{"id":436575,"date":"2020-06-22T07:42:05","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T14:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=436575"},"modified":"2020-06-22T17:15:44","modified_gmt":"2020-06-23T00:15:44","slug":"2016-trials-throwback-katie-ledecky-rules-the-field-in-the-400-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/2016-trials-throwback-katie-ledecky-rules-the-field-in-the-400-free\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 Trials Throwback: Katie Ledecky Rules the Field in the 400 Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each day during the pre-scheduled days of the 2020 US Olympic Trials, Swimming World will take its readers back four years to the 2016 Trials in Omaha to recap each event, and will offer some insight into what the events will look like in 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n

At most Trials races, there are two bids to the Olympics up for grabs. Within any reasonable grasp of reality, though, the women in the 400 freestyle were swimming for one.<\/p>\n

It would\u2019ve taken a monumental happenstance at the 2016 Trials for 19-year-old Katie Ledecky<\/strong> to have not gone to Rio. She arrived in Omaha with the world record and a monopoly on the fastest times in history. Her seed time was nearly five seconds quicker than second seed Leah Smith<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But Ledecky\u2019s coronation didn\u2019t deprive the event of supplemental drama at 2016 Trials. The 400 presented the middle ground for the expertise in the American talent pool. Did it more favor Smith, who excelled at longer distances? Or would it remain in the wheelhouse for Allison Schmitt,<\/strong> who won gold in the 200 and silver in the 400 in London but had endured a difficult four years between Olympics?<\/p>\n

The Race<\/h4>\n

Ledecky evinced no cracks in prelims<\/a> of 2016 Trials, coasting in with the fastest time in a controlled 4:02.62. Smith was a half-second back, the top two times in the world<\/a>. Schmitt was third in 4:06.66, a concerning gap.<\/p>\n

The final devolved into a two-person race<\/a>. Ledecky took the initiative off the block with a 56.31 in the first 100. She and Smith detached themselves from the field by the 200-meter mark. At that point, the only question was if Ledecky would take down her world record. She ended up a half-second shy, winning in 3:58.98. Smith never lost touch, taking second in 4:00.65, a personal-best that clinched her first Olympics berth. Schmitt faded to fifth in 4:09.25, never a factor.<\/p>\n

Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Katie Ledecky 3:58.98<\/li>\n
  2. Leah Smith 4:00.65<\/li>\n
  3. Cierra Runge 4:07.04<\/li>\n
  4. Lindsay Vrooman 4:08.99<\/li>\n
  5. Allison Schmitt 4:09.25<\/li>\n
  6. Stephanie Peacock 4:09.53<\/li>\n
  7. Hannah Moore 4:09.54<\/li>\n
  8. Hannah Cox 4:09.72<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n