Former 1500 freestyle world record-holder Kate Ziegler will make her first competitive appearance in more than two years next week at the Arena Pro Swim Series meet in Charlotte.
Ziegler, a two-time American Olympian, is entered in the 100, 200 and 400 freestyles in Charlotte, which would be her first meet since February of 2013.
That’s a step down in yardage from Ziegler’s previous lineups. In the mid-2000s, she was a multi-time world champ in the 800 and 1500 freestyles, and she competed in the 400 and 800 frees at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 800 at the 2012 London Games.
But perhaps the finest swim of her career came mid-season in 2007. Swimming at Mission Viejo’s Swim Meet of Champions (now called the Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions), Ziegler shattered Janet Evans’ previously untouchable world record in the 1500 free, going 15:42.54. That record stood for 6 years until Katie Ledecky‘s rise to stardom.
Ziegler grew up swimming for The Fish in Virginia, and had a brief stint with the star-studded high-performance hub FAST in California before that group fell apart in 2012. Now, though, she’s resurfaced with Tennessee Aquatics, which is gaining its own reputation for elite distance swimming. She’ll represent Tennessee at the Charlotte meet, which kicks off next Thursday.
This would be Ziegler’s first appearance in USA Swimming competition since the 2013 Orlando stop of the tour, then called the “Grand Prix series.” Despite being a name swimming fans will remember from many years back, Ziegler is still just 26 years old.
Despite a highly-successful international career that netted her 15 major medals between Worlds and Pan Pacs, the one thing still missing from her trophy case is an Olympic medal of any kind. Making the U.S. Olympic team in distance races is tough, given that Ledecky has one of the two slots in each event all but nailed down, but judging by Ziegler’s lineup in Charlotte, she might have her eye on an 800 free relay slot, where the U.S. looks like heavy favorites to win gold.
She joins a number of high-profile 2008 and 2012 Olympians making career comebacks – also on that list are Katie Hoff and Michael Phelps.
I am all for a comeback. I will say the 4×200 will be tough relay to make as others here have pointed out. The US 5th person probably would be 2 or 3 on most relays for top countries.
But I am all for someone coming back to swim. I say it all the time. I respect anyone that has the courage to get up on the blocks all by themselves and jump in the water and race. I have never done it myself, but I watch kids all the time do it.
Also at Charlotte this week there is a 43 year old woman that went 1:14 in the 100br. That is amazing.
Why?
I would imagine Liquidassets made that comment because there is a video above of Peirsol winning a bronze medal in the 800 free behind Ziegler and Manaudou in 2007. Man we had a great US Team in 2007!
I wonder if 2007 was the only World Championships in which 2 siblings from the US won medals in the same meet? Has that ever happened in the Olympics? Somebody here on SwimSwam probably knows the answer! 😉
Sorry for my still too weak English knowledge, but not the first time I see the word “siblings”. It means only brother and sister or it also works for 2 brothers or 2 sisters?
If it works for 2 sisters then I can name 2 US sisters medalists at the same olympic games in swimming. In 2012 Alyssa Anderson won a medal with the 4X200 free relay and Haley Anderson won a medal in the 10 km open water. But perhaps you meant 2 medalists in the pool?
“Siblings” can be used for any two people who have the same parents, or, even share one parent. So, yes, it would be appropriate to to Alyssa and Haley Anderson as siblings.
Thanks for your clear explanation.
Bobo, You’re right! I should have known that because it was so recent! I was thinking about swimmers in the pool, but the open water swimmers are certainly on the “US Olympic Swim Team”. I know Dana and Tara Kirk were at the 2004 Olympics together, but Dana missed the medals. Can anybody remember any other examples?
TheTroubleWithX is right. I looked it up, and I don’t think the word sibling has a direct French translation because romance languages differentiate between genders so much; I think you would say, “freres et soeurs”.
Bruce and Steve Furniss each won individual Olympic medals.
