Tag: Katie Ledecki

Highlights from Katie Ledecky’s Olympic qualifiers, 400-meter freestyle win

The Gators will be represented in the Olympics by one of their volunteer coaches. Here’s a look at her efforts on Saturday.

Women’s swimming legend [autotag]Katie Ledecki[/autotag] punched a ticket to her fourth Olympic Games on Saturday night with a win in the 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. swimming trials.

A crowd of 20,689 cheered her and her competitors on at the home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and watched as Ledecky touched the wall in the temporary pool set up for the event in 3 minutes and 58.35 seconds.

“I pride myself on that consistency,” she said. “Sometimes it can be tough to feel you’re not having a breakthrough. But being really consistent is something I’m really happy with. I’ve learned to really enjoy training and take advantage of the moment.”

Below is a look at highlights from Ledecki’s efforts at the U.S. swimming trials this weekend.

Swimming legend, Gators volunteer coach heading to her 4th Olympics

Ledecky became just the ninth U.S. swimmer to qualify at least four times for the sport’s grandest stage.

Florida women’s swimming team’s volunteer assistant coach [autotag]Katie Ledecki[/autotag], who has been training with the Gators in recent years, is heading to her fourth Olympic Games after cruising to victory in the 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. swimming trials on Saturday night.

Ledecky became just the ninth U.S. swimmer to qualify at least four times for the sport’s grandest stage.

“I pride myself on that consistency,” she said. “Sometimes it can be tough to feel you’re not having a breakthrough. But being really consistent is something I’m really happy with. I’ve learned to really enjoy training and take advantage of the moment.”

Cheered on by a crowd of 20,689 at the home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, Ledecky touched the wall in the temporary pool in 3 minutes, 58.35 seconds. She improved on her time of 3:59.99 in the morning preliminaries and set herself up to make a run at another gold against a loaded field at the Paris Games.

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Two Gators competing in USA Olympic swimming trials

Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecki are battling for a spot on the USA Swimming Olympic Team that will compete in Paris.

Swimming trials for the 2024 Paris Olympics begin Saturday and include a pair of participants with connections to the University of Florida. Former Florida Gators standout [autotag]Caeleb Dressel[/autotag] partook in the event while [autotag]Katie Ledecki[/autotag], who has served as a volunteer assistant coach for the program, also was featured among the top contestants.

Up to 52 swimmers — 26 each on the men’s and women’s teams — will qualify for the Paris Games, and some of them are familiar stars from previous Olympics, including Ledecky, Dressel and Simone Manuel. Along with athletes attempting to make their first, second, third and sometimes fourth Games, there are a few rising stars fans will want to keep an eye on too.

Take a look below at the profiles of two members of the Orange and Blue competing for a spot in Paris, according to USA TODAY Sports.

Katie Ledecky

Entered: 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle, 1500 freestyle

College: Stanford

A swimmer who needs no introduction, 27-year-old Ledecky is first in U.S. rankings in each of the events she’s entered and is the world record holder in the 800 and 1,500 — her most dominant event, which made its Olympic debut at the 2021 Tokyo Games. She should qualify in all four events, assuming she swims them all.

In addition to trying to add to her 10 Olympic medals, seven of them gold, Ledecky is aiming to become just the eighth American swimmer to compete in four Olympic Games.

Caeleb Dressel

Entered: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly

College: Florida

After taking some time away from swimming following the Tokyo Olympics, the 27-year-old swimmer is back and hoping to make his third Olympic team. At trials, he’s entered in the same individual events he swam in Tokyo, but based on his times, he’s got some ground to make up. He’s the fastest American in the 100 fly this year so far but enters trials currently ranked third in the U.S. in the 50 free and is tied for fourth in the 100 free.

Dressel knows nothing but gold at the Olympics as a seven-time Olympic champion.

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