As Katie Ledecky Stalks World Record in 800 Freestyle, She’ll Be Pushed By Stellar Field

As Katie Ledecky Stalks World Record in 800 Freestyle, She’ll Be Pushed By Stellar Field

The fastest heat of the women’s 800-meter freestyle at the FINA World Cup stop in Indianapolis on Saturday night has been hyped for its impending short-course world-record assault by Katie Ledecky. Beyond Ledecky, though, the event is stacked with talent, and could emerge as the can’t-miss event of the action at the Indiana University Natatorium.

Coming off a world record in the 1500 freestyle at last week’s World Cup in Toronto, Ledecky is chasing the global standard of 7:59.34 in the 800 freestyle. That mark was set by Spain’s Mireia Belmonte in 2013. En route to her world record in the 1500 free, Ledecky split an American record of 8:00.58 at the 800-meter checkpoint.

In addition to Ledecky, the 800 freestyle will feature 16-year-old rising stars Katie Grimes of the United States and Summer McIntosh of Canada. Grimes set a world junior record in the 1500 freestyle during a time trial on Friday, while McIntosh established a pair of world junior marks last week in Toronto in the 400 freestyle and 400 individual medley.

The field will also include veteran Leah Smith and another teen, Claire Weinstein, a member of the United States squad at last summer’s World Championships in Budapest. Weinstein is a training partner of Grimes and Bella Sims with the Sandpipers of Nevada.

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