2025 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale
- Wednesday, April 30 – Saturday, May 3, 2025
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Recaps
While his training partner, Katie Ledecky, was having one of the best meets in her storied career, Bobby Finke quietly had one of the best in his (in-season, anyway). The 3x Olympic champ swam the fastest he ever has outside of a championship meet in both the 800 (7:50) and 1500 free (14:54), winning both.
I’m waiting for the AWalsh interview dear!!
Why not split under 4:00 in the 800 at worlds? You heard it here first..
Followed by a 4:02.0 on the back half!
Why not?
The first event at the 2025 USA Swimming National Championships on Katie Ledecky’s event schedule is the W 800 FR (Day 1). Sub 8:04 coming up!
Why not?
I’d take KL on the closer of a 12 team parlay she won’t be rested for nationals.
He does bring up a point that I have always wondered about. Long distance track athletes are “in their prime” when they are in their late 20’s early 30’s. We don’t normally see that in swimming.
Two reasons (imo):
1) Flexibility decreases with age. Flexibility helps in swimming, but hurts in distance running since in swimming, force is generated concentrically, while in running it is more eccentric. Tight muscles are more elastic, so better eccentrically than concentrically. (I’m sure exercise scientists would consider this explanation woefully inadequate, but it’s the best I’ve got).
2) Long distance races need lots of volume over a period of years. Swimmers can put this work in as teenagers, but runners, due to a higher injury risk, don’t usually hit peak volume until their 20s.
Also note that contrary to this, open water swimmers often seem to peak at a later age than pool swimmers. I have no idea why this… Read more »
I’d guess that open water swimmers peak later than pool swimmers because their pool of competition is smaller, and the 10k is aerobically closer to distances like the marathon than the 1500 or 800, which a lot of people forget.
Open water swimmers peak later due to race experience. They aren’t necessarily “getting faster”. Race experience is EXTREMELY valuable in OW. Gotta get those reps in.
Same can be said for pool events. Reps are important. Many finish their career not reaching their potential simply due to a lack of reps, especially when talking LCM compared to SCY.
Beyond these training and aged influenced qualities we are talking about a sport that until recently was primarily amateur for all but, the top.
Even for the best a majority of their income was and still is due to their sponsorship. This has enable them to swim on post high school or post college.
With the advent of professionalism in the form of a growing opportunity to win prize money and even liveable salaries / national scholarships the OPPORTUNITY is being afforded to other swimmers beyond the early responders, to continue their careers beyond high school and college.
Consequently, this has enabled and afforded the expression of talent, and benefits of training accumulation, to be fully expressed in… Read more »
400 IM for fun? Yessss!
Yikes!