Video Interview: Katie Ledecky Already Feeling in Championship Form

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Photo Courtesy: Mike Comer and Shanda Crowe/ProSwimVisuals.com

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NCAP’s Katie Ledecky, currently the best swimmer on the planet after an unprecedented 200-400-800-1500 free sweep during the summer is already feeling in championship season form at the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Minneapolis.

Ledecky talks about setting her in-season best for the 200 free as well as turning in a personal best in the 400 IM.

Original 200 free report:

NCAP’s Katie Ledecky powered her way to the pool record in the women’s 200-meter free at the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Minneapolis.

Ledecky surged to a blazing time of 1:55.37.  That swim eclipsed the pool record of 1:55.82 set byAllison Schmitt back in 2011.

Ledecky’s time was just off her sizzling fourth-ranked season best of 1:55.16 from the World Championships as she continued to put her foot down as the best swimmer in the world.

Only Sarah Sjostrom (1:54.31), Femke Heemskerk (1:54.68) and Federica Pellegrini (1:55.00) have been faster this year.

Colorado Stars’ Missy Franklin put up a pretty strong 1:56.73 of her own to take second. That’s a second back of her sixth-ranked best of 1:55.49 from Worlds this summer as well.

Schmitt claimed the third spot on the podium with a time of 1:57.27.

Virginia’s Leah Smith (1:57.79), Saint Petersburg’s Melanie Margalis (1:58.11), NBAC’s Cierra Runge(1:59.15), California’s Camille Cheng (1:59.85) and Aggie’s Sarah Henry (2:01.15) also competed in the championship heat.

Mission Viejo’s Stephanie Peacock walked away with the B final victory with a time of 1:59.93 in what proved to be an incredibly close consolation heat.  Bulldog’s Shannon Vreeland took second in 2:00.04 with California’s Katie McLaughlin earning third in 2:00.14. Badger’s Lindsay Vrooman was also in the mix with a 2:00.17 as was NBAC’s Becca Mann with a 2:00.21.

                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Ledecky, Katie   18 Nation's Capital  1:57.39    1:55.37POT     
             27.75        56.56 (28.81)
        1:26.18 (29.62)     1:55.37 (29.19)
  2 Franklin, Missy  20 Colorado Stars-C  1:59.17    1:56.73 OT     
             50.89         57.07 (6.18)
        1:56.73 (59.66)                    
  3 Schmitt, Alliso  25 North Baltimore-  1:59.20    1:57.28 OT     
             28.15        57.64 (29.49)
        1:27.43 (29.79)     1:57.28 (29.85)
  4 Smith, Leah      20 Unattached-VA     1:58.13    1:57.79 OT     
             28.15        57.90 (29.75)
        1:28.02 (30.12)     1:57.79 (29.77)
  5 Margalis, Melan  23 Saint Petersburg  1:59.33    1:58.11 OT     
             28.70        58.62 (29.92)
        1:28.55 (29.93)     1:58.11 (29.56)
  6 Runge, Cierra    19 North Baltimore-  1:59.64    1:59.15 OT     
             28.60        58.89 (30.29)
        1:28.99 (30.10)     1:59.15 (30.16)
  7 Cheng, Camille   22 California Aquat  2:00.26    1:59.85 OT     
             27.73        57.82 (30.09)
        1:28.47 (30.65)     1:59.85 (31.38)
  8 Henry, Sarah     23 Aggie Swim Club-  2:00.14    2:01.15 OT     
             29.10      1:00.02 (30.92)
        1:30.63 (30.61)     2:01.15 (30.52)
 
