By John Lohn
CRANBURY, New Jersey, June 19. AS Kate Ziegler churned through the water during the final day of the TYR Swim Meet of Champions, the 18-year-old had a feeling she was on the verge of a special performance. Not only was the crowd in a frenzied state, Ziegler noticed that the jam-packed deck – primarily coaches and athletes – was buzzing.
So, feeding off the excitement, Ziegler continued to power through the 1500 freestyle, her signature event and a grueling test of endurance suited for only a select few individuals. Yes, Ziegler knew she was producing a high-quality swim. But, she wasn't entirely sure whether, after 30 laps, she would be the owner of one of the finest performances in history.
Ultimately, Ziegler checked in with a time of 15:42.54 to take down the longest-standing world record on the books, a standard held for 19 years by her hero, Janet Evans. When Ziegler climbed the blocks for the final race of her weekend, the record in the metric mile stood at 15:52.10. By the time the standout from The Fish was done, she had taken nearly 10 seconds off the mark.
For Ziegler, the performance arrived less than three months after she scared the world record by repeating as world champion in Melbourne. Down Under, Ziegler was on record pace for the majority of the race, only to fall just short with a time of 15:53.05, the second-fastest effort in history. This time around, despite the lower-key atmosphere, Ziegler wasn't going to miss out.
Ahead of record pace from the outset, Ziegler toured the 200-meter mark in 2:03.46 and covered 400 meters in 4:09.87. She was at 8:22.57 at the 800-meter point, better than the 8:24.40 she registered to win the 800 freestyle on the opening night of the competition. After going out in 29.23, Ziegler turned in 31-second splits up until her closing lap of 29.27.
"I'm on Cloud 300," Ziegler said early Monday evening, in an exclusive interview with Swimming World. "It's so overwhelming. I didn't know how far ahead of the record I was, but I figured I was at least close because I saw so many people on the side of the pool cheering. I told myself I wasn't going to miss the record by a tiny bit again. When I looked up (at the clock), my first reaction was shock. I thought I might be looking at the wrong lane. There was no way I thought it was true. There was such a rush of emotions.
"Being able to say you broke a world record, this is something I'll be able to tell my grandkids about. It's something that can never be taken away. It is such an honor to break a world record, especially one that was held by Janet. She's always been a hero of mine. This is just an amazing feeling."
When Ziegler climbed out of the pool, she hugged her longtime coach, Ray Benecki, then darted for a cell phone to call home. Although separated by 3,000-plus miles, technology allowed Ziegler to celebrate the accomplishment with her parents, Don and Cathy, who are stationed in Virginia. Her win in the 1500 free was her fourth of the meet.
From May 20 through June 12, Ziegler worked at high altitude at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Putting in about 8,000 meters during morning workouts and 5,000-5,500 meters at night, Ziegler not only logged considerable yardage, the workouts were of the high-intensity variety. Among her training partners were University of Texas standout Michael Klueh and rising star Logan Storie.
From Colorado Springs, Ziegler traveled to Mission Viejo and had a couple of days to prepare for the Meet of Champions, what she considered a mini-taper. Obviously, she was primed for action, as the results indicated. In addition to her global standard, Ziegler won the 200 free in 1:58.80, took the 400 free in 4:05.44 and prevailed in the 800 free in 8:24.40. For good measure, Ziegler placed fifth in the 100 free, clocking 56.76.
"We were using the meet as a test, to see how the altitude training worked," Ziegler said. "I was swimming fast in Colorado Springs and knew it would pay off. I didn't feel great or think I was going to have one of those magical days. But, it didn't matter how I felt. I knew I had worked hard and thought maybe there was a chance (at the record)."
As far as the 800 and 1500 freestyles go, Ziegler is in a world of her own. While France's Laure Manaudou dueled with the American in the 800 free at the World Champs, Ziegler pulled away down the stretch, showing her heels to the Frenchwoman. As for the 1500 free, well, a nine-plus second beating on a 19-year-old world record speaks for itself.
Looking at the shorter distances, Ziegler certainly has enhanced her standing. While she was a finalist in Melbourne in the 400 free, posting a time of 4:06.99 for sixth place, Ziegler's ability to go 4:05.44 over the weekend raises the possibility that she could challenge Manaudou, who has been 4:02. Certainly, there is work to be done, particularly with Manaudou boasting 1:55 speed in the 200 free and having a penchant for pushing the pace from the start. But, Ziegler has proven herself a special athlete and to discount her as a threat to Manaudou would be unwise.
Then there's the 200 free, perhaps the most intriguing discipline for Ziegler. There was a time when it seemed she didn't have enough speed for the event, but that doubt no longer exists. Rather, Ziegler is making a case for a spot on the United States 800 free relay in international competition. Seemingly improving in the 200 free each time she contests the event, Ziegler was 1:59-low at the Duel in the Pool. Then followed her 1:58.80 from the Meet of Champs. While Natalie Coughlin and Katie Hoff are locks for the American 800 free relay, look for Ziegler to challenge the likes of Dana Vollmer and Lacey Nymeyer for one of the other two positions.
"It was great to go under 1:59 for the first time," Ziegler said of her 200 free. "I really think it's going to progress and I hope I can get on that relay. It's been a goal and dream of mine. (At Nationals), I'm going to focus on the shorter events and test a longer taper. That was the plan after the World Championships and I think we're going to stick with it."