2019 PRO SWIM SERIES – RICHMOND
- April 10-13, 2019
- Collegiate School Aquatics Center, Richmond, VA
- Meet information
- Psych Sheets
- Live results
- TV/Live Stream Schedule
- Live Stream – USA Swimming (Prelims & Finals)
- Live Stream – NBC Sports (Finals)
We haven’t seen Katie Ledecky race since January, but she’ll be back in action tonight in the women’s 800 free. As we get closer to summer, which will feature the 2019 World Championships, Ledecky has just announced that she’s signing on as an ambassador for the newly-minted ISL Swim League, which means she’ll be very busy this coming fall with ISL’s inaugural season.
In Ledecky’s last competition, the Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville three months ago, she posted times of 1:55.78 in the 200 free, 4:02.71 in the 400 free, and 15:45.59 in the 1500 free. While she skipped the 800 free in Knoxville, she raced it in late November at U.S. Winter Nationals, where she went 8:14.40 and still stands as the world leader this season.
Zane Grothe is the top seed on the men’s side in tonight’s 800, followed by Anton Ipsen, who recently broke a Danish record of 7:49.64 at the Danish Open.
WOMEN’S 800 FREE – TIMED FINAL
- Olympic Trials cut: 8:48.09
- Katie Ledecky, NCAP – 8:14.24
- Leah Smith, Tuscon Ford Dealers Aquatics – 8:16.33
- Kristel Kobrich, Chile – 8:36.19
Out in 2:00.31, Ledecky was in control of this race with Leah Smith not far behind her. Ledecky won it in 8:14.24, improving upon her season-best 8:14.40 by a marginal amount to maintain ownership of the world #1 time. Her time going out, 2:00.31, was just about what she went out in when she went 8:06.68 at the 2016 Austin PSS stop, but she fell off of that pace shortly after 200 meters.
2018-2019 LCM WOMEN 800 FREE
LEDECKY
8.10.70
| 2 | Wang JIANJIAHE | CHN | 8.14.64 | 03/30 |
| 3 | Simona QUADARELLA | ITA | 8.14.99 | 07/27 |
| 4 | Ariarne TITMUS | AUS | 8.15.70 | 07/27 |
| 5 | Leah SMITH | USA | 8.16.33 | 04/10 |
Smith, meanwhile, had the best swim of her entire life. Looking gleeful and surprised at the scoreboard, Smith’s time of 8:16.33 pushes her to third in the world rankings this season. More importantly, that’s her best swim ever, improving upon her 8:17.21, done at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships. She now ranks 8th, all-time, on the top performers list.
MEN’S 800 FREE – TIMED FINAL
- Olympic Trials cut: 8:12.99
- Zane Grothe, Boulder City Henderson – 7:55.78
- Marcelo Acosta, Louisville – 7:59.17
- Gil Kiesler, NC State – 8:07.00
This race was tight between Zane Grothe of Boulder City Henderson and Louisville’s Marcelo Acosta, but after he looked to be fading, Grothe shot back into the lead and had a huge final portion of the race to clock a 7:55.78, just over 12 seconds off of his lifetime best. Acosta would finish under eight minutes, too, hitting the wall at 7:59.17.
Third went to NC State’s Gil Kiesler at 8:07.00, while Gator Swim Club’s True Sweetser was the fourth and final swimmer under 8:10 at 8:08.99.
Interesting to note on Leah for th last month or so of ncaas time frame, she was at Chula Vista national training center and then at OTC with Stanford altitude camp.
Schmitt was there too, and I think a few others
2 different camps but Leah did both
this summer we will see if Grothe can hang with the Europeans (and maybe Australians will be there too).
Hol up. True Sweetser swims for gator swim club? Thought he was still at Stanford training
Swimmers often represent their home swim clubs, and not the collegiate team with which they train. As it’s been explained to me, college coaches use this as a way to curry favor with home clubs (though they spin it something like ‘respecting the work that those coaches did’) in hopes of getting future recruits from the same clubs.
Sweetser is a true-blue Gainesville native. Many college-themed clubs exist primarily for the use of current and post-grad swimmers training at the club – in this case, Gator Swim Club has a lot of success with locally developed swimmers as well.
Oh I didn’t even know Sweetser was from Gainesville for some reason I thought he was from around Stanford
Katie Ledecky looked tired after the race but still a world best time this year.
She “almost” looked a bit disappointed too, IMHO.
I thought so too. If there were 400 more meters Leah would’ve caught her.
best time for Leah!
Honestly Leah’s reaction just made my day – gotta love those in-season PBs.
I believe lifetime best for Leah Smith. She is in the zone! VERY cool. Bodes well for her.
she looks a bit shock and very happy to see the time.
I can’t wait to watch them race! I’m pretty sure Katie Ledecky will win the women’s 800. Anton Ipsen looks pretty strong on the men’s side, but Zane Grothe is seeded first. Let’s see what they can do.