By ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — If all goes according to plan, Katie Ledecky will not be swimming four individual events at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ledecky won the 200-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials, but she confirmed Tuesday, June 18, that she will drop that event if she qualifies in her three strongest races, which had been expected.
Ledecky already earned a spot in the 400 freestyle and she’s a huge favorite in the 800 and 1,500 free.
“Nothing is formally decided until the end of the week because I’ve got do what I want to do in the 800 and the mile,” Ledecky said after posting the fastest time in the 1,500 free preliminaries. “If all goes well, I will not be swimming (the 200) individually in Paris.”
Ledecky won gold in the 200 free at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, but she finished fifth at the Tokyo Games three years ago — the worst individual showing of her career.
Based on the times being posted around the world, Ledecky would’ve been hard-pressed to earn a medal in that event at Paris. She further signaled her intentions by skipping the 200 free at her last two world championships.
Ledecky’s victory at the U.S. trials ensures she will be on the 4×200 relay at the Olympics.
She led the Americans to a silver medal in the relay at Tokyo, posting the fastest split of any swimmer in the final. She anchored a gold medal-winning team in 2016.
“I’m always excited for that relay,” Ledecky said. “That’s something that always fires me up. That’s why I keep swimming the 200. I want to be ready in that relay to push the other girls individually to try to get our team back on top there. We want to put up a great showing. We have such a great history in that relay. We’re very motivated to do really well there.”
