American swimming star Katie Ledecky secures fourth Olympic qualification

At 27, American swimmer Katie Ledecky will compete in her fourth Olympic Games. The legend of the pools obtained his ticket to Paris by winning, Saturday June 15, in the 400 meters freestyle during the American selections contested in Indianapolis (Indiana).

The American already has seven Olympic gold medals, including six individual gold medals, more than any swimmer in history. “I’m so excitedshe enthused. I never would have imagined participating in four Olympic Games.”

Ledecky, who won her first title over 800 meters in London in 2012 at the age of 15, ran on Saturday in 3 minutes 58 seconds 35, her best time since 2022, but she will have to surpass herself at the Olympics against the Australian Ariarne Titmus and Canadian Summer McIntosh.

In Indianapolis, for these selections, the swimmer is also registered in the 200 meters, 800 meters and 1500 meters freestyle. She is notably a three-time Olympic champion in the 800 meters.

Thirty hundredths better for Gretchen Walsh

In addition to Ledecky’s performance, the unique and gigantic setting of the Lucas Oil American football stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colt franchise transformed into a swimming arena, deserved many other great performances from the first day of the selections.

Swimmer Gretchen Walsh set the world record for the 100 meter butterfly in 55.18 seconds in the semi-finals. Beautiful symbolism, she crushed the time established during the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 by the Swede Sarah Sjoestroem (55 seconds 48).

Triple medalist at the Fukuoka Worlds in 2023 (gold in the 4 x 100 meter medley relay, silver in the 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay, bronze in the 50 meter butterfly), Gretchen Walsh distinguished herself in 2024 with an excellent season in the very competitive NCAA university championship with the University of Virginia.

The 21-year-old swimmer, who wants to overcome her reputation as a good short course swimmer, hopes to be selected for her first Olympic Games, in Paris (July 26 – August 11). Her big sister, Alex Walsh, won silver in the 200m medley in Tokyo in 2021.

Gretchen Walsh will also start the 50 meters and 100 meters freestyle. She must finish in one of the first two places in the finals to earn an individual selection, like all American swimmers gathered from June 15 to 23 in Indianapolis.