Katie Ledecky Dominates 200 Free, Finishes Just Behind Katie Grimes in 400 IM at TYR Pro Swim Series Knoxville
In her first competitive action of 2023, U.S. freestyle star Katie Ledecky put together two strong swims at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville, Tenn., as she scored a win in the 200 freestyle and finished a close second place in the 400 IM behind teenage rival Katie Grimes. In addition to those two races, the 100 breaststroke, 50 backstroke and 100 butterfly were on the competition schedule, and a international swimmers scored wins in those events.
Women’s 200 Freestyle
Now entering her 12th year competing on the elite level, Katie Ledecky continues to have no peer among domestic competition in the 200 free. In her first final of 2023, the 25-year-old jumped out to an early lead over a pair of promising high school seniors with a 56.66 halfway split, and she ended up winning 2.4 seconds. Ledecky finished in 1:55.47, less than a second off her 2022 season best of 1:54.50. She skipped the 200 free at the World Championships but later eclipsed Yang Junxuan’s winning time in the event when she raced at U.S. Nationals.
Bella Sims, who anchored the U.S. women’s 800 free relay to gold at the World Championships before posting a stellar fall season, held off Erin Gemmell to finish second. The Sandpipers swimmer touched in 1:57.87, just ahead of Nation’s Capital’s Gemmell (1:57.97). Another Sandpipers swimmer, Katie Grimes, tied for fourth in 1:59.08 while Claire Weinstein faded to seventh (2:00.08).
Event 3 Women 200 LC Meter Freestyle
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World: W 1:52.98 7/29/2009 Federica Pellegrini, ITA
American: A 1:53.61 7/31/2012 Allison Schmitt, USA Olympic Team
U.S. Open: O 1:54.40 6/25/2012 Allison Schmitt, North Baltimore
Pro Swim: P 1:54.40 4/9/2021 Katie Ledecky, Nation's Capital
Jr World: j 1:54.79 6/22/2022 Summer McIntosh, CAN
Oly Trials: T 2:00.89
Name Age Team Prelims Finals
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=== A - Final ===
1 Katie Ledecky 25 GSC-FL 1:57.05 1:55.47T
r:+0.65 27.54 56.66 (29.12)
1:26.02 (29.36) 1:55.47 (29.45)
2 Bella Sims 17 SAND-CA 1:59.50 1:57.87T
r:+0.55 27.69 57.50 (29.81)
1:27.78 (30.28) 1:57.87 (30.09)
3 Erin Gemmell 18 NCAP-PV 1:58.27 1:57.97T
r:+0.80 27.70 57.68 (29.98)
1:28.14 (30.46) 1:57.97 (29.83)
4 Ella Jansen 17 Canada 2:00.52 1:59.08T
r:+0.74 27.98 58.12 (30.14)
1:28.27 (30.15) 1:59.08 (30.81)
4 Katie Grimes 17 SAND-CA 5-y 2:00.70 1:59.08T
r:+0.69 28.28 58.69 (30.41)
1:29.27 (30.58) 1:59.08 (29.81)
6 Valentine Dumon 22 Belgium 2:00.99 1:59.17T
r:+0.75 28.27 58.28 (30.01)
1:28.95 (30.67) 1:59.17 (30.22)
7 Claire Weinstei 15 SAND-CA 1:59.56 2:00.08T
r:+0.79 28.83 59.23 (30.40)
1:29.96 (30.73) 2:00.08 (30.12)
8 Brooklyn Douthw 19 Tennessee-SE 2:00.56 2:00.54T
r:+0.64 28.49 58.74 (30.25)
1:29.80 (31.06) 2:00.54 (30.74)
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Tennessee’s Mona McSharry, a native of Ireland who qualified for the Olympic final in the 100 breast in 2021, dominated the second half of the race to claim a big win in her home pool. McSharry trailed Texas Ford’s Miranda Tucker by three tenths at the halfway point, but she accelerated down the stretch to touch in 1:06.80, more than a second quicker than Tucker’s 1:07.98. Canada’s Sophie Angus grabbed third in 1:08.73.
