{"id":587420,"date":"2024-06-15T09:15:21","date_gmt":"2024-06-15T16:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=587420"},"modified":"2024-06-15T10:09:27","modified_gmt":"2024-06-15T17:09:27","slug":"u-s-olympic-trials-katie-ledecky-cruises-to-top-seed-in-400-free-madden-leads-hunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/u-s-olympic-trials-katie-ledecky-cruises-to-top-seed-in-400-free-madden-leads-hunt\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Olympic Trials, Day 1 Prelims: Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden Cruise to Top Seeds; Leah Smith in Final After Scratches"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first distance race of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials saw a group of big names, led by Katie Ledecky<\/strong>, aim for the finals in the 400 freestyle.<\/p>\n

Ledecky has the American record at 3:56.46, while the world record sits with Australia’s Ariarne Titmus<\/strong> holds the world record at 3:55.38, which she set at the 2023 World Championships.<\/p>\n

She was the only swimmer to have a sub-4-minute time coming into the prelims.<\/p>\n

With no semifinals in the distance events, the prelims saw several contenders, including five Olympians, make their move for the finals.<\/p>\n

In the final heat of prelims, Ledecky opened with the lead and reached the 100 in 57.28, just ahead of Claire Weinstein<\/strong> of Sandpipers.<\/p>\n

Ledecky cruised to a 1:58.08 at the 200 mark and 2:59.88 at the 300 mark before touching the wall in 3:59.99.<\/p>\n

Jillian Cox<\/strong> reached in 4:06.35 to take second in the heat as Weinstein and the field faded.<\/p>\n

In heat six of seven, Paige Madden<\/strong> made her move at the 200 mark and never trailed from there to win the heat in 4:04.83.<\/p>\n

Erin Gemmell<\/strong> led at the 100 mark at 59.15, just ahead of Madden. At the 200, it was Madden led at 2:00.90 two tenths ahead of Gemmell and continued to build her led. Madden was three seconds ahead of the field at the final turn and finished in 4:04.83.<\/p>\n

Madi Mintenko<\/strong> was next in 4:07.53, ahead of Gemmell (4:08.32) in the final heat.<\/p>\n

Stanford’s Aurora Roghair<\/strong> and Sandpipers’ Katie Grimes<\/strong> put together strong enough races to make the final, along with Indiana’s Anna Peplowski<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Olympians Leah Smith<\/strong> and Emma Weyant<\/strong> finished just outside the top eight as did Michigan’s Katie Crom<\/strong>, who had a strong surge from lane 1 in her heat.<\/p>\n

But Smith and Kayla Han<\/strong> will be in the final tonight, according to the official start list for the finals, showing that Grimes and Gemmell scratched.<\/p>\n

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More Olympic Trials Coverage<\/h2>\n