Why Katie Ledecky Turned Pro in 2018: GMM presented by SwimOutlet.com

Gold Medal Minute presented by SwimOutlet.com

Olympic Champion, World Champion, and, in my opinion, the greatest female swimmer in history,  Katie Ledecky, broke her own 1500m world record at the TYR Pro Swim Indy.  In SwimSwam time, that’s old news, but her turning pro this early — two years out from the Olympic Games — is interesting.  After two years at Stanford, Ledecky explains why she made the move, and she comes across more confidently than I’ve ever seen her on-camera.

Katie wasn’t the icon she is now.  Each year she grows a little tougher, wowing swim fans even more.   I don’t want to make this about Caeleb Dressel, but the Ledecky-Dressel 2020 Olympic Games could be a two person world takeover in Tokyo.  If they’re both healthy, it’s going to be 100+ hours of prime time television coverage (between commercials, profiles, race footage and endless analysis).   This is potentially special, right, even after the Michael Phelps era…so soon after it?  What do you think? I thought swimming, as a sport, might wane in the aftermath of Phelps. It is not.

What can Ledecky do this summer?  I’d be happy to see one more world record, but I think she’s got a lot more in the tank.  Here are my predictions:

200m free – 1:53.0

400m free – 3:56.4

800m free –  8:03.9

1500m Free – 15.18.1

400m IM?  No clue. Help me here?

What are your predictions?

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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.

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Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
5 years ago

200 free – 1:53.60 (American Record)
400 free – 3:57.20
800 free – 8:05.74
1500 free – 15:22.98

Yozhik
Reply to  Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
5 years ago

200 free will be her first race in Santa Clara day after tomorrow. At previous PSS stop she made convincing statement of who is who in 400-800-1500. Now it is the turn for 200. If she decides to get #1 ranking this season at this meet then her time will be a good help to predict what to expect from her at PamPac.

Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

You don’t even realize the significance of 1:53.60 in the women’s 200 m freestyle.

Yozhik
Reply to  Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
5 years ago

If you read carefully my first posting in this thread you will understand that I do realize. What Allison Schmitt accomplished in London is extraordinary. That is the real world record. There was and still is nobody who can even think of targeting it. Nobody until Sjostrom and Ledecky took the stage. In their landmark battle they were closer but still behind this record. That is how it should be evaluated – of “Sjostrom-Ledecky” class. Beating this time is an achievement of same magnitude as beating Sjostrom’s world record in 100free or Ledecky’s record in 800.

Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Back in your crib, junior. Don’t forget your pacifier.

Yozhik
Reply to  Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
5 years ago

Have a good day.

Anon
5 years ago

So how has her training changed in the last 6 weeks? Is she training more? In a different style? Allowed to swim against guys during practice for more competition? I’m so curious! Congrats Katie! It’s going to be an exciting summer?

Hswimmer
Reply to  Anon
5 years ago

It’s that IM group practicing im sure is making her more versatile and helping her free overall.

Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
Reply to  Anon
5 years ago

Gold Medal Minute presented by SwimOutlet.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePD-8aj9ruY

ERVINFORTHEWIN
5 years ago

Love to see her get that 200 free WR – the toughest on the books for her to reach + the rest of the world on that distance is catching up big time . As for the rest of her races , hard to predict due to her ” unlimited ” potential . 200 free prediction : 1.52.97 this summer , lets be courageously bold here .

Jim C
Reply to  ERVINFORTHEWIN
5 years ago

I would think the 50 breast WR would be the toughest on the books for her to reach..

Yozhik
5 years ago

I think that new record in 800 is possible but only under condition when there would be the meet dedicated to this particular target only.
15.20 corresponds most likely her 15.03 in 1650y. That in its turn is the reflection of great form in 2016 season. 2 sec improvement is a tough one as was 15 min barrier, but probably is still possible.

Jim C
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

The converter says her LCM record is about 1.5s better than her SCY. But the converter is notorious in overstating the value of an SCY time. As good as Dressel’s 40.00s 100 SCY last year, I do not think it was equivalent to a 46.00s in LCM. A 1s per 100m of LCM correction would give a more reasonable 47.00 time, and the same correction would make Ledecky’s LCM record about 16.5s better than her SCY record.

bobo gigi
5 years ago

The 200 free will be her toughest event in the coming years with Titmus but also especially Ruck who has much more speed and is younger. I add that Greg Meehan will train Ruck at Stanford to help her improve and indirectly help her beat KL who also trains at . . . Stanford. And then Greg Meehan could be the US women’s head coach in Tokyo. I can imagine the tweet of the charlatan at the White House! It will be interesting to see that rivalry in the same training place with an olympic gold in mind. It’s not so common to have 2 big rivals who represent 2 different nations in the same event and who train together.

Yozhik
Reply to  bobo gigi
5 years ago

Ledecky has beaten Sjostrom who is much superior of Ruck. I wouldn’t expect Taylor Ruck to be faster then 1:54.5 even in two years in Tokio. Is it an easy time for Katie? Not at all. Can she swim faster? No doubts.