Event 5 Women 100 LC Meter Breaststroke
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World: W 1:04.13 7/25/2017 Lilly King, USA
American: A 1:04.13 7/25/2017 Lilly King, USA
U.S. Open: O 1:04.45 8/7/2009 Jessica Hardy, Trojan
Pro Swim: P 1:05.32 4/8/2021 Lilly King, Indiana Swim Clu
Jr World: j 1:04.35 7/29/2013 Ruta Meilutyte, LTU
Oly Trials: T 1:10.29
Name Age Team Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 *Mona McSharry 22 Tennessee-SE 1:07.36 1:06.80
r:+0.69 31.82 1:06.80 (34.98)
2 Miranda Tucker 25 TFA-NT 1:09.53 1:07.98T
r:+0.65 31.51 1:07.98 (36.47)
3 Sophie Angus 23 Canada 1:09.14 1:08.73T
r:+0.70 32.77 1:08.73 (35.96)
4 Byanca Melissa 28 Reveles 1:10.13 1:09.21T
r:+0.70 32.98 1:09.21 (36.23)
5 Olivia Anderson 25 AQJT-MN 1:10.58 1:10.25T
r:+0.78 32.64 1:10.25 (37.61)
6 Adalene Robilla 15 Mason Manta Rays 1:11.27 1:10.81
r:+0.66 33.19 1:10.81 (37.62)
7 *Cecilla Viberg 19 Louisville-KY 1:11.45 1:10.88
r:+0.72 33.40 1:10.88 (37.48)
8 Emily Santos 17 Montverde-FL 1:11.08 1:11.19
r:+0.74 33.79 1:11.19 (37.40)
Women’s 50 Backstroke
In a rematch of the top two swimmers from last year’s World Championships final, Canada’s Kylie Masse again got the better of NC State’s Katharine Berkoff. Masse finished in 27.38, only seven hundredths behind her winning time from last June in Budapest, while Berkoff came in at 27.80, almost seven tenths off her American record of 27.12. Olivia Smoliga, a past world champion in the event (2019) now training with Sun Devil Aquatics, took third in 28.07.
Notably, Regan Smith scratched the final (as well as the 200 free final) after swimming a time of 27.81 in prelims to qualify second behind Masse.
Event 7 Women 50 LC Meter Backstroke
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World: W 26.98 8/21/2018 Xiang Liu, CHN
American: A 27.12 4/28/2022 Katharine Berkoff, NC State
U.S. Open: O 27.12 4/28/2022 Katharine Berkoff, NC State Univers
Pro Swim: P 27.43 4/14/2018 Olivia Smoligna, Athens Bulldog
Jr World: j 27.49 1/29/2016 Minna Atherton, AUS
Name Age Team Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Kylie Masse 26 Canada 27.71 27.38P
r:+0.56
2 Katharine Berko 21 NC State-NC 27.95 27.80
r:+0.59
3 Olivia Smoliga 28 SUN-AZ 28.27 28.07
r:+0.91
4 Josephine Fulle 19 Tennessee-SE 28.62 28.19
r:+0.63
5 Abbey Weitzeil 26 California Aq.-P 28.46 28.20
r:+0.61
6 Kira Toussaint 28 TNAQ-SE 28.49 28.70
r:+0.55
7 Emma Kern 18 AQJT-MN 29.03 28.95
r:+0.59
8 Danielle Hanus 24 Canada 29.27 29.17
r:+0.63
Women’s 100 Butterfly
Ella Jansen, a 17-year-old from Canada, took care of business against Bella Sims, who was returning for her second final of the night. Jansen went wire-to-wire and finished in 58.92, while Sims was second in 59.86. Tennessee’s Sara Stotler took third in 1:00.36.
Event 9 Women 100 LC Meter Butterfly
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World: W 55.48 8/7/2016 Sarah Sjostrom, SWE
American: A 55.64 6/19/2022 Torri Huske, USA
U.S. Open: O 55.66 6/14/2021 Torri Huske, Arlington Aquati
Pro Swim: P 56.38 2016 Sarah Sjostrom
Jr World: j 56.43 Claire Curzan, USA
Oly Trials: T 1:00.19
Name Age Team Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Ella Jansen 17 Canada 59.86 58.92T
r:+0.73 27.78 58.92 (31.14)
2 Bella Sims 17 SAND-CA 1:00.74 59.86T
r:+0.55 28.39 59.86 (31.47)
3 Sara Stotler 19 Tennessee-SE 1:01.06 1:00.36
r:+0.69 28.48 1:00.36 (31.88)
4 Kiley Wilhelm 18 LIFE-NC 1:01.26 1:00.40
r:+0.79 28.11 1:00.40 (32.29)
5 Levenia Sim 16 TNT-SE 1:01.55 1:00.93
r:+0.64 28.88 1:00.93 (32.05)
6 Danielle Hanus 24 Canada 1:01.42 1:01.02
r:+0.75 28.72 1:01.02 (32.30)
7 Emily Thompson 17 GSCY-NJ 1:01.32 1:01.17
r:+0.66 28.67 1:01.17 (32.50)
8 Victoria Raymon 17 Canada 1:01.50 1:01.38
r:+0.70 28.37 1:01.38 (33.01)
Women’s 400 IM
Katie Ledecky has long possessed the ability to contend internationally in the 400 IM despite placing her primary focus on freestyle races while teenager Katie Grimes claimed the title of top American in the event in 2022 as she earned silver at the World Championships. The two faced off in the 400 IM Thursday evening in Knoxville, and fans were treated to an epic race as Grimes pressed the pace while Ledecky showed off her legendary freestyle as she almost ran down Grimes.
