American swimmer Katie Ledecky will not swim the 200 free at the upcoming World Championships, ceding her individual spot to teenager Bella Sims.
With room left on the roster before Team USA hit the 26 swimmer cap, USA Swimming has pulled in Anna Peplowski from Indiana to the roster as a relay-only swimmer.
Top 8:
- Claire Weinstein (SAND) — 1:55.26 (Individual)
- Katie Ledecky (GSC) — 1:55.28 (SCRATCH)
- Bella Sims (SAND) — 1:56.08 (Individual)
- Erin Gemmell (NCAP) — 1:56.23 (Relay)
- Alex Shackell (CSC) — 1:56.70 (Relay)
- Leah Smith (TXLA) — 1:56.91 (Relay)
- Anna Peplowski (ISC) — 1:57.59 (Relay)
- Alex Walsh (NAC) — 1:58.16
Peplowski swam 1:57.02 in the 200 free at the Indy Spring Cup in this same pool in May. That high-pointed a big summer of drops for her; she entered 2023 with a best time of 1:59.87 from last year’s US National Championships.
While Peplowski is an able prelims leg for this relay, USA Swimming has been inconsistent in these situations in the past. Last year, when Ledecky also scratched the 200 free at Worlds, 7th place finisher Erin Gemmell was not called up for the relay.
In 2012, when Michael Phelps made the same choice, 7th-place finisher Davis Tarwater was added to the U.S. roster.
Ledecky previously dropped the 200 free from her lineup at the 2019 World Championships (because of an illness) and at the 2013 World Championships.
At the 2013 World Championships, she finished 2nd to Missy Franklin, and scratched early enough for the U.S. to insert 3rd-place finisher Shannon Vreeland into the slot instead. In 2013, Karlee Bispo, the 7th-place finisher in the 200 free at Trials, was likewise called up to fill the relay slot, just like Tarwater was a year earlier.
Ledecky was the 2015 World Champion and 2016 Olympic gold medalist in the 200 free. She also won silver in the event at the 2017 World Championships.
She will still be a key leg of the US 800 free relay in Fukuoka, where the US are the defending World Champions. The US is really safe for finals qualifying in this relay – last year, it took just 7:59.87 to finish top 8 in prelims, and after Great Britain’s withdrawal, just 8:04.87 to qualify for the final (New Zealand).
That means an average of just under 2 minutes per leg was enough for the final at Worlds; the US swam 7:49.25 last year in prelims to better that by more than 10 seconds.
Sims is also qualified to swim the 400 free individually.
A surface view says that these situations and circumstances are all identical, and should be treated as such. The reality is that each one of them is different.
Relays have to qualify in Fukuoka for Paris! If we don’t score in the top three in Japan, we will be forced to send our best swimmers to Doha in February 2024. That’s a huge difference between the other situations being described.
Coaching decisions really can’t be template decisions.
Top 3?
Upon further review, the roster addition is completely unnecessary.
Despite Bella Sims and Claire Weinstein swimming in the heats of the W 4 x 200 FR-R at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, USA still managed to win gold in the W 4 x 200 FR-R.
Furthermore, Alex Walsh is available in an emergency with zero conflicts in the event schedule (Days 1, 2, 8).
I think there’s a difference between (paraphrasing): “Erin got shafted last time so they should do the same to Anna for the sake of consistency!” VS “I’m pleased for Anna. I just wish Erin was accorded the same treatment last year.” I’m definitely in the latter camp.
Also, Anna’s inclusion has nothing to do with MA’s non inclusion. Men and Women are added as separate teams. You would think this would be pretty obvious but a few comments seem to infer that her inclusion comes at his expense. Maybe they’re inverting Peplowski & McFadden in their brainsoup. Had the men secured as many doubles as the women he would have been named to the team.
If Ledecky knew she was not going to swim the 200 at Worlds, why didn’t she just scratch out after prelims?
She may have wanted to win the National title. Maybe she wanted to push her competitors to their full potential. It’s possible she was bored and just wanted to swim something that day.
Optics.
To justify her position on the W 4 x 200 FR-R.
Sponsorship bonuses?
Sensible decision but always miss getting to see KL square up – even though she wasn’t a huge factor in the Tokyo 200 final, she still brings stakes and drama just because of her legacy
By dropping the individual 200 meter freestyle, Katie Ledecky avoids the session double and as well the morning preliminary swim prior to the final of the W 1500 FR. In addition, Katie Ledecky receives a full day’s rest between the final of the W 1500 FR and the final of the W 4 x 200 FR-R. A sensible way to prolong a career.
It is easier on KL at the meet but going a step to far to say that droping 600 meters will prolong her career. It impacts her time on the 1500 but not her chances to win
It will be fun to watch Claire Weinstein and Bella Sims swim the women’s 200 meter freestyle at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
Sensible decision. She can still strive for 3 individual golds and a possible relay win.
So Ledeckys 800 free from 2016 would’ve qualified for the relay final last year?
That’s correct.
Jesus, that’s a depressing indictment of how relays are being approached in 2023 – countries are not really bothering unless they think they can medal. Understandable from a financial perspective, but it is disappointing to see the impact in black and white.
7.56 used to be the ballpark area to qualify for the final in 8th.