Dee
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Titmus is the big threat over 200 in my opinion. She looks to be moving down – She only began to develop speed work as her body matured more recently, and her rate of improvement has been nothing short of remarkable – She threw down a few eye-catching 50 relay legs (25s) in Jan/Feb, and I suppose that was the warning from a lady who looked like an out and out distance girl last year. She has dropped from 1.57 in 2017 to 1.54 this year – And I wouldn’t bet against a further drop at Panpacs. If her speed continues to develop, she is a serious candidate to join Ledecky and Schmitt as textile 1.53 ladies.

Yozhik
Reply to  Dee
5 years ago

I mostly agree with you, but it is very hard to make predictions about Titmus in 200 not knowing what she is capable of in 100. For some reason she hasn’t competed seriously at this distance. Her personal best is ridiculously slow. Many people underline that both Ruck and Titmus are 4-3 years younger than Ledecky assuming that for this reason they will improve better than Katie. That can be very deceiving. At the age of 18 Missy Franklin was 53.3 at 100 and 1:54.81 in 200. Nothing has happened since.
Too little is known about Adriarne Titmus except that she made significant improvement since last year.

tammy touchpad error
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Ruck bout to be a 51/ 1:52 swimmer/ 2 back WR holder. 1:54.5???? Cmon.

Yozhik
Reply to  tammy touchpad error
5 years ago

1:54.5 is a tough time. Only three swimmers were faster and they are giants of swimming. Of course if Taylor Ruck swims 51sec in 100 as Sjostrom does then we may see 1:54 flat. By far she just barely broke 53 barrier and her 200 splits doesn’t characterize her superb 200 racer. But things can change and her body type promises long and improving career.

Brutus
5 years ago

Ledecky is great, Dressel better, Phelps best (Except Dean Farris who is super human and can not be compared to mere mortals.)

Togger
Reply to  Brutus
5 years ago

Dressel is superb, but this is just offensive to Ledecky.

Katie has gone 10 seconds faster than the previous 800 free world record, holds 2 other world records and has won 4 individual Olympic golds. Dressel, for now, has no LCM world records and no individual Olympic medals of any colour.

As swim fans, like all sports fans, we’re always getting excited about the next big thing. But just because we are used to Ledecky’s crushing wins they shouldn’t make them any less extraordinary or impressive.

Brutus
Reply to  Togger
5 years ago

Dressel stayed true to his college teammates, is humble and the DUDE! I used Ledecky’s name in the same sentence with Dressel and Phelps as a compliment. Ledecky is AMAZING and one of the greatest female swimmers ever…but chicks are slower then guys.

Chuck N
Reply to  Brutus
5 years ago

And you’re not very good at spelling

Brutus
Reply to  Chuck N
5 years ago

And you have a funny face

Jack
Reply to  Brutus
5 years ago

That’s like saying, “I used Mickey Mantle’s name in the same sentence as Babe Ruth and Brian Giles as a compliment.”

Maelstrom
Reply to  Brutus
5 years ago

“But chicks are slower than guys” is irrelevant. A woman doing a 52 in a 100 free is better than a man doing a 49 in the same event. Dressel is without a doubt a great swimmer, he has 7 world titles and is close to some legendary supersuit records. However Ledecky has 5 olympic gold medals, 15 world titles and holds 3 LCM world records. Dressel is good, but still has a lot of work cut out for him to equal katie ledecky’s achievements.

Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
5 years ago

2014 Pan Pacs – 400m Freestyle Womens Final

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE7Wz4-r3t4

“Here goes Katie, she’s not cruising anymore. She wanting another world record. She has been unbelievable at the Pan Pacs.”

Jim C
Reply to  Brutus
5 years ago

Dean Farris swims for Harvard. Former Harvard swimmer Michael Ledecky may have been great, but cannot be compared to someone like Dean Farris.

Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
Reply to  Brutus
5 years ago

Katie Ledecky – Champion of the Champions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIdBCnxRsHQ

Wahooswimfan
5 years ago

I’d like to see her try a 200 fly too – based on first 100 of her 400 IM I bet she’d do apretty good time.

Jim C
Reply to  Wahooswimfan
5 years ago

And the 200 fly is a weak event.

too impressed
Reply to  Wahooswimfan
5 years ago

We know she has the endurance

gigglewater
5 years ago

For the 400 IM, the practice video looked like “Ledecky’s doing stupid fast freestyle in the middle of brutal strokes practice” rather than actually doing IM practice, so she won’t have a big drop from her best time.

Jim C
Reply to  gigglewater
5 years ago

I would guess that if Ledecky is serious about doing IM she will need to devote entire practices to specific strokes, and that is more feasible now, but it might be to early to expect too much this year.

About Gold Medal Mel Stewart

Gold Medal Mel Stewart

MEL STEWART Jr., aka Gold Medal Mel, won three Olympic medals at the 1992 Olympic Games. Mel's best event was the 200 butterfly. He is a former World, American, and NCAA Record holder in the 200 butterfly. As a writer/producer and sports columnist, Mel has contributed to Yahoo Sports, Universal Sports, …

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