{"id":588227,"date":"2024-06-17T18:20:57","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T01:20:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=588227"},"modified":"2024-06-17T20:03:47","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T03:03:47","slug":"olympic-trials-day-3-finals-katie-ledecky-wins-womens-200-free-weinstein-madden-gemmell-on-relay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-trials-day-3-finals-katie-ledecky-wins-womens-200-free-weinstein-madden-gemmell-on-relay\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympic Trials Day 3 Finals: Katie Ledecky Wins Women’s 200 Free; Weinstein, Madden, Gemmell On Relay"},"content":{"rendered":"

Olympic Trials Day 3 Finals: Katie Ledecky Wins Women’s 200 Free; Weinstein, Madden, Gemmell on relay<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The first relay women’s relay spots for Paris have been punched.<\/p>\n

Two of the four sports in the 200 freestyle looked to be pretty easily filled based on how Katie Ledecky<\/strong> and Paige Madden<\/strong> started the meet both in this event and the 400 freestyle.<\/p>\n

They punched their tickets to Paris in their second individual event.<\/p>\n

How about the relay spots?<\/p>\n

What about Katie Grimes<\/strong> winning the 400 IM earlier in the session? How would she hold up with the taxing double?<\/p>\n

Ledecky predictable won the event in 1:55.22. Madden also made the team but was third in 1:56.36. The other individual spot went to Sandpipers’ Claire Weinstein<\/strong> in 1:56.18.<\/p>\n

Weinstein has been on Team USA for other events, but this is her first Olympic team after watching three of her Sandpiper teammates make the Olympics in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Fourth went to Erin Gemmell<\/strong> in 1:56.75, who has watched her brother swim in the Olympics and grew up watching Ledecky closely with her father coaching the Olympic legend.<\/p>\n

“Katie was such a big influence. I don’t think I would be here without her,” Gemmell said. “It is really special to be that close to someone so inspirational and seeing the day-to-day work they put in. It made things more achievable. (Katie hugging me after the race … moments like that) mean everything to me. It is something I have been working on since I can remember. To get to share it with somebody who has seen me working for it, supported me all the way – and have her out there with me – was so special.”<\/p>\n

The possible relay spots went to Indiana’s Anna Peplowski<\/strong> in 1:57.04 and Carmel’s Alex Shackell<\/strong> in at 1:57.05, continuing the stellar meet for hometown swimmers.<\/p>\n

Simone Manuel<\/strong> finished seventh in 1:57.13 and Grimes, just an hour after the 400 IM win, finished eighth in 1:57.33.<\/p>\n

Ledecky was out in 26.88 on the first 50. She was at 55.51 at the 100 mark.<\/p>\n

At the 150, Ledecky was at 1:25.32 and hung on for the win, her second at the Olympic Trials. Madden was second for much of the race, but Weinstein overtook her on the final 50.<\/p>\n