2017 WOMEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 15 – Saturday, March 18
- IUPUI Natatorium – Indianapolis, IN
- Prelims 10AM/Finals 6PM (Eastern Time)
- Defending Champion: Georgia (results)
- Championship Central
- Psych Sheet
- Event Previews
- Live Stream: Wednesday/Thursday Prelims & Finals, Friday/Saturday Prelims / Friday/Saturday finals on ESPN3
- Live Results
While Katie Ledecky of Stanford has been setting the bar ridiculously high (she won the 500 free tonight with an absurd 4:24.06), Virginia‘s Leah Smith has continued to track her down. Smith dropped a 4:28.90, taking over a second off of her previous best time of 4:30.37 from the 2015 NCAA Championships.
SPLITS
24.83 51.42 (26.59)
1:18.19 (26.77) 1:45.34 (27.15)
2:12.62 (27.28) 2:39.89 (27.27)
3:07.28 (27.39) 3:34.57 (27.29)
4:02.00 (27.43) 4:28.90 (26.90)
Smith now becomes the first woman under 4:30 not named Katie Ledecky. That’s huge– Ledecky has been a trailblazer for women’s distance freestyle, making the seemingly impossible, possible, time after time again. It was only a matter of time (right?) before someone was brave and bold enough to come close to Ledecky’s times– that person, for now, has been Smith. The senior from Virginia is now the 2nd-fastest all-time performer in this event, and has made her mark on the all-time top performances list.
Women’s 500 free all-time top performances
- 4:24.06 Katie Ledecky USA Indianapolis 03/16/2017
- 4:25.15 Katie Ledecky USA Federal Way 02/23/2017
- 4:26.46 Katie Ledecky USA Columbus 11/18/2016
- 4:26.58 p Katie Ledecky USA Boyds 02/06/2015
- 4:27.21 Katie Ledecky USA Newark 11/07/2015
- 4:27.54 p Katie Ledecky USA Columbus 11/18/2016
- 4:27.88 Katie Ledecky USA Boyds 02/06/2015
- 4:28.17 Katie Ledecky USA College Park 12/12/2015
- 4:28.37 p Katie Ledecky USA Indianapolis 03/16/2017
- 4:28.71 p Katie Ledecky USA Boyds 02/05/2014
- 4:28.90 Leah Smith USA Indianapolis 03/16/2017
- 4:29.54 Katie Ledecky USA Greensboro 12/04/2014
- 4:30.37 p Leah Smith USA Greensboro 03/19/2015
- 4:30.42 p Katie Ledecky USA College Park 12/12/2015
Congrats Leah, great swim
Love her stroke technique! So different and awesome to see that tempo last a whole 500!
I feel like Ledecky’s performances under 4:30 in this event might usher in a new wave of incredibly fast 500 times. Maybe the same way Rick DeMont’s 3:58.18 400 freestyle opened up the way for dozens of swimmers to go under 4 minutes. Honestly, I would expect at least 5 more women to go under 4:30 in the next 4 years or so. This is so exciting!
katie’s prelim time isn’t in this top 10 list, unfortunately putting leah 11th all time.
Agh! That pesky Ledecky! Fixed it just now.