Grimes covered the first 200 meters in 2:11.39, putting her more than five seconds ahead of the field, but she fell back on the breaststroke. Going into freestyle with a two-second advantage over Ledecky, she finished in a very strong 1:01.58 on the freestyle leg, but Ledecky went crazy with a 59.75 split coming home. However, Grimes had just enough to get to the wall in 4:35.92, just three seconds off her 2022 best time, while Ledecky finished 0.17 behind in 4:36.09.
Longhorn’s Leah Smith, another swimmer with a long record of success in the distance events, took third in 4:43.20.
Event 11 Women 400 LC Meter IM
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World: W 4:26.36 8/6/2016 Katinka Hosszu, HUN
American: A 4:31.12 6/29/2008 Katie Hoff, North Baltimore
U.S. Open: O 4:28.61 12/2/2022 Summer McIntosh, SYS-FL
Pro Swim: P 4:31.07 2015 Katinka Hosszu
Jr World: j 4:28.61 12/2/2022 Summer McIntosh, SYS-FL
Oly Trials: T 4:49.89
Name Age Team Prelims Finals
==================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Katie Grimes 17 SAND-CA 4:42.04 4:35.92T
r:+0.68 29.13 1:01.21 (32.08)
1:36.77 (35.56) 2:11.39 (34.62)
2:52.68 (41.29) 3:34.34 (41.66)
4:05.66 (31.32) 4:35.92 (30.26)
2 Katie Ledecky 25 GSC-FL 4:41.87 4:36.09T
r:+0.69 29.81 1:03.58 (33.77)
1:40.95 (37.37) 2:16.70 (35.75)
2:57.58 (40.88) 3:36.34 (38.76)
4:07.16 (30.82) 4:36.09 (28.93)
3 Leah Smith 27 TXLA-ST 4:44.31 4:43.20T
r:+0.73 30.10 1:04.63 (34.53)
1:41.72 (37.09) 2:17.40 (35.68)
2:58.01 (40.61) 3:40.29 (42.28)
4:12.21 (31.92) 4:43.20 (30.99)
4 Kathryn Hazle 18 NCA-SI 4:51.07 4:46.90T
r:+0.68 30.46 1:05.58 (35.12)
1:44.24 (38.66) 2:22.08 (37.84)
3:01.74 (39.66) 3:42.12 (40.38)
4:15.08 (32.96) 4:46.90 (31.82)
5 Alexis Yager 24 TNAQ-SE 4:49.97 4:51.25
r:+0.72 31.13 1:07.16 (36.03)
1:45.94 (38.78) 2:23.92 (37.98)
3:03.62 (39.70) 3:44.24 (40.62)
4:18.29 (34.05) 4:51.25 (32.96)
6 Campbell Chase 17 COR-NT 4:56.04 4:53.24
r:+0.70 30.57 1:05.41 (34.84)
1:43.94 (38.53) 2:21.36 (37.42)
3:02.72 (41.36) 3:44.87 (42.15)
4:19.22 (34.35) 4:53.24 (34.02)
7 Emily Thompson 17 GSCY-NJ 4:53.86 4:54.79
r:+0.63 30.77 1:05.30 (34.53)
1:43.91 (38.61) 2:21.55 (37.64)
3:04.37 (42.82) 3:47.28 (42.91)
4:21.60 (34.32) 4:54.79 (33.19)
8 *Fernanda Goeij 22 Missouri-MV 4:55.47 4:56.95
r:+0.66 31.18 1:07.74 (36.56)
1:46.32 (38.58) 2:23.37 (37.05)
3:05.79 (42.42) 3:48.78 (42.99)
4:23.80 (35.02) 4:56.95 (33.15)
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