Katie Ledecky Clocks 2nd-Fastest January 400 Free Ever During Prelims

Photo Courtesy: R-Sport / MIA Rossiya Segodnya

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NCAP’s Katie Ledecky, fresh off a personal best in the 100-meter free to start the day, scorched the pool in the middle distance women’s 400-meter freestyle at the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series Austin.

Ledecky blew the doors off the rest of the field with a 4:01.45 in January, in prelims. That swim ties for 14th all time in the event’s history and is the second-fastest time in January ever behind Ledecky’s 4:00.47 from last year’s Austin stop of the Arena Pro Swim Series.

Considering that Ledecky is coming off altitude training in Colorado Springs, it is not unfathomable that she could become the first woman in history to drop a 3:59 January 400-meter freestyle time.

Virginia’s Leah Smith was the closest qualifier with a second-seeded 4:06.06, while Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu qualified third in 4:06.58.

NBAC’s Lotte Friis (4:07.95), Mission Viejo’s Stephanie Peacock (4:07.98), NBAC’s Becca Mann (4:08.17), Aggie’s Sarah Henry (4:11.37) and NBAC’s Cierra Runge (4:11.57) also made the championship heat tonight.

                     === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Ledecky, Katie   18 Nation's Capital  3:58.37    4:01.45 q      
             28.66        59.27 (30.61)
        1:29.00 (29.73)     1:59.17 (30.17)
        2:29.56 (30.39)     3:00.26 (30.70)
        3:31.15 (30.89)     4:01.45 (30.30)
  2 Smith, Leah      20 UN                4:04.66    4:06.06 q      
             28.98        59.93 (30.95)
        1:31.32 (31.39)     2:02.75 (31.43)
        2:34.14 (31.39)     3:05.69 (31.55)
        3:35.90 (30.21)     4:06.06 (30.16)
  3 Hosszu, Katinka  26 HUN               4:05.51    4:06.58 q      
             28.29        58.93 (30.64)
        1:30.05 (31.12)     2:01.15 (31.10)
        2:32.65 (31.50)     3:04.26 (31.61)
        3:35.92 (31.66)     4:06.58 (30.66)
  4 Friis, Lotte     27 North Baltimore   4:06.83    4:07.95 q      
             29.08        59.91 (30.83)
        1:31.12 (31.21)     2:02.29 (31.17)
        2:33.81 (31.52)     3:05.49 (31.68)
        3:37.33 (31.84)     4:07.95 (30.62)
  5 Peacock, Stepha  23 Mission Viejo Na  4:08.23    4:07.98 q      
             29.46      1:00.16 (30.70)
        1:31.29 (31.13)     2:02.73 (31.44)
        2:34.21 (31.48)     3:05.78 (31.57)
        3:37.28 (31.50)     4:07.98 (30.70)
  6 Mann, Becca      18 North Baltimore   4:07.67    4:08.17 q      
             29.41      1:00.40 (30.99)
        1:31.79 (31.39)     2:03.25 (31.46)
        2:34.61 (31.36)     3:05.95 (31.34)
        3:37.39 (31.44)     4:08.17 (30.78)
  7 Henry, Sarah     24 Aggie Swim Club   4:11.17    4:11.37 q      
             29.89      1:01.31 (31.42)
        1:33.08 (31.77)     2:04.78 (31.70)
        2:36.34 (31.56)     3:08.55 (32.21)
        3:40.21 (31.66)     4:11.37 (31.16)
  8 Runge, Cierra    19 North Baltimore   4:04.55    4:11.57 q      
             29.22      1:00.72 (31.50)
        1:32.66 (31.94)     2:04.39 (31.73)
        2:36.25 (31.86)     3:08.45 (32.20)
        3:40.26 (31.81)     4:11.57 (31.31)

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