Ledecky: “I Think Moving Forward We Can Get Better From Here” | SwimSwam

By Robert Gibbs on SwimSwam

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

• When:
  • Wave I Dates: June 4-7, 2021
  • Wave II Dates: June 13-20, 2021
• Prelims: 10am CDT | Finals: 7pm CDT
• Where: CHI Health Center / Omaha, Nebraska
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Cuts
• Wave I & II Event Order
• LCM (50m)
• Day 3 Finals Live Stream
• Psych Sheets
• Wave II Live Results

Katie Ledecky sat down with the press to answer questions tonight after she swam the fastest time in the semi-finals of the 200 free to earn lane four in tomorrow night’s final. During the conference, Ledecky discussed how she wasn’t thrilled with her times so far this meet, but is focused on preparing between now and Tokyo to be at her best. She also fielded questions on interactions with family and friends, especially after not being able to see people in person as much over the last year, and what it was like to swim with her former coach Bruce Gemmell’s daughter Erin Gemmell in tonight’s semi-final.

Ledecky also explained how she felt just a bit nervous this meet, mostly because it’d been so long since she had swum in front of a big crowd, but also because she respects her competition enough to know that you can never assume the outcome of a race.

 

Reported by James Sutherland 

WOMEN’S 200 FREE SEMI-FINALS

• 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), 1:55.83
2. Paige Madden (UVA), 1:56.44
3. Katie McLaughlin (CAL), 1:57.37
4. Allison Schmitt (SUN), 1:57.53
5. Brooke Forde (LAK), 1:57.82
6. Gabby Deloof (CW), 1:57.95
7. Bella Sims (SAND), 1:58.00
8. Leah Smith (CLCK), 1:58.22

Katie Ledecky inched ahead of Paige Madden on the back-half of the first semi-final in the women’s 200 freestyle, putting up a time of 1:55.83 to earn Lane 4 in tomorrow night’s final. At the 2016 Trials, when Ledecky didn’t have to swim the 1500 free heats on the same day, she was 1:55.10 in the semis.

Ledecky ranks second in the world this season by virtue of her 1:54.40 swim at the Mission Viejo Pro Swim in April.

Madden, who earned an Olympic berth last night by taking second to Ledecky in the 400 free, touched second in 1:56.44, dropping over a second off her previous best time of 1:57.47 set in May. That slots Madden into 10th all-time among Americans, inching ahead of Katie McLaughlin‘s 1:56.48 from 2019. McLaughlin was third in the first semi in 1:57.37, a time that stood up as the third-fastest overall.

31-year-old veteran Allison Schmitt, a three-time Olympian and the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in this event, emerged victorious in a tight second semi-final, clocking 1:57.53 to edge out Brooke Forde(1:57.82), Gabby Deloof (1:57.95), Bella Sims (1:58.00) and Leah Smith (1:58.22).

The swims for Forde and Sims were new best times, with Sims moving up to fourth all-time in the 15-16 age group.

For Smith, sneaking into the final is a big deal considering her near Olympic misses earlier in the meet in the 400 IM and 400 free.

Fourth in the first semi, 16-year-old Erin Gemmell of Nation’s Capital improved on her prelim PB of 1:58.96 in 1:58.67, ranking her 10th all-time in the girls’ 15-16 age group. She’ll be the first alternate for tomorrow’s final.

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