2024 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES – SAN ANTONIO
- April 10-13, 2024
- Northside Swim Center, San Antonio, TX
- LCM (50m)
- Start Times
- Wednesday Distance: 5pm (Central Time)
- All Prelims: 9am (Central Time)
- Thurs-Sat Finals: 6pm (Central Time)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Livestream (USA Swimming Network)
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
Katie Ledecky hit a season-best in the 400 free last night in San Antonio, nabbing the win in 4:01.41. Ledecky looks forward in the season and shares her thoughts on what it will take to win at the US Trials in this event and medal at the Paris Olympic Games.
I think for the first time in her career she is focusing on training not racing and it will show at the trials and Olympics where she will be a lot faster
In a non Olympic year I,d like to see Summer McIntosh do some serious distance training and give Katie a race in the 1500.Summer was phenomenal in 1500 as a youngster.Do I think she would beat Katie? Probably not but it would be interesting and about time somebody gave Katie a good race.Problem is I think Summer, like most swimmers dislikes the 1500.So it goes.
People who swim the 1500 swim it because they actually like it and are really good at it, or they’re scrappy and not super naturally-gifted and know that with hard work, it’s the easiest path to make national/travel teams or get into A finals. It’s not a fun event to train for at all. Summer is literally spoiled for choice in events to swim. She has zero reason to do this.
Most people dislike the 1500 in the era where the 1500 is prob the most interesting event in mens swimming.
It would be the most un-Ledecky thing ever but I’d love it if the Trials part of the video was just her shrugging and saying “I’ll win it and I guess someone else will qualify too.”
Katie Ledecky critiqued her own 800 meter freestyle performance in a post race interview at the 2023 World Aquatic Championships. She stated that she went out too fast in the first 200 meters and wished to have posted a faster overall time.
Has Katie Ledecky ever publicly admitted to be unhappy with her times?
yes at 2022 trials
yes at 2022trials
The correct question–“Has Katie Ledecky ever had any times to be unhappy about?” She is always honest and not a whiner. I think she was very candid about her disappointment in her 200 Free time in Tokyo, but turned that around pretty quickly for 1500 Free gold that same evening.
Yup!
I think she was with her 2021 trials 400free times, but she might’ve phrased it like “pacing was poor”, “went out too fast” or “times don’t matter”
I like her attitude in this interview. She’s very realistic and humble, although I think she overestimates the strength and depth of what the United States women have to offer in the 400 outside of herself. I would be surprised to see another American woman in the finals in Paris.
Paris is going to be fast, and she’s not talking about winning; she’s talking about what it will take to medal in the 400. That said, in my opinion, she had an off 400 in Fukuoka, but was superb in the 800 & 1500. I think she still has 3:56+/low 3:57 in her in the 400, which will garner a bronze. I don’t think anyone is touching her in… Read more »
You’d be surprised to see a 2nd US woman final in the 400 free in Paris? At the last 3 major international meets, 23 Worlds, 22 Worlds, and 21 Olympics, both US women in the 400 free have finaled. All 3 of those women (Bella Sims, Paige Madden, and Leah Smith) are active and expected to swim at Trials.
Yes. The world has changed. Bella Sims only managed 8th place in Fukuoka last year & I don’t see Leah Smith getting back to where she was a few years ago. Same for Paige Madden.
Getting to the finals of the women’s 400 freestyle will be similar to the men’s 100 fly.
If top times since early 2023 hold, Sims and Smith would be out. It’ll be tight, but I would in no way be surprised to see Sims in the final. In fact, I would bet on her being in there.
1 Titmus (AUS)
2 McIntosh (CAN)
3 Ledecky (USA)
4 Fairweather (NZL)
5 Li (CHN)
6 Pallister (AUS)
7 Gose (GER)
8 Oliveira (BRA)
9 Sims (USA)
10 Smith (USA)
11 Goncalves (BRA)
I both like and appreciate your analysis, however, I think Gose (4:02 in Doha), Oliveira/Costa (4:02 in Doha as well) have bigger upside in 2024. Pallister was 4:02.0 last year, but I believe just hit a PB in the 200. Historically, she’s stronger in the 800 and 1500. With the extra speed, I think you could see her around 4:00 or under.
I don’t disagree that they have upside. But Bella Sims just went through her first NCAA season, she trains in Florida with Ledecky, Bobby Finke and others, and I think her upside is big too. I think she’s got some big time drops in her.
So a 18 year old does not have upside? What a load of crap!
I agree with you to an extent, but i do see Claire Weinstein doing some serious damage in the 400 free. Her 200 at 1:55 suggests she has some really good opening speed, and her 800 at 8:21 combined with her open water success suggests she has some very good endurance. If all goes well at trials, I think we could see her have a huge breakout in this race, and maybe push into 4:01-4:02 range.
I think you might be on to something.
She might be capable of it now. We’ll see. It’s a significant drop from 4:04. It might take more time for her to get there than we’d like, although she is abundantly talented, and a great racer.
Regarding the 400, everything points to something very fast if you look at the Funchal 10K, where she beat up on a field which included most of the best in the world, along with the fact that she seems capable of going into the 1:54s in the 200. Regarding the 10K, she looked to be 6 beat kicking through a lot of it, which is very impressive. It seems to equate to something actually better… Read more »
I love when posters claim that teenagers have no upside.
Weinstein, Claire – 17 years old
Sims, Bella – 18 years old
Whatever people want to say about her declining quality, she is clearly not as calm and confident in this interview as she has been before. She knows she’s on a downward trajectory even if she’s still so good
She was always stepping down from her comfort zone for the 400 and especially the 200, and she got 2 golds out of it. She’s still untouchable in the 800m and 1500m (well, McIntosh might have something to say about the 800 but I don’t think she’ll be swimming it in Paris).
Ledecky even at her 2016 best she never had the raw speed to match Titmus, she knows that and guess what, she’s still smiling. With your attitude you’d expect her to be depressed and ready to quit after 2017, but that’s not the mindset of a legend.
As for Katie Ledecky’s supposed comfort zone, Katie Ledecky’s splits in the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay say otherwise:
1:53.67
1:53.74
1:53.76
1:53.84
1:54.02
By way of comparison. Allison Schmitt’s fastest split in the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay was 1:54.09 posted at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
In 2016 she had the Soren to match n beat SS in the 200. She also had the speed to split 52.6(?) on end of free relay. Those days are long gone.
It’s plain obvious Ledecky loves 400.
Paris 400 free final will be all fireworks and more.
Summer have learned from Fukuoka and won’t get rattled when Titmus is able to match her early speed and more.