Katie Ledecky has had an incredible season, and just added more glory to it with two Pan Pacific Championship gold medals including two meet records on the first night of competition.
Ledecky started off the night in the 200m freestyle final where she won the event by almost a full second-and-a-half. Ledecky was off her JR world record of 1:55.16 that she set at the US Nationals in Irvine, but she still managed an impressive time of 1:55.74.
Finishing behind her was Bronte Barratt of Australia well back in 1:57.22.
Ledecky’s time of 1:55.74 broke the previous Pan Pac record of 1:56.04 that was set by Missy Franklin just minutes earlier in the B-final. The two will represent the United States at the World Championships next year in Kazan, Russia in the 200m freestyle as they’ve been the two fastest Americans this year.
Katie Ledecky’s 200m Freestyle Splits
50m- 27.49 (27.49)
100m– 56.61 (29.12)
150– 1:26.10 (29.49)
200– 1:55.74 (29.64)
Ledecky was ahead of her JR world record pace at the 150m mark, but it seems as though she turned off the jets on the last 50 to conserve her energy for the 800 final. At US Nationals she came home in 28.94 precisely seven tenths faster thn what she did tonight.
It was clear that Ledecky was the favorite going into the 800m freestyle final giving her more reason to conserve some energy in the 200. Earlier this season Ledecky broke the world record with a time of 8:11.00.
With records in the 800 and 1500 Ledecky sealed the distance crown with a world record in the 400 at US Nationals. After breaking the world record, Ledecky became the first swimmer since Janet Evans to hold world records in the 400, 800 and 1500m freestyles. Tonight, she got the chance to chase another one of Evans’ records as Evans’ time of 8:16.22 from 1989 happened to be the Pan Pac record in the 800.
There have been many parallels in Evans’ and Ledecky’s careers, and tonight was another one. When Evans set that record, she was 17-years-old which is the same age that Ledecky is now. Ledecky at the same age as Evans was at Pan Pacs took down the meet record tonight falling just short of her world record mark.
Ledecky was an 8:11.35 tonight to win gold, and set a new meet record. Not only was it a new meet record, she broke the Australian all-comers record. That record is much like the US Open record as it was the fastest swim ever on Australian soil.
Katie Ledecky’s 800m Freestyle Splits
100m- (28.53), (30.68) 59.21
200m- (31.02), (31.22) 2:01.44
300m- (30.38), (30.70) 3:02.52
400m- (30.83), (31.19) 4:04.54
500m- (30.95), (30.87) 5:06.36
600m- (31.02), (31.18) 6:08.56
700m- (31.00), (31.29) 7:10.85
800m- (31.03), (29.47) 8:11.35
Ledecky will be competing in 100m freestyle tomorrow. the 400m freestyle on night three, and the 1500m freestyle on night four.
Not really since Sjostrom was a lot faster in Euro’s 4*200 relay today.
Nuff said: http://youtu.be/J91ti_MpdHA?t=6s
🙂
Her 400 is going to be interesting. I think she wants to break that WR again.
Another great swim. Surely though SwimSwam could have published a more flattering picture of Katie. Most girls are very particular on which pictures they want shown. Put a female photographer on it!
LOL. The thumb downers here don’t know women.
She is with Sjostrom the other outstanding swimmer of the year so far . Peaty could be put in that category too . Congrats Katie , wonderful swims ( i didn’t see it yet LOL ) .
I sense she is the woman to beat on 200 free now ……world wide .