Katie Ledecky Will Skip Individual 200 Free in Paris ‘If All Goes Well’
She has already qualified for the Olympics in the 400 freestyle and 200 freestyle, with the 800 and 1500-meter races still to come at this week’s Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. But Katie Ledecky has no intention to keep the individual 200 free on her program for the Paris Olympics.
Ledecky is the American-record holder in the 200 free and the 2016 Olympic champion in the event, but she has not contested it at a major international competition since finishing fifth at the Tokyo Olympics. At the conclusion of USA Swimming’s selection meets in both 2022 and 2023, Ledecky announced her plan to withdraw from the individual race, but after qualifying comfortably first for the 1500 free final Tuesday morning, Ledecky revealed her plan moving forward: focus on the distance races and the 800 free relay.
“Nothing formally gets decided until the end of the week because I’ve got to do what I want to do in the 800 and the mile, but if all goes well, I’m not planning on swimming it individually in Paris, but I will be swimming the relay,” Ledecky said. “It’s just the workload and wanting to be really great in the 400, 800, mile and relay. It was good here to swim all three rounds. If all goes well and I do drop it, it will be easier in Paris. Hopefully I’m setting myself up well for that.”
Her withdrawal from the 200 free would likely bump Paige Madden, the third-place finisher in the event, up to an individual swim in Paris alongside Claire Weinstein. Last year, Anna Peplowski was a late add to the Worlds team as the seventh-place finisher in the 200 free after Ledecky scratched the individual event, but changed selection procedures will not put a seventh swimmer on the team this time around. That said, Simone Manuel was the swimmer in that spot, and she is considered a favorite to qualify for the team (at least for a relay) in the 100 free.
The 800 free relay is not going anywhere, though, and Ledecky is known for producing swims far above her individual level while carrying the U.S. to medal-winning performances in that event.
“I’m always excited for that relay,” Ledecky said. “I’ve been on it every year since 2014. It’s something that I’m always fired up for, and it’s why I keep swimming the 200. I want to be ready for that relay, push the other girls individually to try to get our team faster. I know we want to really put up a great showing. We have such a great history in that relay that I think we’re very motivated to do well there.”
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Not unexpected, as her time in this particular evrnt is 3 seconds or 5 metres adrift of the Aussie girls. Infact she may struggle to Final let alone medal.
Evenso the aggregate with splits currently for the 4×200m Freestyle US Relay is 8 seconds slower than Australia. Possibly both Canada and China would vie for the US spot on the podium.
So save her energy for the 400m Freestyle, where’s she’s second and the longer distance where she’s still Queen. Although the 800m might have a minor question mark. Especially if Summer chose to swim it!!