Pickrem on Worlds 200 IM: “Overcoming That Has Been a Challenge” (Video)

^{Reported by James Sutherland.}

2018 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 14 – Sunday, February 18
• Rec Center Natatorium, College Station, TX (Central Time Zone)
• Prelims 10AM / Finals 6PM
• Defending Champion: Florida (5x) (results)
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live results
• Live Video (finals)

WOMEN’S 400 IM FINAL

• Championship Record: 3:58.35, Elizabeth Beisel (Florida), 2012

1. Sydney Pickrem, Texas A&M, 3:59.30
2. Bethany Galat, Texas A&M, 4:04.17
3. Emma Barksdale, SCAR, 4:05.66

Sydney Pickrem finished off the IM sweep with a dominant win in the 400 IM, holding the lead at the halfway mark and only extending it from there, touching in a time of 3:59.30. That time knocks .06 off her school record set at last year’s NCAAs where she was the runner-up to Stanford’s Ella Eastin. The swim puts Pickrem 1st in the country this season, passing Katie Ledecky and her 3:59.69 from the Art Adamson Invite.

Above, Pickrem speaks about the challenges she’s been through this year. She’s dealt with two injuries, one in her groin and one still nagging knee injury. But psychologically she is also still dealing with the experience of getting out at the 50 of her 200 IM this past summer at World Championships in Budapest after swallowing and choking on water. Pickrem says it has been a hard burden to bare, but with the help of teammates and her own perseverance, she is overcoming it.