2022 Phillips 66 U.S. National Championships
- Tuesday, July 26 – Saturday, July 30, 2022
- William Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
- Prelims 9 AM / Finals 5 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
- Meet website
- Meet information
- Psych Sheet
- OMEGA Live Results
- Day 2 Finals Live Recap
U.S. Nationals Women’s 200 Free Podium
- Katie Ledecky – 1:54.50
- Erin Gemmell – 1:56.14
- Claire Tuggle – 1:58.34
Katie Ledecky scared the 200 free U.S Open record on Day 2 of U.S Nationals, hitting 1:54.50 to win the national title. That time would’ve earned her gold at the 2022 World Championships, ahead of China’s Yang Junxuan, who won in 1:54.92. Ledecky won the 200 free at U.S. International Team Trials, but scratched the event before the meet began.
Had she swum and won at Worlds, it would’ve been her 15th individual world title, pulling her even with Michael Phelps for the most titles in history.
Interestingly, though Ledecky scratched well in advance of the meet and there was roster space, USA Swimming opted not to bring Erin Gemmell, the seventh-place swimmer at U.S. Trials. Instead, the 17-year-old Gemmell (daughter of Ledecky’s former coach Bruce Gemmell) will race at Junior Pan Pacs in August.
Gemmell had a fantastic swim in Irvine, clocking 1:56.14 and becoming the ninth-fastest American woman in history. Gemmell came into the meet with a best of 1:57.41, which she swam in April 2022. In prelims, she lowered that to 1:57.12 before setting a new best again in finals. 1:56.14 would’ve finished second behind Ledecky at U.S Trials, booking Gemmell a ticket to Budapest with an individual event and a relay.
Additionally, that time would’ve made Gemmell a valuable asset to the U.S’s 4×200 freestyle relay in Budapest. The team of Claire Weinstein, Leah Smith, Katie Ledecky, and Bella Sims won gold in a championship record time of 7:41.45, ahead of Australia, Canada, and China–all huge medal threats. Though the U.S didn’t end up “needing” Gemmell, she would have improved the relay–her 1:56.14 is faster than every split (lead-off or rolling) from both the prelims and finals relays, with the exception of Ledecky and Sims’ monster splits of 1:53.67 and 1:54.60.
With Gemmell, Weinstein, Sims, and Tuggle, the future of the 4×200 freestyle relay for the American women looks bright.
Hmm, so Ledecky swam the Worlds, then this about a month later. McKeon and Titmus didn’t swim the worlds, because they’re doing the Commonwealth games around now. Apparently it IS possible to do two events.
BTW great swim by Ledecky, what a swimmer.
Question now, this is Ledecky’s 3rd taper this year?
A Ledecky “taper” would probably be like Rocktober for most swimmers.
You can’t win if you choose not to swim it.
Katie Ledecky, Ariarne Titmus and Summer Mcintosh didn’t win 200 free gold at 2022 world championships.
The “would’ve” is putting context about how good the swim really was. It didn’t say she’s the uncrowned world champion. It’s like saying Claire Curzan’s high school times would’ve placed 2nd or whatever at NCAAs, or Mary T’s 200 fly would still be in Olympic medal contention now — they were THAT good. You’re acting like the “would’ve” was like the Dressel fanboys who say he could win anything if he just swam it. The ethereal 1:44 for the 200 free, for example. Reading comprehension is hard.
2024 Gold: Ledecky, Gemmell, Sims, Weinstein. (Grimes & Tuggle prelims swimmers).
You have the order wrong for the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay:
Weinstein
Gemmell
Ledecky
Sims
Katie Grimes has the potential to qualify for the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay. However, the revised Paris 2024 Olympic schedule has the final of the W 400 IM and W 200 FR during the same session.
https://swimswam.com/paris-2024-olympic-schedule-resolves-event-conflicts-with-new-9-day-calendar/
Pretty sure Ledecky would’ve come 2nd to Titmus if ‘would’ve’ been swimming in the World Championships.
Titmus was not there, that’s the whole point. You’re such a sore loser.
How could I be a sore loser, Titmus didn’t lose.
But Ledecky was present at WC’s, Titmus wasn’t. You’ve got to agree that mentioning what a swimmer who was at the meet could’ve done in an event they didn’t swim means more than mentioning what a swimmer who wasn’t at the meet could’ve done…
Ledecky hasn’t swum a 1:54 or better in a major championship final since Rio despite going these 1:54 mid times at American meets every year. It’s much harder to do this time after 2×400, 2×200 and 1×1500.
Stop it Troyy you making too much sense, or at least you could’ve or would’ve if you hadn’t.
It is harder. That’s why all the Aussies drop events at these meets. Not tough enough.
Ledecky dropped the 200 just this year and Dressell dropped most of the meet. Not tough enough I guess.
Too many would’ve & could’ve for me sorry.
Just like me saying that Kaylee McKeown could’ve beaten Regan Smith in the 100 back but choose not to compete, just doesn’t make sense.
Titmus could’ve swam in the World Champs but didn’t & hence did not win the 200 free.
Ledecky could’ve swam the 200 free but didn’t & hence did not win the 200 free.
Haughey could have been healthy
Your trying too hard. Titmus is scared of Ledecky
Really scared, beaten her & took her World Record.
Thought this was put to rest. Everyone knows Titmus is not “scared” of Ledecky. Titmus has “mental fatigue” and feels “external pressure” about racing Ledecky. Please get your terminology correct!!
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/titmus-undecided-another-ledecky-showdown-2022-06-01/
I’m “fatigued” of the excuses.
OTS Manuel!!!
Kaylee McKeown did not even out split Regan Smith in the women’s 4 x 100 meter medley relay at the 2022 FINA World Aquatics Championships.
You’re hurting yourself.
She could’ve she was at the WC, according to some that is good enough.
Both mean nothing.
maybe its just me but if you’re gonna open the X person could have medalled in Y event conversations you may as well include other people who have been faster that year but weren’t at the meet in the conversation because at that point its a theoretical conversation because athletes do underperform in a race sometimes, or perhaps that swimmer has an uncharacteristic DQ like Oleksiak in the 200, or last minute injury/illness like Jack or Pallister. Also if you are gonna talk specifically about what a swimmer who was at the meet could’ve done in an event then to me theres a difference between swimmers who withdraw to focus on their other events eg Ledecky/Mckeown vs swimmers that have… Read more »
No you don’t have to agree to that… because it’s wrong
McKeown’s trials time would have won the 400IM. Same level of meaning then.
Pretty sure Titmus “would’ve” swum worlds if she’d thought she were fit enough to win. Either that or she’s just ducking races now that the target is on her back.
She swam a time that was faster than Ledecky’s swim here & a time that WOULD’VE won the WC beaten a WOULD’VE Ledecky by over 1.2 sec.
So I think your hypothesis is wrong.
Yes, she broke a world record at trials but didn’t think she was fit enough to win lol
2022 FINA World Aquatics Championships
Women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay
Splits
Smith – 1:56.47
Sims – 1:54.60
Ledecky – 1:53.67
Pretty sure Bella Sims was faster in finals
Yes, you’re right–was reading too fast and flipped the 4 and the 6. Post has been updated.