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In an head-to-head battle between Katinka Hosszu and Katie Ledecky at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa, Hosszu turned up the heat in the 400-meter IM with the second-fastest time in the world this year.
Hosszu, swimming against Ledecky in the final heat of the 400 IM, scorched the field with a 4:36.00. That swim put her behind only Aimee Willmott’s 4:35.74 from the Speedo Flanders Cup. That’s a huge drop from her eighth-ranked 4:37.50 from the Golden Tour stop in Marseilles.
Hosszu has downplayed the head-to-head matchup with Ledecky this week during on-the-record conversations, but there’s definitely some motivation considering the world was stunned when FINA awarded her its Swimmer of the Year award ahead of Ledecky in 2014.
Ledecky, who certainly isn’t a medley specialist, still managed to put up a strong time with a 4:42.82 for the second seed. That’s a lifetime best for Ledecky, who previously posted a 4:43.92 at the 2014 The Woodlands Senior Invitational.
SwimMAC’s Cammile Adams qualified third in 4:45.60 with California’s Caitlin Leverenz clocking in with a fourth-seeded 4:46.18.
Vien Nguyen (4:47.78), Stanford’s Maya DiRado (4:49.27), Ohio State’s Lindsey Clary (4:51.78) and Tanja Kyliiainen (4:52.18) comprised the rest of the A final. Elizabeth Beisel, the series points leader, continued her difficult day by finishing ninth with a 4:53.03 and out of the chance for some series points.