U.S. Nationals: Katie Ledecky Leads Stacked Final in 400 Free

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Nationals: Katie Ledecky Leads Stacked Final in 400 Free

After Claire Weinstein out-touched Katie Ledecky in the 200 freestyle, the next showdown was in the 400 freestyle.

Ledecky and Weinstein were side-by-side lanes in the final of seven prelims heats. The event was loaded with Olympians Paige Madden, Emma Weyant, Katie Grimes, Leah Smith and Bella Sims as well as NCAA champion Kensey McMahon.

In the final heat, Ledecky was out fast and was a body length ahead at the halfway point. She ran away with the heat and the top seed in 4:01.88.

Weinsten, Erin Gemmell, McMahon and Madden finished strong and were all pretty close.

In the sixth heat, Smith went a 4:07.31 with a strong and balanced race to hold off Bella Sims at 4:07.96. Cavan Gormsen was third in the heat in 3:09.14, followed by a hard-charging Katie Grimes (4:10.25), who was eighth halfway through the race and turned it on in the final 100.

Jillian Cox and Grimes were just out of the U.S. Nationals final as 4:09.72 was the eighth seed to reach finals.

Weintstein took the second seed in 4:06.79, followed by Smith (4:07.31), Sims (4:07.96), Gemmell (4:07.96), Gormsen (4:09.14), McMahon (4:09.30) and Madden (4:09.72).

It is also the final event in the career of Sierra Schmidt, who announced her impending retirement this week at U.S. Nationals She did one of her famous dance routines before the race, then took a graceful bow after finishing sixth her heat, the final race of her stellar career.

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