INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JUNE 15: Katie Ledecky celebrates after winning the Women's 400 LC Meter ... [+]
On the first day of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Katie Ledecky qualified for Paris in the 400-meter freestyle race. Ledecky is heading to her fourth Olympics after placing first with a time of 3:58.35 in the 400-meter event. With this time, she was able to improve her previous result of 3:59.99 set in the morning's prelims event.
Following Ledecky, Paige Madden qualified for her second Olympics after finishing second in the race with a personal best time of 4:02.08. The 25-year-old swimmer moved to the finals after finishing the prelims in 4:04.83 from lane 5.
"Due For A Really Good 400"
With this qualification, Ledecky will now look forward to making her mark in the long-distance event. At the 2020 Olympics, Ledecky had to settle for silver in the 400-meter freestyle race as Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus surpassed her to win the gold. Currently, Titmus holds the world record in the 400-meter free (3:55.38) and has also qualified for the event in Paris by placing first with a time of 3:55.44 at the 2024 Australian trials.
Following Titmus’ constant performance, Ledecky believes she has to be “really fast" to win the gold or secure a medal in the 400-meter free along with defending her title in other freestyle races in Paris.
In an interview, Ledecky's personal coach, Anthoney Nesty, also shared his thoughts on the swimmer's progress in the 400-meter event so far. "She's very capable. I see it in practice all the time. Personally, I think she's due for a really good 400. In the last two years, they've been good, but not at a level she wants to compete at. I think she's well overdue for putting one together,” Nesty told the Washington Post.
Apart from the 400-meter event, Ledecky is aiming to compete in three other events at trials, including the 1500-meter, 800-meter free (her defending title events from Tokyo 2020), and 200-meter free.
Men's 400-Meter Freestyle Final Results
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JUNE 15: Aaron Shackell of the United States reacts after the Men's 400m ... [+]
On the first night of trials, four winners were selected for the U.S.A. team from the 400-meter freestyle event. In the men's finale, 19-year-old Aaron Shackell became the first swimmer to punch his ticket to Paris by taking the lead in the last 50 meters. Shackell, who had decided to return to Carmel prior to the 2024 season, finished the race in 3:45.46 in the first finale of the trials. He was followed by Tokyo bronze medalist Kiearan Smith, who placed second in 3:45.76.
“It is a moment I always dreamed of, getting a medal in front of a massive crowd. That is the moment every kid dreams about. I was soaking it in. When my sister told me I was going to be an Olympian, it was probably the best moment of my life.” Shackell stated in a post-race interview.
Interestingly, Ledecky's training partner, Bobby Finke, failed to secure a win in the event. The two-time Olympic medalist touched the wall fourth (3:46.27) after David Johnston (3:46.19). However, Finke is yet to compete in his defending title events, the 800-meter free and 1500-meter free, which will take place on June 18 and 23, respectively.
