Maya DiRado comes close to tears after dominant 400 IM (Video)

^{Reported by Mitch Bowmile.}

WOMEN’S 400M IM

Top seed: Sarah Henry (4:36.93)
World record: 4:28.42 – Ye Shiwen (China)
American record: 4:31.12 – Katie Hoff
U.S Open record: 4:31.07 – Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)
U.S Nationals record: 4:31.12 – Katie Hoff
JR World record: 4:39.01 – Rosie Rudin (Britain)
2012 Winning Time: 4:31.74 – Elizabeth Beisel

Maya DiRado of Stanford punched in her ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with a very strong 4:33.73 performance in the 400m IM final which ranks her fifth in the world this season.

Behind DiRado was Elizabeth Beisel in 4:36.81. Beisel played catch-up the entire race and although she was able to get ahead of early leaders like Bethany Galat, she wasn’t able to push past DiRado at any point in the race.

Beisel’s 4:33.55 performance from early May however still ranks her as the fastest American this season ahead of DiRado’s swim from tonight.

While Galat led at the 100, she faded to the middle of the pack during the backstroke and breaststroke legs before moving up to third on the freestyle and staying there through to the wall. Galat was a 4:37.69 to finish less than a second behind Beisel for third.

Sarah Henry, who posted the fastest time this morning, was a 4:42.01 to finish sixth. Her 4:36.93 from prelims would have placed her third overall in tonight’s final.

1. Maya DiRado (4:33.73)
2. Elizabeth Beisel (4:36.81)
3. Bethany Galat (4:37.69)
4. Madisyn Cox (4:38.85)
5. Caitlin Leverenz (4:39.58)
6. Sarah Henry (4:42.01)
7. Lindsey Clary (4:42.81)
8. Kate Mills (4:46.58)

For official results click here.