Ledecky: I’m excited to swim fast at the end of June (Video)

Produced by Coleman Hodges.

Reported by Robert Gibbs.

ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES AT MESA

• Thursday, April 14 – Saturday, April 16, 2016
• Skyline Aquatic Center
• Mesa, Arizona (same as Pacific Daylight Time, GMT -7 hours)
• Prelims 9AM / Finals 5PM (12PM/8PM Eastern Daylight Time)
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Meet Central
• Saturday AM Program

WOMEN’S 800 METER FREESTYLE – FASTEST HEAT

• FINA A: 8:33.97
• S. Olympic Trials: 8:49.99

Top Three (all heats):

1. Katie Ledecky, Nation’s Capital Swim Club, 8:13.20
2. Lotte Friis, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 8:27.85
3. Cierra Runge, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 8:32.21

Katie Ledecky stayed close to own world record pace for the first few hundred meters, but backed off the pace in the second half and ended up with “only” a 8:13.20, still a full 14 seconds than the 2nd-place finisher, Lotte Friis (8:27.85).  Sierra Schmidt was behind Ledecky and Friis through the 500m mark, but faded a bit down the stretch while Cierra Runge picked it up and finished 3rd in 8:32.21.  Kristel Kobrich took 4thth in 8:34.24, followed by Becca Mann in 8:35.35.  Schmidt ended up in 6th place, touching in 8:37.84.  Joanna Evans and Kaitlin Pawlowicz took the final two spots in 8:48.63 and 8:53.90, respectively.  No swimmer from the earlier heat finished in the top 8.