Leah Hayes Posts Lifetime Best 4:44.55 400 IM in Heats, #10 15-Yr-Old All-Time

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Leah Hayes, a Fox Valley Park District swimmer who recently turned 15, tore to a new best time in the heats of the women’s 400 IM this morning. Hayes. who entered the meet with a lifetime best of 4:44.90, posted a new best of 4:44.55 in the 3rd heat of the event. The time, when Hayes swam it, made her the top swimmer through the first 3 heats of the race.

Hayes lead the race for the first 275-ish meters, getting out to a lead on fly, then expanding that lead through the backstroke 100. She probably would have continued to expand her lead over the field on breaststroke, if not for Tennessee’s Alexis Yager, who posted the fastest breast split in the field by 5 seconds. Hayes then turned for the final 100 half a second behind Yager, and was able to catch and pass her heading into the finish.

The swim moves Hayes up to #24 all-time for 15-16 girls, and she remains the #10 15-year-old all-time in the event. here is the current all-time top 10 for 15-year-old girls in the 400 IM:

Rank Swimmer Time
1 Elizabeth Beisel 4:32.87
2 Katie Hoff 4:37.67
3 Becca Mann 4:40.26
4 Mariah Denigan 4:40.62
5 Katie Grimes 4:41.39
6 Jasmine Tosky 4:42.11
7 Jenny Parmenter 4:43.72
8 Sydney Pickrem 4:44.05
9 Justina Kozan 4:44.45
10 Leah Hayes 4:44.55

 

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Virtus
2 years ago

Beisel was 432 😵 I forgot about thst

Rob
2 years ago

Wonderful achievement !! Congratulations on a solid time and gritting through the last 100, great finish.