to extend her lead, ultimately winning 4:35.77 to 4:36.66. Not only is that a new best time for Ledecky, but it would’ve won bronze last month at Worlds.

In the post-race interview, Ledecky said that was her first new best time in four years, but that she had no intention of adding the 400 IM to her standard lineup.