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After King Accepted Ledecky’s 400 IM Challenge in 2023, They Went Head-to-Head in Knoxville

2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

In 2023, Lilly King said she could throw down a good 400 IM. Fellow Olympic champion Katie Ledecky told King to put her money where her mouth was. So King entered the 400 IM at a local meet, swimming it and getting the Pro Swim Series cut. At the Knoxville Pro Swim last weekend, King not only swam the 400 IM but got a lane in the final right next to Ledecky.

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Sweet Sweet Peter Rosen
10 months ago

100 IM would be intense

Jackie
Reply to  Sweet Sweet Peter Rosen
9 months ago

Not really

NoFastTwitch
10 months ago

I’d pay to see Dressel and Andrews go head-to-head in the 400 IM.

Facts
Reply to  NoFastTwitch
10 months ago

How about this heat: 1: Santo Condorelli, 2: Ryan Held, 3: Brett Hawke, 4: Dressel, 5: MA, 6: Ben Proud, 7: Joseph Schooling, 8: Tom Shields

Beatriz Cortez
Reply to  Facts
10 months ago

I’d pay a good money to watch this

Facts
Reply to  Beatriz Cortez
10 months ago

A swim race + piano concert for the price of one

Jimmy DeSnuts
Reply to  NoFastTwitch
10 months ago

neither time would be elite obviously but Dressel would win by a lot. Even though he’s a sprinter, UF did a lot of aerobic work under Troy (and still does with Nesty). Although known for the 50 and 100s, Dressel can put up solid times in the 200s free, IM, and fly. MA has never held an AR in an IM event, Dressel has. Both are super versatile but I think MA and his ridiculous sprint training has no shot against Dressel’s aerobic capacity.

Jimmy DeSnuts
Reply to  NoFastTwitch
10 months ago

also, i forgot to mention, Dressel has a better SCY 400 IM time than MA by 5 seconds. Obviously we would see this theoretical competition in LCM but it appears Dressel has not swam the LC 4 IM since the age of 12 so his time is not exactly up to date.

Smglsn12
10 months ago

In a breastroke race, how long would the race have to be for ledecky to catch king? 3000 meters? More? When do King’s legs just give out and Ledecky’s endless cardio puts her over the top?

Swimmer
Reply to  Smglsn12
10 months ago

I’d go with longer- elite breastrokers can do half the strokes per lap of non-breastrokers if they’re really cruising it

LBSWIM
10 months ago

I feel like a 200 IM for both of them might be a better match up. It may prevent Ledecky from getting too far ahead by the 100 mark and then only a 50 for Ledecky to catch King in free.

PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
Reply to  LBSWIM
10 months ago

Katie: 1:56.04 yards, 2:12.74 meters
Lilly: 1:54.93 yards, 2:16.18 meters

Solid theory from a matchup perspective, especially in yards.

Mediocre Swammer
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
10 months ago

That 200 IM time for Lilly, long course, is from 2017, at the Phillips 66 Summer National Championships.
https://www.swimcloud.com/results/76270/event/30/

Lovetoswim
10 months ago

Yes! Seeing the elite swimmers swim their off events is so fun! No expectations just a fun break from the norm.

Viking Steve
10 months ago

Lilly King has always been great for US swimming.

Bill Lumberg
Reply to  Viking Steve
10 months ago

I like her spicy side when she’s getting ready to race. Calling cheaters out, calling haters out.

Beatriz Cortez
Reply to  Bill Lumberg
10 months ago

She admitted she likes to intimidate young swimmers in the call/waiting room.

Not sure if I like this kind of spicy.

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  Beatriz Cortez
10 months ago

Lisa Curry used to do this too later in her career

bevo’s horns
10 months ago

I enjoyed seeing Torri Huske swim off events, too!

MarshMadness
10 months ago

How about Ledecky swim the 100 breast now?

Swimswam follower
Reply to  MarshMadness
10 months ago

She swam the 200 fly instead

Andysup
Reply to  MarshMadness
10 months ago

Katie has never claimed that she can swim a solid 100 breast. At least that I have heard.

MarshMadness
Reply to  Andysup
10 months ago

I haven’t heard her claim that either. But this could be a fun “well, you took me up on one of my crazy races, so I’ll do one of your crazy races” situations. This is about fun, not strictly only doing something because of something somebody said.

LBSWIM
Reply to  MarshMadness
10 months ago

I feel like a 200 IM for both of them might be a better match up.

MarshMadness
Reply to  LBSWIM
10 months ago

It probably would be. But I’d say the sheer craziness of seeing King do a 400 IM would be matched by Ledecky doing a 100 breast (or maybe a 200 breast). Has Ledecky ever swum a breaststroke race?

Justhereforfun
Reply to  MarshMadness
10 months ago

The 400IM is waaaaaaay more of an off event for Ledecky than the 100/200 breast is for King. If King challenged Ledecky in like the 400 free then maybe yeah

Mrs. Tarquin Biscuitbarrel
Reply to  MarshMadness
10 months ago

The only record Katie *didn’t* hold at Stone Ridge, her Maryland high school, was the 100m breaststroke.

Elsa Nystrom
Reply to  Andysup
10 months ago

Well she has said that her backstroke and breaststroke are hit or miss; breaststroke was definetely a big miss last week.

Bill Lumberg
Reply to  MarshMadness
10 months ago

wonder what she can throw down

MarshMadness
Reply to  Bill Lumberg
10 months ago

Fascinating question. How about a 1:12?

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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