Five Storylines: Top Headlines From The Past Few Weeks

Photo Credit: Delly Carr

BOULDER, Colorado, September 6. WE’VE reached a short break in the seemingly never-ending stretch of championships meets, which means it’s also a great opportunity to reflect on the past few weeks of racing. Here are five headlines from the end of the summer.

1. Katie Ledecky closes out the summer with five world records

After breaking world records in the 800m free and 1500m free at the Woodlands Swim Team Senior Invite in June, Katie Ledecky continued to stun the world with three more world records in August. First, she lowered the 400m free world record to 3:58.86 at the Phillips 66 National Championships. Then, at the Pan Pacific Championships, she lowered that time even further to 3:58.37, while chopping an unheard of six seconds off her 1500m free record with a 15:28.36. Ledecky has single-handedly taken distance swimming into a new stratosphere and at the moment is basically racing against the clock. It’s scary to think where she could be at this time next summer, and two years away in Rio.

2. Team USA dominates Pan Pacs, Junior Pan Pacs

The Americans left no doubt about which nation from the Pacific Rim has the best swim team, running away with the team titles at the Pan Pacific Championships in Australia and the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Maui. Outside of Katie Ledecky’s world records at Pan Pacs, the times weren’t extremely impressive, but there were plenty of new faces on both the senior and junior Pan Pacs rosters that were able to gain valuable international experience at both meets. The same swimmers who qualified for the Pan Pacs team will also be competing at next summer’s FINA World Championships, so it will be exciting to see how their times progress over the next year.

3. FINA World Cup circuit underway; Katinka Hosszu already breaking records

The first two stops of the 2014 FINA World Cup circuit in Doha and Dubai are complete, and 2013 champions Katinka Hosszu of Hungary and Chad Le Clos of South Africa have already surged to early leads. Hosszu leads the women’s standings with 355 points, almost triple Inge Dekker’s second place total of 126 points. A large chunk of those points have come from world records, as she’s set five world records at the two meets thus far. Meanwhile, Le Clos leads the men’s rankings by four points, 120 to 116, over Hungary’s Daniel Gyurta. With five more meets to go in the series, both Hosszu and Le Clos will have their eyes on the $100,000 series-winning prize.

4. Nathan Adrian, Melanie Schlanger take home $20,000 from Singapore Swim Stars

Nathan Adrian of the U.S. and Melanie Schlanger of Australia both brought home $20,000 in winnings from the Singapore Swim Stars Showdown, which took place yesterday and continues today and tomorrow with a swim clinic and open water swim in Singapore. Adrian and Schlanger each won the 50m and 100m freestyle at the sprint meet, with each win worth $10,000. More than four dozen of the top sprinters in the world made their way to Singapore for the chance to take home cash in the four 100m distances and the 50m free.

5. National, meet records falling at Jose Finkel Trophy meet

The annual Jose Finkel Trophy meet in Brazil, which is held in the 25m short course yards format, has featured numerous meet records and a couple of national records. Brazil’s Larissa Oliveira lowered the Brazilian record in the women’s 100 free with a 52.88, while Etiene Medeiros lowered her 50m back record twice to 26.41. Felipe Silva added a Brazilian national record in the 100m breast at 56.25, just to name a few. The Brazilians are certainly looking strong for a great run at this winter’s FINA Short Course World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

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