Paige Madden on Olympic Qualification: “I’m still in a lot of shock”

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Reported by James Sutherland.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE SEMI-FINALS

  • World Record: Federica Pellegrini (ITA) – 1:52.98 (2009)
  • American Record: Allison Schmitt – 1:53.61 (2012)
  • US Open Record: Allison Schmitt (USA) / Katie Ledecky (USA) – 1:54.40 (2012 / 2021)
  • World Junior Record: Yang Junxuan (CHN) – 1:55.43 (2019)
  • 2016 Olympic Champion: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 1:53.73
  • 2016 US Olympic Trials Champion: Katie Ledecky – 1:54.88
  • Wave I Cut: 2:01.69
  • Wave II Cut: 2:00.24
  • FINA ‘A’ Cut: 1:57.28
  1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP), 1:55.83
  2. Paige Madden (UVA), 1:56.44
  3. Katie McLaughlin (CAL), 1:57.37
  4. Allison Schmitt (SUN), 1:57.53
  5. Brooke Forde (LAK), 1:57.82
  6. Gabby Deloof (CW), 1:57.95
  7. Bella Sims (SAND), 1:58.00
  8. Leah Smith (CLCK), 1:58.22

Katie Ledecky inched ahead of Paige Madden on the back-half of the first semi-final in the women’s 200 freestyle, putting up a time of 1:55.83 to earn Lane 4 in tomorrow night’s final. At the 2016 Trials, when Ledecky didn’t have to swim the 1500 free heats on the same day, she was 1:55.10 in the semis.

Ledecky ranks second in the world this season by virtue of her 1:54.40 swim at the Mission Viejo Pro Swim in April.

Madden, who earned an Olympic berth last night by taking second to Ledecky in the 400 free, touched second in 1:56.44, dropping over a second off her previous best time of 1:57.47 set in May. That slots Madden into 10th all-time among Americans, inching ahead of Katie McLaughlin‘s 1:56.48 from 2019. McLaughlin was third in the first semi in 1:57.37, a time that stood up as the third-fastest overall.

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Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

Desorbo has done with the UVa women what Durden did with the Cal men in 2016. Spectacular NCAAs and OTs. Doesn’t happen often.

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