SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers who would win between Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel in a long course 800 freestyle:
Question: Who would win in an 800 freestyle (LCM) race?
RESULTS
- Katie Ledecky – 57.8%
- Caeleb Dressel – 42.2%
The poll poses an interesting question as it could be argued that an 800 is the perfect distance where the two athletes would be most closely matched.
Ledecky is the world record holder in the event with her time of 8:04.79 from the 2016 Olympics in Rio, while she defended the gold medal in Tokyo last summer in a time of 8:12.57.
Dressel only has one 800 free on record in USA Swimming’s database, and it’s from when he was 11 years old, so there really isn’t much to go off in terms of best times.
However, he’s a 1:46.6 200 freestyler in LCM, and while his 400 free best time is slower than Ledecky’s (3:56.46 to 4:00.06), Dressel’s was done in-season and he’d probably be capable of something in the 3:50-3:55 range with a taper. (While this is speculative, a 1:46 200 freestyler should be able to get out in the 1:51-52 range opening up a 400 free and then average 30.0s coming home.)
That leads us to believe he could win in a hypothetical 400 free, but the 800 is an entirely different question.
57.8 percent of voters believe Ledecky would get the better of Dressel if they were to race an 800 in the long course pool, while 42.2 favor Dressel.
If Dressel were to stay with Ledecky up until the last turn, he’d probably be able to muster the speed on the final 50 to get the win. But staying with Ledecky up until that point would be the question.
Who knows. Now that the two of them are both training together at the University of Florida, maybe we’ll get to see the race.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Who has the best chance to go undefeated individually at the women’s NCAA Championships:
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
Anyone remember the “Battle of the Sexes” showdown between John Naber and Shirley Babashoff? 400 LCM: Naber swam back. I recall it being a disheartening blowout.
Since I can’t imagine a natural pro sprinter sacrificing 6 months of the last leg of his career to prepare for a long distance race, I say Ledecky
If she could… I’d be willing to bet Caeleb could beat her by more seconds in a 100 than she could beat him in an event 8 times as long.
All he’d have to do is average 15ish seconds over his best 200 (four times). Pretty sure he nearly negative split a 200 meter fly where her went 1:56 mid season, he easily has the aerobic base. He’d win
Make it the 1000yd instead!
I think the result would be about the same as an 800 long course. More turns helps dressel. Longer distance helps ledecky.
I leaned towards Dressel winning this until I saw the interview with Bobby Finke about what it’s like to practice with Katie. I think Dressel has better endurance that a lot of sprinters because of the time with Troy, and his ability to maintain heavy workloads in competition, but I think Katie wins this. I’d love to see it. If it were to happen, I’d have to think it would be mid-season training nobody tapered, because no way Dressel ever decides to train distance just to satisfy our curiosity.
::rolling eyes::
This is like pitting Usain Bolt against the women’s mile champion. The possibility that a woman potentially could defeat a man in something athletic makes some people all warm,fuzzy and tingly. Never mind that it’s not an event for which the man is famous…. :-/
Agree with most, Dressel takes this by a body length or two.
Depends, does Dressel wish her good luck before the race?