Kayla Han Rips 4:14.52 400 Free to Rise to #3 13-Year-Old All-Time

2021 Speedo Summer Championships – Irvine

FRIDAY FINALS HEAT SHEET

Day 4 – Friday, August 6

  • 400 Freestyle
  • 100 Breaststroke
  • 100 Backstroke
  • Men’s 4 x 200 Free Relay

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – FINALS

Podium:

  1. Jillian Cox (ASC) – 4:13.09
  2. Kayla Han (RMDA) – 4:14.52
  3. Aurora Roghair (IFLY) – 4:14.79

La Mirada Armada 13-year-old Kayla Han took 2nd in tonight’s women’s 400 freestyle final. The swim not only marked her highest finish of the meet thus far, it also marked a huge best time for the newly-13-year-old. Han’s time marked a lifetime best by 2 seconds, dipping under her previous best of 4:16.58, which was swum 3 weeks ago.

Here is a split comparison between Han’s previous best time from mid-July, her prelims 4:17.27 from this morning, and her 4:14.52 from tonight:

Splits 2021 Speedo Summer Championships – Irvine FINALS 2021 SN Summer CA-NV Sectional-CC 2021 Speedo Summer Championships – Irvine PRELIMS
50m 29.62 29.89 29.97
100m 32.07 32.55 32.50
150m 32.11 32.54 32.37
200m 32.44 32.62 32.91
250m 32.22 32.36 32.47
300m 32.43 32.19 33.41
350m 32.39 32.75 32.42
400m 31.24 31.68 31.22
Final Time 4:14.52 4:16.58 4:17.27

The only real notable difference between Han’s 4:14 tonight and her previous best was that she took the race out faster on the front half tonight. She did also come home faster on the final 100 by 0.80 seconds.

In addition to the big lifetime best, Han has now risen to #24 all-time for 13-14 girls in the event. Han has been 13 for just over 2 months now. For just 13-year-olds, Han is now 3# all-time behind only Claire Tuggle, and Tokyo Olympian Katie Grimes. Here is the all-time top 10 rankings for 13-year-olds in the girls LCM 400 free:

Rank Time Swimmer Meet
1 4:11.37 Claire Tuggle Irish Open Swimming Championships
2 4:11.61 Katie Grimes 2019 U.S. Open
3 4:14.52 Kayla Han 2021 Speedo Summer Championships
4 4:15.22 Chelsea Chenault 2008 Olympic Trials
5 4:15.29 Claire Weinstein 2021 Pro Series – Richmond
6 4:15.79 Bella Rongione 2013 Summer Nationals
7 4:16.22 Maddie Homovich 2014 Pro Series – Austin
8 4:16.27 Jillian Cox 2019 CA MVN SMOC
9 4:16.28 Gailey Walters 2000 US Top 16
10 4:16.32 Becca Mann 2011 FG SPEEDO Champions Series-SZ

Notably, Han was racing against Jillian Cox in tonight’s 400 free. Cox is #8 all-time for 13-year-old girls.

Other personal bests by Han this week:

  • Women’s 200 Free – 2:03.23 (-0.65 seconds)
  • Women’s 400 IM – 4:49.37 (-1.33 seconds)

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Rev
2 years ago

Would think sippy woodhead would be on this list

PhillyMark
Reply to  Rev
2 years ago

She was 4:07 at age 14 but not sure age 13

Koala
Reply to  Rev
2 years ago

Or Summer Mcintosh?

LBSWIM
Reply to  Koala
2 years ago

Maybe because she’s Canadian ? Or does she train in the US?

CanSwim
Reply to  LBSWIM
2 years ago

Summer basically didn’t race any meets at age 13 due to Covid. She trains out of Etobicoke (Toronto)

Koala
Reply to  LBSWIM
2 years ago

When the article said “all the time top ten rankings”, I did not think they meant US only. However, CanSwim’s comment makes sense.

Chris
2 years ago

she’s going to shake things up in the next few years!

Bobo Gigi
Reply to  Chris
2 years ago

Or not. I thought the same about Claire Tuggle and she has not improved in the last 3 years. It’s so difficult to predict the future of young girls. Things can quickly change in a positive or in a negative way.

Ratio
Reply to  Bobo Gigi
2 years ago

I wouldn’t write off Tuggle yet. She only turned 17 last month.