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After 400 IM Duel Katie Ledecky & Leah Smith Headline US Nats Time Trials on Day 4

2022 US SUMMER NATIONALS

After treating us to an epic battle in the women’s 400 IM on Day 3 of U.S. Nationals, neither Katie Ledecky nor Leah Smith raced any of Day 4’s events. However, they did each time-trials events; Ledecky swam the 200 fly, and Leah Smith the 100 breast.

Ledecky teased that she would swim “fun events” in Irvine, including time-trialing the 200 fly and 200 IM. On Day 4, she raced the 200 fly, which she described as her “best event when she was younger.”

She clocked 2:15.20 in her race. That’s actually a new best time for her; her previous best was 2:15.62, which she swam eight years ago at the 2014 Virginia State Championships. Ledecky took the race out fast, splitting 1:02.81 at the 100 turn. She paid for it on the way back; her second 100 split was a 1:12.39. Still, it’s a best time for Ledecky, who until last night hadn’t swum one since May 2018. Ledecky is expected to time-trial the 200 IM on Day 5.

In the 100 breast, Smith swam 1:11.10, a personal best by almost five seconds. Like Ledecky, her best time in this off-event had stood for a long time: she set her previous mark in 2015 at a Virginia Last Chance Meet. Smith was out in 32.99, and back in 38.11.

The third member of the 400 IM podium, Felicia Pasadyn, also time-trialed on Day 4, swimming the 400 free. Pasadyn hit the wall in 4:12.51, which would have qualified seventh for the final. Pasadyn is already training at Ohio State, where she’s a graduate transfer after finishing Harvard in three years. She’s having a great meet in Irvine, highlighted by her third-place in the 400 IM, but she also finaled in the 200 free and 200 back, hitting a lifetime best in the former. She swam a lifetime best here as well, dropping 8.41 seconds.

Other Notable Time Trials on Day 4

  • Matthew Jensen swam 1:01.95 in the 100 breast. The time is over a three second drop for him, and would have snuck into tonight’s ‘A’ final as the eighth seed.
  • Sandpiper of Nevada Ilya Kharun raced the 400 IM, hitting his entry time of 4:24.70 exactly.

 

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Joe
2 years ago

Way to go Felecia! Congrats on the bronze medal, great accomplishment!

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

Well, that went off like a lead balloon. I would have preferred Katie Ledecky time trial the women’s 100 meter freestyle instead.

Meathead
2 years ago

KL was actually slow to the 100. To be elitist 2 flyer u gotta be 2:05. She needs to be out 1:00

KatieFan
2 years ago

VIdeo of Katie swimming the fly please

MCH
Reply to  KatieFan
2 years ago

It wasn’t pretty.

Flipperz
Reply to  MCH
2 years ago

It appears to have silenced all of the commenters who claimed that she would break 2:10.

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  MCH
2 years ago

Katie Ledecky is better off swimming the women’s 100 meter freestyle.

swimmer
Reply to  KatieFan
2 years ago

theres one in swimswams yt channel

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  swimmer
2 years ago

Hali Flickinger has nothing to worry about.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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