U.S. Nationals: Katie Ledecky to Swim Time Trials in 200 Fly and 200 IM

Katie Ledecky -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Nationals: Katie Ledecky to Swim Time Trials in 200 Fly and 200 IM

Katie Ledecky believes she is almost guaranteed a best time as she competes this week at U.S. Nationals. At this stage of her career, best times do not come often in her signature events, with her top marks in the 800 free (world record), 400 free (American record) and 200 free (fourth-fastest in history) all coming at the 2016 Olympics. She set her world record in the 1500 free in May 2018.

But Ledecky is steering clear of freestyle for the last three days of the meet. She already won the 800 free with a time that no other swimmer in history has ever achieved, and she will compete in the 200 free Wednesday after skipping the individual swim at last month’s World Championships. After that, though, Ledecky will have three opportunities for best times. She will swim the 400 IM Thursday, where her best time remains the 4:37.93 that she swam at the 2016 Atlanta Classic, but she is a former American-record holder in the short course 400-yard IM, so it’s plausible that Ledecky can record a world-class time in the event.

Over the last two days of the meet, Ledecky is not entered in any individual events, but she is planning to swim a pair of time trials, which will occur shortly after prelims. One of those days, she will swim the 200 fly and the other day is the 200 IM. Her lifetime-best effort in the medley is a 2:14.36 from an October Pro Series meet in early 2016, and she has a 200 fly best time of 2:15.62 from 2014 — which was the last time she competed in that event.

Ledecky has no plans to add any of these off-events to her long-term plan for international competition, but she wanted to compete at U.S.
Nationals with the rest of her teammates at the University of Florida, and having a championship meet after the summer’s biggest competition has created vibes unfamiliar to Ledecky at a meet of this caliber.

“Just low pressure, low expectations, which is going to be fun,” she said.

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