                            === B - Final ===                            
 
  9 Peacock, Stepha  23 Mission Viejo Na  2:01.26    1:59.93 OT     
             28.89        59.79 (30.90)
        1:29.99 (30.20)     1:59.93 (29.94)
 10 Vreeland, Shann  23 Athens Bulldog S  2:00.79    2:00.04 OT     
             28.57        59.22 (30.65)
        1:29.75 (30.53)     2:00.04 (30.29)
 11 McLaughlin, Kat  18 Univ California,  2:00.41    2:00.14 OT     
             28.44        58.98 (30.54)
        1:29.98 (31.00)     2:00.14 (30.16)
 12 Vrooman, Lindsa  24 Badger Swim Club  2:00.49    2:00.17 OT     
             28.74        59.26 (30.52)
        1:30.01 (30.75)     2:00.17 (30.16)
 13 Mann, Becca      17 North Baltimore-  2:00.60    2:00.21 OT     
             28.97        59.56 (30.59)
        1:30.11 (30.55)     2:00.21 (30.10)
 14 Kneppers, Andre  22 Univ Louisville-  2:00.58    2:00.52 OT     
                              58.80 ( )
      2:00.52 (1:01.72)                    
 15 Manuel, Simone   19 Unattached-PC     2:00.69    2:00.79 OT     
             28.50        59.44 (30.94)
        1:30.10 (30.66)     2:00.79 (30.69)
 16 Comerford, Mall  18 Univ Louisville-  2:00.98    2:00.81 OT     
             28.31        58.77 (30.46)
        1:30.00 (31.23)     2:00.81 (30.81)

Original 400 IM report:

Open water star Becca Mann of NBAC cruised to victory in the women’s 400-meter IM at the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Minneapolis.

Mann, who initially trailed IM veteran Caitlin Leverenz, overtook the field and extended her lead until she won in 4:37.04. That time vaulted her to 12th in the world rankings and crushed the previous pool record of 4:40.51 set by Katie Hoff back in 2011.

Leverenz, fresh off some cash winnings on the FINA World Cup tour, collected some more money tonight with a second-place 4:39.10.  That’s well off her sixth-ranked season best of 4:35.46 from the Pan American Games, but more than enough to win money tonight.

Leverenz wasn’t even slated to compete in the A final after finishing ninth, but Maya DiRado’sscratched opened the door for her to make some noise.

NCAP’s Katie Ledecky, the best freestyler on the planet, became the first person to win a pair of medals tonight with a 4:39.18 for third overall.

Minnesota’s Brooke Zeiger (4:42.49), Gator’s Elizabeth Beisel (4:43.12), SwimMAC’s Cammile Adams (4:44.07), Aggie’s Sarah Henry (4:45.35) and UBCD’s Emily Overholt (4:45.58) finished fourth through eighth.

Vietnam’s Vien Nguyen took down the consolation heat title in 4:45.15 with Trojan’s Haley Anderson earning second in 4:45.37.

                           === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Mann, Becca      17 North Baltimore-  4:42.27    4:37.04POT     
             30.23      1:03.45 (33.22)
        1:40.02 (36.57)     2:14.33 (34.31)
        2:55.35 (41.02)     3:35.75 (40.40)
        4:07.38 (31.63)     4:37.04 (29.66)
  2 Leverenz, Caitl  24 California Aquat  4:46.02    4:39.10POT     
             28.98      1:02.44 (33.46)
        1:38.73 (36.29)     2:15.47 (36.74)
        2:53.89 (38.42)     3:34.58 (40.69)
        4:07.02 (32.44)     4:39.10 (32.08)
  3 Ledecky, Katie   18 Nation's Capital  4:42.43    4:39.18POT     
             30.24      1:03.92 (33.68)
        1:41.16 (37.24)     2:16.10 (34.94)
        2:57.94 (41.84)     3:39.24 (41.30)
        4:10.15 (30.91)     4:39.18 (29.03)
  4 Zeiger, Brooke   19 Univ Minnesota-M  4:44.54    4:42.49 OT     
             30.39      1:04.57 (34.18)
        1:40.53 (35.96)     2:15.39 (34.86)
        2:56.36 (40.97)     3:37.87 (41.51)
        4:10.78 (32.91)     4:42.49 (31.71)
  5 Beisel, Elizabe  23 Una Gsc-FL        4:45.30    4:43.12 OT     
             30.78      1:05.14 (34.36)
        1:41.15 (36.01)     2:16.32 (35.17)
        2:56.81 (40.49)     3:38.41 (41.60)
        4:11.18 (32.77)     4:43.12 (31.94)
  6 Adams, Cammile   24 SwimMAC Carolina  4:45.91    4:44.07 OT     
             30.17      1:03.77 (33.60)
        1:40.17 (36.40)     2:15.59 (35.42)
        2:57.94 (42.35)     3:39.70 (41.76)
        4:12.83 (33.13)     4:44.07 (31.24)
  7 Henry, Sarah     23 Aggie Swim Club-  4:44.71    4:45.35 OT     
             31.00      1:05.64 (34.64)
        1:43.41 (37.77)     2:19.46 (36.05)
        3:00.60 (41.14)     3:41.52 (40.92)
        4:14.21 (32.69)     4:45.35 (31.14)
  8 Overholt, Emily  18 Ubc Dolphins-US   4:44.26    4:45.58 OT     
             29.72      1:03.43 (33.71)
        1:40.95 (37.52)     2:17.24 (36.29)
        2:58.93 (41.69)     3:42.03 (43.10)
        4:14.08 (32.05)     4:45.58 (31.50)
 
