Reported by Karl Ortegon.
2018 US WINTER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- November 28th-December 1st, 2018
- Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
- Psych Sheets
- Results
- Short Course Time Trial Info
- Live Stream
- Friday Finals Heat Sheet
- Prelims/Finals at 9 am / 5 pm ET
- LCM (50m)
WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINALS
- Olympic Trials cut: 2:01.69
- Katie Ledecky – 1:55.32
- Simone Manuel – 1:57.92
- Hali Flickinger – 1:59.34
Katie Ledecky was very strong tonight in the 200, posting a 1:55.32 for what is her most impressive swim of the meet thus far. Her 1:56.63 from this morning was already the top time in the world by a few hundredths, but now she’s ahead of the rest of the world by well over a full second. Further, she was just two tenths now from the time she went at Pan Pacs to finish in bronze this summer.
Ledecky was out in a 56.29, and came back in a 59.03 to clock that time. Meanwhile, teammate Simone Manuel raced to 2nd in 1:57.92, a strong time for her, too. Ledecky and Manuel now rank 1st and 5th, respectively, in the world this year in the 200 free.
Sarah Sjostrom underlined on multiple occasions that she strongly dislikes if not to say hates practicing for 200 free. She competed in this event because she was under the pressure of missing gold medals in world championships and Olympic Games. She was the most consistent elite swimmer in this event. But when there was an excuse not to swim it focusing on fly and free sprints she gladly took it.
Now Simone – one of the most talented natural sprinter and not that successful 200 swimmer includes consistently this event in her program and is trying to match Ledecky in practicing at this distance. What for? What are her plans about it? Does she really want to swim final… Read more »
Manuel better think and decide before Worlds next summer, whether to swim the 800 free relay.
She will be a prelim swimmer, if she was selected for final, she will be racing for 400m, along with her 2×100 free that day.
If she decided not to swim it, she needs to inform the coaches beforehand, so that they can bring McLaughlin in.