Reported by Lauren Neidigh.
WOMEN’S 500 FREE:
- NCAA record: Katie Ledecky (2017)- 4:25.15
- American record: Katie Ledecky (2017)- 4:25.15
- U.S. Open record: Katie Ledecky (2017)- 4:25.15
- Meet Record: Katie Ledecky (2017)- 4:28.37
- 2016 NCAA Champion: Leah Smith (Virginia)- 4:31.33
- Katie Ledecky (Stanford)- 4:24.06
- Leah Smith (Virginia)- 4:28.90
- Kennedy Goss (Indiana)- 4:26.13
Katie Ledecky took it up a notch, to say the least, in tonight’s final, wrecking the American and NCAA Records with a blistering 4:24.06. She took it out in a 1:43.46 at the 200 and never looked back, breaking ahead of Virginia’s Leah Smith (4:28.90).
While she was a distant 2nd place, Smith’s swim is very historically significant as she becomes the 2nd swimmer in history to break 4:30 in the women’s 500 free.
A tight battle for 3rd saw Indiana’s Kennedy Goss come home like a train, splitting a 26.26 on the final 50 to out-touch Louisville’s Mallory Comerford (4:36.16). NC State’s Hannah Moore rounded out the top 5 in a personal best 4:36.85.
Stanford freshman Megan Byrnes had a big swim in the B final, clocking a lifetime best 4:37.78 yo outpace Kentucky’s Geena Freriks (4:38.42).
wpDiscuz
Wow so well spoken, and point in such a humble person congratulations on an extraordinary collegiate career
Leah Smith’s swim here will most likely get overlooked because of Ledecky, but it is simply an amazing time. I remember talking with other swim coaches about Caroline Burckle’s 4:33 and how fast that was. Leah Smith just went 4:28. It’s crazy how fast the event is now because of Ledecky and Smith.
If it weren’t for Ledecky, Smith would have won by 8 seconds. I think the fact that she’s closer to Ledecky than everyone else was to her speaks volumes.