Katie Ledecky Confirms She’s Not Planning On Swimming 200 Free In Paris

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

June 15-23, 2024
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7:45 p.m. Finals (varying based on broadcast needs)

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Katie Ledecky has all but confirmed what everyone has speculated all meet—she’s not planning on racing the women’s 200 freestyle individually at the Paris Olympics.

After winning last night’s 200 free final, Ledecky spoke to media on Tuesday morning and said she won’t race the event in Paris provided “all goes well” in her remaining events at the Trials, the 800 and 1500 free.

“I mean nothing formally gets decided until the end of the week, because I’ve got to do what I want to do in the 800 and the mile, but if all goes well I’m not planning on swimming it individually in Paris,” Ledecky said of the 200 free. “But I will be swimming the relay.”

Ledecky soared to a dominant win in the 200 free final on Monday, clocking a time of 1:55.22 to finish nearly a second clear of runner-up Claire Weinstein (1:56.18).

Provided Ledecky secures individual berths in Paris in the 800 and 1500 free later in the meet—which she will barring a DQ or illness—her withdrawal from the 200 free will open the door for Paige Madden to race the 200 free in Paris after she was 3rd in the final in 1:56.36.

Madden qualified alongside Ledecky at the beginning of the meet in the 400 free.

At previous Trials, a withdrawal from one of the top finishers in the 200 free would open up a roster spot for the 7th-place finisher, like we saw last year when Ledecky opting out allowed Anna Peplowski to the Worlds team. We saw the same situation occur in 2012, when Michael Phelps pulled out of the 200 free to allow Davis Tarwater on the team.

However, USA Swimming has updated its Olympic selection criteria which means the 7th-place finisher won’t be added this year. Taking 7th in the final was Simone Manuel, who had a strong showing in the 100 free prelims on Tuesday and is a favorite to qualify on Wednesday night with up to six spots available in the 100 free or 400 free relay.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE — FINAL

Katie Ledecky (GSC-FL), 1:55.22
Claire Weinstein (SAND), 1:56.18
Paige Madden (NYAC), 1:56.36
Erin Gemmell (NCAP), 1:56.75
Anna Peplowski (ISC), 1:57.04
Alex Shackell (CSC-IN), 1:57.05
Simone Manuel (SUN), 1:57.13
Katie Grimes (SAND), 1:57.33

Ledecky won the 2016 Olympic gold medal in the 200 free, setting what remains her personal best time of 1:53.73, but only placed 5th at the Tokyo Games and has opted not to contest it at each of the last two World Championships (2022 and 2023). The U.S. only had one finalist in the 200 free between those two meets.

Given the presence of the two fastest women in history, Australians Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan, along with sub-1:54 swimmers Summer McIntosh and Siobhan Haughey, Ledecky’s chances at a medal would be thin at best in Paris.

She is, however, excited to tackle the 800 free relay with Weinstein, Madden, fellow NCAP product Erin Gemmell, Peplowski and Alex Shackell.

“That’s why I keep swimming the 200,” Ledecky said of the 800 free relay. “I just want to continue to be ready for that relay, push the other girls individually to try and get our team faster and I know we really want to put up a great showing and we have such a great history in that relay that I think we’re very motivated to do really well there.”

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