Thanks Braden and Lane Four: I knew somebody would have that info here! To be honest, I’ve never heard of Steve Furniss, so I’m going to geek-out and do a little research now… I’m surprised it hasn’t happened more often, because swimming is such a “family sport” in the US. It seems like every great swimmer has sisters/brothers who do too (eg: Phelps).
I suppose there might be more if you didn’t limit the discussion to winning medals in the SAME Olympics (eg: Laure and Florent Manaudou).
Probably the best example (I can’t believe I forgot about this) would be the Babashoff family. Of course you had Shirley winning medals at the 1973 and 1975 World Championships. And then her brother, Jack, won gold at the 1978 World Championships followed by little sister Debbie winning a bronze medal in the 800 at the 1986 World Championships. Add this with both Jack and Shirley winning medals at the 1976 Olympics and you have the greatest American swimming family of all time.
The Furniss brothers (Steve and Bruce) won medals at the 1975 Worlds in Cali, Colombia. Steve in the IMs and Bruce in the 200/400 Free plus the 4X100 Free relay.
A step below WCs, but the 2006 Pan Pacs had Klete Keller pick up pool hardware and his sister Kalyn won a silver in open water.
Yeah I had forgotten that Hayley Peirsol had won bronze in that race, although I do remember her 15:57 in the 1500 at 2006 Pan Pacs made her only the 3rd woman under 16:00 in history after Evans and Ziegler, and she also took silver in the 1500 at the 2003 Worlds behind Stockbauer.
I remember a great Nationals race I attended in Irvine in ’06, the 400 where the crowd was focused on Hoff and Ziegler duking it out and then Hayley came roaring back the last lap and almost caught them both, at the end it was 4:05-4:05-4:06 which back then was very fast or at least the fastest the US had been in the event since Evans.
I meant why is Kate making a comeback? move on….
Same reasons as thousands of other swimmers with far less ability and talent. She loves to swim and wants to compete again. Strange huh? Someone might do something like make a comeback because they miss it and want to do it again. It’s not really your place to tell someone like Kate Z , with her many accomplishments , to “move on”.
She’s a great swimmer and even better person. She’s had bad luck in the past, but she’s looking to the future. At ONLY 26, she’s still got plenty of swimming left in her. And I’m excited to see what she can do at the shorter races. She’s never really specialized in 200 or 100, so this is a whole new horizon for her. Swimmers should be scared!
If I was a world record holder who got sick at both Olympics I competed in, I’d probably attempt a comeback too, especially since she’s enjoying swimming more now with less pressure on her. Who cares if she doesn’t make it; it’s great that she’s trying and it’ll be fun and interesting to watch!
Would love to see Hayley Peirsol make a comeback too!
1500 free world record in June 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlEjcxthbuo
If this is her first meet since 2013, then how does she have the qualifying times for the Arena Pro Series?
I was wondering the same thing. But then I looked a little more closely at the meet information document, and I didn’t see a qualifying period for the meet, except that if you were in the top 50 worldwide in 2014, you’re exempt from the entry cap. Otherwise, it looks like that as long as you’ve ever hit the qualifying time, you can use that time to enter. That also explains how Phelps has entries in events he hasn’t done in a while (e.g., 200 fly).
Apparently she competed at a local meet last weekend in Tennessee.
Here are results. She swam a 2:06 in the 200 free. http://www.baylorswimming.org/meets/2014-2015/ArenaLongCourseInvitational/Results2105ARENAlongcourse.htm
Glad to see her back! I knew there was no way she was finished yet! Welcome back, Kate!
Good luck to Kate in her comeback! Does anyone know if Kukors is still making a comeback?
Her greatest accomplishment IMHOP was her duel with Laure Manadou at the 2007 Worlds in the 800 freestyle. Ledecky and Friis had nothing on those two champions as it came down to TENTHS at the finish. Manadou had the closing speed but Kate had the heart of a champion and refused to lose. I am behind her 100% for a birth on the Olympic team. GO KATE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om48QTqzUhE
Thsnks, Bobo! Lane Four, that was a fantastic 800 free race! I had completely forgotten about it!