                            === B - Final ===                            
 
  9 Nguyen, Vien     19 Unattached-FL     4:49.15    4:45.15 OT     
             30.18      1:04.47 (34.29)
        1:41.34 (36.87)     2:16.62 (35.28)
        2:58.35 (41.73)     3:39.77 (41.42)
        4:13.23 (33.46)     4:45.15 (31.92)
 10 Anderson, Haley  23 Trojan Swim Club  4:50.26    4:45.37 OT     
             30.20      1:04.16 (33.96)
        1:43.27 (39.11)     2:20.32 (37.05)
        3:01.35 (41.03)     3:42.79 (41.44)
        4:15.16 (32.37)     4:45.37 (30.21)
 11 Li, Celina       20 Univ California,  4:51.03    4:47.11 OT     
             29.66      1:03.54 (33.88)
        1:41.15 (37.61)     2:18.23 (37.08)
        2:59.64 (41.41)     3:41.35 (41.71)
        4:14.79 (33.44)     4:47.11 (32.32)
 12 Kylliainen, Tan  22 Cardinal Aquatic  4:51.36    4:47.79 OT     
             30.16      1:04.74 (34.58)
        1:41.21 (36.47)     2:17.63 (36.42)
        2:58.86 (41.23)     3:41.26 (42.40)
        4:14.99 (33.73)     4:47.79 (32.80)
 13 Gonzalez Hermos  20 Penn State-MA     4:55.75    4:52.76 OT     
             30.96      1:06.31 (35.35)
        1:44.12 (37.81)     2:21.63 (37.51)
        3:03.24 (41.61)     3:45.96 (42.72)
        4:19.68 (33.72)     4:52.76 (33.08)
 14 Schmidt, Sierra  17 North Baltimore-  4:53.32    4:53.40 OT     
             30.42      1:04.92 (34.50)
        1:43.27 (38.35)     2:20.64 (37.37)
        3:04.95 (44.31)     3:49.69 (44.74)
        4:22.06 (32.37)     4:53.40 (31.34)
 15 Sargent, Kay     17 Victor Swim Club  4:55.26    4:54.50 OT     
             30.78      1:05.90 (35.12)
        1:44.00 (38.10)     2:21.57 (37.57)
        3:04.12 (42.55)     3:46.88 (42.76)
        4:21.21 (34.33)     4:54.50 (33.29)
 -- Barney, Regan    16 Nitro Swimming-S  4:54.17         DQ        
             30.58      1:06.66 (36.08)
        1:42.77 (36.11)     2:19.10 (36.33)
        3:01.93 (42.83)     3:45.22 (43.29)
        4:19.14 (33.92)          DQ (33.20)
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Niles Keeran
8 years ago

Don’t ever take it for granted, Katie. Look what happened to Serena Williams in her Grand Slam Tennis quest by her arrogance and top ranking being defeated by an Italian.

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