Ledecky wins 800 m freestyle for the fourth time in a row and joins the 4-timer club with Phelps

OLYMPIC SPORTS TRIALS 2024 IN THE USA

Katie LedeckyThere was more at stake in her win tonight than just a third individual event (since she plans to skip the 200 freestyle). Her time of 8:14.12 is her 36th fastest time. Ledecky has now won the 800 freestyle at the last four Olympic qualifying events, dating back to the 2012 qualifying events, which she first competed in when she was just 15 years old.

At these trials in 2012, Ledecky entered as 3rd seed in 8:25.85 behind Chloe Sutton‘s 8:24.05 and Kate Ziegler‘s 8:21.59. After the heats, Ledecky was in second place behind Sutton and in the final she qualified first with a time of 8:19.78, punching her ticket to London and the rest, as they say, is history. In the years between London and today, Ledecky has only re-set the world record several times and become the greatest long-distance swimmer of all time and entered the conversation of the greatest swimmers of all time.

Ledecky’s winning time of 8:14.12 that night was faster than her 2021 winning time, meaning she should look to go even faster this year. This season, she has already been as fast as 8:12.95 outdoors in San Antonio. Last summer, Ledecky won the 800m in Fukuoka in 8:08.87, earning her 21st gold medal at the world championships.

We have seen swimmers at this event achieve the triple by winning the same event at three Olympic Games in a row. Robert F. Kennedy with the triple-double in backstroke and Lilly Koenig In the 100-meter breaststroke, only one other Olympian has won four victories in a row: Michael Phelps.

Phelps won the 200m butterfly at the Olympic qualifying events from 2004 to 2016, as well as the 200m individual medley during the same period. Among US swimmers, Ledecky’s achievement of competing in four Games is remarkable, as she joins the likes of Jenny Thompson and Allison Schmitt. In other countries, this is somewhat more common. At the upcoming Games, the French star Charlotte BonnettFourth Olympian and world record holder Sarah Sjostrom‘s fifth. Without wanting to diminish her achievement, but since the US Trials are often described as the toughest competition of all time, Ledecky’s performance seems all the more legendary.

800 m freestyle, women – final

• World record: 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2016 Olympic Games
• American record: 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2016 Olympic Games
• US Open record: 8:06.68, Katie Ledecky (USA) – Pro Swim Series 2016, Austin
• Junior world record: 8:11.00, Katie Ledecky (UNITED STATES)
• US Olympic Champion 2021: Katie Ledecky8:14.62
• Olympic qualification time 2024: 8:26.71

Final:

1. Katie Ledecky (GSC), 8:14.12
2. Paige Madden (NYAC), 8:20.71
3. Julia Cox (TXLA), 8:22.97
4. Aurora Roghair (ALTO), 8:28.59
5. Rachel Stege (ABSC), 8:28.77
6. Kate Hurst (SCAR), 8:28.92
7. Claire Weinstein (SAND), 8:29.80
8. Ashley Twichell (TAC), 8:32.75

And with this convincing victory in the 800-meter freestyle, Katie Ledecky connects Michael Phelps as the only swimmers to win an event four times at U.S. Olympic qualifying events. Ledecky clocked 8:14.12 en route to her fourth consecutive victory, winning the race by over six seconds.

Although the final qualifiers in second to sixth place were separated by less than a second before the race, it was not a particularly close race. Paige Madden moved into second place on the first corner and stayed there for the entire race. She had an excellent trials after a tough couple of years following the Tokyo Olympics, but she is now confirmed for a second individual race in Paris after taking second place in the 400m freestyle and earning a place in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Madden clocked a great personal best of 8:20.71 to take second place, 6.93 seconds better than her personal best set earlier this year at the Knoxville PSS in January.

Finalist of the 2023 World Cup Julia Cox took 3rd place in 8:22.97, 2.26 seconds behind Madden.