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Ledecky on Event Schedules: “I do think the men have it a little bit easier”

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Reported by James Sutherland.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

  • World Record: Federica Pellegrini (ITA) – 1:52.98 (2009)
  • American Record: Allison Schmitt – 1:53.61 (2012)
  • US Open Record: Allison Schmitt (USA) / Katie Ledecky (USA) – 1:54.40 (2012 / 2021)
  • World Junior Record: Yang Junxuan (CHN) – 1:55.43 (2019)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 1:53.73
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Katie Ledecky – 1:54.88
  • Wave I Cut: 2:01.69
  • Wave II Cut: 2:00.24
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:57.28
  1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP), 1:55.11
  2. Allison Schmitt (SUN), 1:56.79
  3. Paige Madden (UVA), 1:56.80
  4. Katie McLaughlin (CAL), 1:57.16
  5. Bella Sims (SAND), 1:57.53
  6. Brooke Forde (LAK), 1:57.86

Katie Ledecky and Allison Schmitt broke away from the field on the second 50 of the women’s 200 free final, and then on the back-half it was all Ledecky, splitting 29.18/29.85 en route to winning her second event of the meet in a time of 1:55.11.

Ledecky owns a season-best of 1:54.40, set at the Mission Viejo Pro Swim in April.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREE FINAL

  • World Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:20.48 (2018)
  • American Record: Katie Ledecky – 15:20.48 (2018)
  • US Open Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:20.48
  • World Junior Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:28.36 (2014)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: N/A (New Olympic event in 2021)
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: N/A (New Olympic event in 2021)
  • Wave I Cut: 16:49.19
  • Wave II Cut: 16:44.60
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 16:32.04
  1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP), 15:40.50
  2. Erica Sullivan (SAND), 15:51.18
  3. Katie Grimes (SAND), 15:52.12

Katie Ledecky is fittingly the first U.S. Olympic Trials champion in the women’s 1500 freestyle, easily dominating the field for her second win of the night in a time of 15:40.50.

That showing marks Ledecky’s 12th-fastest swim ever, and the 13th-best of all-time, dipping under her season-best from the Mission Viejo Pro Swim by .05.

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The unoriginal Tim
3 years ago

Classic case of the question leading to the answer and all Ledecky did was answer it. She’s not trying to get sympathy or play the victim.

The 200/1500 double is nasty. If it was me I would drip the 200. Mckeown and Larkin have made similar decisions in the hope of maximising their other events.

M d e
Reply to  The unoriginal Tim
3 years ago

Agreed.

The question is the problem. Not Ledecky.

GTS
3 years ago

She has a good point, although the Ledecky of a few years ago probably wouldn’t have complained. She has been a bit off at the Trials, and is probably frustrated. Hopefully, it gets better for her and she performs up to snuff in Tokyo.

That said, Gregorio Paltrinieri had a nasty schedule at the Euros last month, starting with the open water 5K, 10K, and the 5K relay. Golds in all 3 events. Turns around and swims the prelims and finals in the 800 & 1500. Two silvers, and predictably slower than what we’ve seen from Paltrinieri since the coaching change given the massive workload he chose against the best in the world. 24,600 meters of events in a little… Read more »

Nathan Smith
3 years ago

Did I step into some kind of bizarro dimension? These comments are terrible. She literally says she’s “game for whatever” and that she doesn’t think many people are attempting the double. She’s being interviewed after the first women’s mile at Olympic Trials and commenters are up in arms because gender was mentioned. You have to talk about the issue because it’s historical record that the mile wasn’t contested on the women’s side because of tradition rooted in sexism. How about this, a man swimming her exact same events would have it easier because wouldn’t have to double. You can’t contest that.

Smith-King-Huske-Manuel
Reply to  Nathan Smith
3 years ago

It’s the trolls from down under.

M d e
Reply to  Smith-King-Huske-Manuel
3 years ago

Better scratch Manuel now.

Freddy
3 years ago

Correction is not a mile is 1500 meters.

Jay Ryan
3 years ago

Popping a world class 1:55.8 in the 200 freestyle semifinals is remarkable after a world leading 1500m freestyle swim in the afternoon (even if her 1500 was 23 seconds slower than her 15:20 world record). It takes most swimmers days to fully recover from a race-paced 1500m freestyle. That is why the 1500 final is typically on the last day of all major championships, so as not to spoil subsequent events later in the program. In the world championships this is essentially always the case. In the Olympics (and US Olympic trials) the men’s 1500m event is on the last swimming day. Since women are contesting the 1500 for the first time as an Olympic event in Tokyo, this mid-program schedule is… Read more »

MX4x50relay
3 years ago

She would beat lochte 😂

Bossanova
3 years ago

She had over an hour between events. I could maybe see her point if the 1500 was first but it wasn’t.

200 free, recover for an hour, 1500 isn’t ideal but it’s not too bad.

Coach Macgyver
3 years ago

Keeping fingers crossed that Coleman gets to interview his brother after making the Olympic team.

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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