Katie Ledecky Describes One of her Best Sets From Altitude Training (Video)

^{Reported by Karl Ortegon.}

WOMEN’S 200 FREE

• Olympic Trials Cut: 2:01.69

1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP) – 1:55.78
2. Simone Manuel (Alto Swim Club) – 1:58.52
3. Melanie Margalis (St. Petersburg Aquatics/Georgia) – 1:58.68

Katie Ledecky got out to a lead and just ran away with this one with nobody coming close. She finished at the wall at 1:55.78, far ahead of the field. She was about a half second off of her season best, a 1:55.32 from Winter Nationals.

Alto Swim Club’s Simone Manuel held off Melanie Margalis by just over a tenth for 2nd, 1:58.52 to 1:58.68. Also under 2:00 were Hali Flickinger of Athens Bulldogs (1:59.54) and Gabby Deloof of Club Wolverine (1:59.77).

Riptide’s Regan Smith, 16 years of age, was 2:00.36, taking three more tenths off of her best time after breaking 2:01 for the first time this morning.

Kayla Sanchez of HPC – Ontario dominated the B final with a 1:59.79, a time that would’ve been second this morning only to Ledecky.

WOMEN’S 400 IM

• Olympic Trials Cut: 4:51.79

1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP) – 4:39.39
2. Hali Flickinger (Athens Bulldogs) – 4:39.80
3. Melanie Margalis (St. Petersburg Aquatics/Georgia) – 4:40.31

Hali Flickinger, as expected, was out very well in the front half. She’s a 200 fly and 200 back specialist, so it was no wonder she had a huge lead halfway through. Katie Ledecky and Melanie Margalis reeled her way back into the mix, and Ledecky just did her thing on freestyle to break past her.

Ledecky had an immense 1:00.09 freestyle leg, including a 29.27 final 50, to clock a 4:39.39. Flickinger, who was 4.5 seconds ahead of Ledecky and over 6 seconds ahead of Flickinger at the 200 mark, had a strong enough final 100 to place 2ndin 4:39.80, while Margalis was 4:40.31 for 3rd. Margalis also had a strong last 50 (29.64). All three women took at least seven seconds off of their morning times.

Emily Overholt of HPC – Vancouver dropped five seconds from prelims to go 4:46.32 for 4th, while 15-year-old Mariah Denigan of Northern KY Clippers dropped several tenths for 5th (4:47.67).

NCAP’s Phoebe Bacon clocked a 4:52.34 to win the B final, earning a nice two-second drop from her old PR.