Paige Madden Swims Lifetime Best 4:03.02 400 Free, #2 American This Season

2024 NOVA SPEEDO GRAND CHALLENGE

WOMEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

  • Meet record: 4:05.37 – Paige Madden, 2024
  • U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 4:15.49

Top 3:

  1. Paige Madden (NYAC) – 4:03.02
  2. Katie Grimes (SAND) – 4:08.21
  3. Claire Weinstein (SAND) – 4:14.82

Paige Madden swam to a lifetime best with a 4:03.02 in the 400 freestyle on night 1 in Irvine. She now becomes the 2nd fastest American in the event this season sitting only behind Katie Ledecky.

Madden’s previous best time was a 4:03.98 that she swam in prelims of the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to finish 7th and earn a spot in finals. She went on to finish 6th in a 4:06.81 and it took a 4:01.08 to medal.

With just a month out from US Olympic Trials, Madden sets herself up well to look to earn her 2nd Olympic qualification as she also swam in prelims on the US Women’s 4×200 free relay that went on to win silver.

The only other American who has been faster in the 400 free this season is Katie Ledecky. Madden’s old season best of a 4:04.86 from the San Antonio Pro Series stop previously made her the #3 American so far this season.

Top 5 US Women LCM 400 Free This Season

  1. Katie Ledecky 3:59.44
  2. Paige Madden 4:03.02
  3. Claire Weinstein 4:04.54
  4. Leah Smith 4:06.80
  5. Rachel Stege 4:06.94

In addition to making her second Olympics, Madden looks to rebound after missing the 2022 and 2023 World Championships teams. Last summer, Madden finished 4th in the 400 free at US Summer Nationals in a 4:06.78. Bella Sims finished 2nd behind Ledecky to earn a spot at Worlds as Sims swam a 4:03.25.

In This Story

18
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

18 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
5 months ago

All Hail!

comment image

SwimObs
5 months ago

Best career move for her was to leave Loughborough and Ian Hulme

RealCrocker5040
5 months ago

Woah that’s a really good result

Summer in Paris
5 months ago

Sandpipers haven’t been too hot lately.

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Summer in Paris
5 months ago

I don’t see point of Katie Grimes and Claire Weinstein swimming the 200 IM with the 400 FR scheduled later during the session:

W 200 IM
Douglass, Kate
Walsh, Alex
Huske, Torri
Smith, Regan
Hayes, Leah

swimgeek
Reply to  Summer in Paris
5 months ago

It’s almost like they’re a massive-volume program that swims broken down in-season and targets big taper meets…

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  swimgeek
5 months ago

At the 2024 Speedo Atlanta Classic, Katie Ledecky pared back her program to one event per day.

I don’t see the point of swimming session doubles less than a month before the 2024 Olympic Team Trials when neither Katie Grimes nor Claire Weinstein will be swimming session doubles at the 2024 Olympic Team Trials.

Grimes – 400 FR, 800 FR, 1500 FR, 400 IM
Weinstein – 200 FR, 400 FR, 800 FR, 1500 FR

Last edited 5 months ago by Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
gitech
5 months ago

My bet is that she is taking second place in the 400, with Weinstein following closely, I think it will be 4:01 for whoever takes the place.
In the 200 I also see them being part of the team, I think that both Madden and Weinstein will be among the top 4 positions here.

Random123
5 months ago

may i… “she’s taking it”

HOO love
5 months ago

yes queen

Snarky
5 months ago

Guessing it will take 4:01 to make the US team this year.

About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. She also attended 2023 US Summer Nationals as well as the 2024 European Championships …

Read More »