Southern Zone South Sectional Championships:
- Plantation, FL
- February 13-16, 2025
- LCM (50 meters)
- Psych Sheet
World Record holders Summer McIntosh, Katie Ledecky, and Bobby Finke are highlighting the Southern Zone South Sectional Championships this weekend.
McIntosh, who is swimming for the Sarasota Sharks, is entered in the 800 freestyle with the 8:11.39 she went at this meet last year when she upset Katie Ledecky for the win. We are not getting a rematch of that competition this weekend, as Ledecky is not swimming the event.
This will be McIntosh’s first meet since the World Aquatic Championships in December where she broke three world records, and her first long course meet since the Olympic Games back in July. This will also be the first time we get to see the superstar race long course this year in preparation for the 2025 World Championships in July.
Ledecky is swimming two events, the 400 and 1500 freestyles. In the 400, she is seeded first by over 20 seconds with the 3:58.35 she went at the 2024 Olympic Trials. Her best time in the event still stands at the 3:56.46 she went back in 2016 to win the gold medal in Rio.
Her 1500 free time comes in a minute-and-a-half ahead of the rest of the field at 15:26.27 with the next swimmer, being seeded at 16:59.59. Ledecky’s time comes from the 2023 World Championships where she won the gold. She did not make it under the 15:30 mark last year, and her best time, and the world record, sits at 15:20.48 from 2018.
Finke is swimming four different events, starting with the 800 freestyle on day one. His seed time of 7:38.67 comes in a little over 20 seconds ahead of 2nd place. This time comes from the 2023 World Championships where he finished 3rd overall. At the Games in Paris, he was 2nd at 7:38.75.
He is also swimming the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 100 back. He’s coming in seeded 2nd in the 200 IM and 1st in the 400 IM and 100 back. All of his best times are somewhat recent, with his 400 IM being the oldest at 4:09.55 from June 2023. The other two events he swam in May of last year, going 2:04.06 in the 200 IM and 55.39 in the 100 back.
Isabel Ivey, another Florida pro swimmer, is also competing this weekend. She is entered in the 200 free, 100 fly, 200 IM, 50 free, 100 free. Her lowest seed comes in the 50 free, where she comes in at 3rd. She is 2nd in the 100 fly, and 1st in the 200 free, 200 IM, and 100 free. At the 2024 Olympic Team Trials, Ivey’s highest finish came in the 200 IM, where she missed the team by one place finishing 3rd.
Summer has joined Ledecky in the sub 8:10 club with 8:09.86. Ledecky still holds the top 9 performances in history.
Big Congrats to Summer!
I wonder how long it has been since Ledecky swam the 800 free under 8:09.86? Her Olympic gold medal times in 2021 and 2024 were slower than Summer’s best time today.
She had a couple of swims under that in 2023 but nothing since.
Paris 2024 times:
Ledecky: 8:11.04 (current age almost 28)
Titmmus: 8:12.29 (current age 24)
Madden: 8:13.00 (current age 26)
Tokyo 2021:
Ledecky: 8:12.57
Rio 2016:
Ledecky: 8:04.79 world record
Small competition 2024:
McIntosh: 8.11.39 (current age 18)
Can’t wait to see what Summer brings tomorrow.
Isn’t this where McIntosh kicked Ledecky’s ass in the 800 free last year?
Is there a way we can watch? Or live results?
meet mobile
Last year they streamed it on Youtube. Not sure if they will again, but probably.
Let’s go Summer. A good rehearsal before that 800 free W in Singapore 🇸🇬.
Day 6 and 7:
After Summer McIntosh’s recent altitude training in Font-Romeu, we can expect some exceptional performance on 800, perhaps.
(Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HbAL6KE1kQ)
They should have arranged to make sure that raced against each other in the 400 and 800…
If swimming wants to increase attention and popularity it needs to capitalize on elite swimmers competing against each other whenever possible.
Agree with your second sentence, but your first sentence makes it sound like those two are just magically going to coordinate racing schedules. Last year, it just so happened they did at that Sectionals. Those two (and their coaches) are two of the most deliberate in terms of their racing schedules and season plans.
For the sport to grow at the Pro Level, it’s going to take someone (or some company) willing to put up money to create excitement around 1v1 kind of show-downs (such as between 2 generational athletes like McIntosh and Ledecky) in non-World Championship level meets. ISL tried it, but we all know how that went. The FINA Champions Series several years ago was actually a… Read more »
If Summer goes sub 8:10 she should swim it in Singapore instead of 200 back.
it will come down to the schedule of events.
she also seemed really disappointed in her results in the 200 back, so I suspect her training must have been going well. Schedule aside, I could see her trying the 200 back again if she indeed thought she had a better result in mind.
800 free and 200 back are on the same days and don’t clash with anything else so it’s a clean choice between them.
I agree, the schedule is perfectly set up for her to swim it this year at Worlds.
She can swim that 200 back at Comm Games or other low tier meets.
I don’t think she is swimming 800 or 200 back in Singapore