2024 U.S. Olympic Selection
Women's 400m Freestyle – In numbers
- World Record: 3:55.38, Arianne Titmuss (Australia) – 2023 World Championships
- American Record: 3:56.46; Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2016 Olympics
- U.S. Open Record: 3:57.94; Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series
- World Junior Record: 3:56.08; Summer McIntosh (Canada) – 2023 World Championships
- 2021 Olympic Champions: Arianne Titmuss (Australia) 3:56.69
- 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champions: Katie Ledecky4:01.27
- 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Cut: 4:15.49
- 2024 Olympic Qualification Time: 4:07.90
Ledecky aims to defend title
Katie Ledecky Nationally, Ledecky is virtually unbeatable in the women's 400m freestyle, last losing to an American when she placed third at the Olympic Trials in 2012. In addition to multiple victories in the event, Ledecky is also the American record holder and has 16 of the top 25 all-time 400m results, making her the only American swimmer to finish in the top 25.
In the women's 400 freestyle, Ledecky has long been considered the best American swimmer and it's no exaggeration to say she is the favorite to take the top spot at the Olympic Trials.
Top-seeded Ledecky holds a roughly five-second lead over the other competitors and is the only athlete entered with a time under 4:00 (her entry time was 3:58.73, which she ran at the 2023 World Championships in July). It's questionable whether she will be able to beat Ledecky's fastest time at next week's trials, as it was her fastest time of the season and her fastest since her 3:59.44 at the Atlanta Classic, just under a month after her world championship performance.
But 400 times have been steadily getting faster over the past few months, and with only a few weeks between races, that trend could continue in Indianapolis. Either way, if she can run around her entry time and season best and avoid dropping into the four-minute range, Ledecky should be able to maintain her lead.
Battle for second place
With Ledecky being the favorite to win, the biggest battle at the tournament will be for second place and the remaining Olympic berths.
Returned Soldier
Tokyo Olympic Athletes Paige Madden Madden will be looking to repeat her success in the 400m freestyle and secure a second Olympic appearance in the event. In 2021, Madden advanced to the Olympics by placing second to Ledecky. The 25-year-old placed seventh overall in Tokyo, setting a new personal best, but her times dropped in the next few meets. Since then, Madden has slowly but steadily climbed the rankings in her event and surpassed her previous performance levels, most recently posting a new personal best of 4:03.02 in mid-May, the second-fastest time by an American swimmer this season.
Madden is seeded fifth heading into the qualifiers, but if he continues on his upward trend he could well claim a place in the top ranks. At the 2021 Olympic Qualifiers, Madden shaved off over three seconds in the qualifier and another second in the final to qualify for the Olympics, so a similar performance wouldn't be out of the question this time around.
Another Olympic veteran aiming for a comeback is Leah Smithwas a bronze medalist in the 400m freestyle at the Rio Olympics. She placed third in the event at the 2021 Olympic Trials and missed out on a spot on the team. Smith will be fighting for a spot in Paris and is certainly a favorite to compete in the 400m freestyle final in Indianapolis.
Smith, seeded third, looks to be on the verge of cracking the top two, but while her entry time of 4:03.85 was her best time of last season, her best time this season is 4:06.80 in November, and her times have been slower in her two races since then. So while she has plenty of room to improve at the trials, the hurdle she has to overcome is a bit higher given her inability to consistently produce top times.
Young stars to watch
Heading into the Olympic Trials, several young age group stars have established themselves at the top of the list, with at least one or two likely to make it to the finals and earn a spot on the Olympic team.
Claire WeinsteinWeinstein, a 17-year-old Las Vegas native, is no stranger to the Olympic Trials, having competed in the last Olympic Trials at age 13. Her best result at the time was 20th in the 400 meters, but she has since established herself internationally with multiple World Championship appearances and a rising national ranking in the 400 meters freestyle.
Weinstein ran a personal best of 4:04.54 in March and is third in the rankings of the top U.S. times this season behind Ledecky and Madden. Her consistent performances in a number of other events suggest she will likely be in top form at the Trials and move up the ranks. Seeded fourth overall, it wouldn't be too surprising to see her finish in the top spots.
Senior High School Student Maddie Mintenko Mintenko is one of several young runners who have risen through the national rankings and become one of the top competitors at the Trials. She is 10th overall in the 400m, but recently ran her seventh-fastest time of the season in the event at the Atlanta Classic, where she competed against some of the same athletes she will compete against in Indianapolis. Her time of 4:08.68 was not far off her personal best (4:08.06) and good for second place behind Ledecky, which bodes well for her performance at the Trials, where she will be competing against many of the same athletes.
Katie Grimes Grimes isn't exactly a rising star, but she's still one of the younger stars in the field, and she trains with Weinstein at the Sandpipers Club in Nevada. Grimes made waves last Olympic cycle when she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the 800m freestyle by a significant margin and placed fourth. Since then, she's established herself as one of the top distance swimmers in the U.S., becoming the first American to qualify for Paris in the 10km open water swim.
In 2021, Grimes wasn't as strong in the 400m, placing 13th at the Olympic Trials and missing the final. Since then, she has improved her time, posting a personal best of 4:05.18 in 2023, but Grimes has become less consistent in her performances in the event. The closest she's come to hitting her personal best since setting it was a season's best of 4:08.21 just three weeks ago. Grimes is seeded 6 heading into the Trials and is 6th on the U.S. top time rankings this season, but given her recent performances and the fact that she may not be as rested, it's questionable whether she can improve her time enough to qualify for the Olympics.
College athletes searching for a breakthrough
The Florida Gators are the NCAA's top stars heading into the 400m freestyle at the Olympic Trials. Bella SimsSims, the No. 2 seed, is Ledecky's biggest threat with her entry time of 4:03.25, but her recent season-best time of 4:08.88 is only the eighth-fastest time by an American swimmer this season. Though she hasn't ranked very high in the national rankings this season, Sims should have a great chance to improve her race at the Trials and maintain her place in the field, given that she has only swum the 400 a handful of times over the past year. Sims was also clearly a powerhouse in the NCAA season, winning both the 200 and 500 freestyle at the Division I Championships, demonstrating her excellent form all year.
As the 8th seed heading into the tournament, Erin Gemmell Depending on how her race and that of her competitors play out, it's easy to see where Gemmell finds herself on either side of the final cutoff wall. Gemmell competed in the 400m at the 2021 Olympic Trials, where she placed 11th overall with a personal best of 4:11.57. Gemmell made strides in the 400m freestyle shortly after, running a personal best of 4:05.07 in 2022, but has since dropped below 4:10 again, with her season best being 4:11.16. Gemmell could make it to the finals at the Trials, but she'll need to improve significantly from her season best to secure a spot.
Gillian Cox Cox could very well make a big splash at the Trials and be in contention for a spot on the Olympic team. Cox has been one of the top U.S. swimmers in the 400m freestyle for the last few years, and has the fifth-fastest time in the U.S. so far this season. He didn't perform particularly well in the event at the last Olympic Trials, but he's certainly come back since, with a personal best of 4:06.60 and a season best of 4:07.61. Cox has been pretty consistent over his last few races and isn't too far off his best, so it's fair to expect him to keep this momentum going at the Trials and move up the rankings.
Another college star aiming for the finals is Rachel Stegehas risen through the national rankings over the past few years. In 2021, Stege placed 41st in the 400m trials. She is seeded ninth at the meet and is 11th in the U.S. top time rankings this season. She set a new personal best of 4 minutes 6.94 seconds in October and most recently placed fifth at the Atlanta Classic against Sims, Mintenko and Ledecky. She will face those three again at the trials.
of verdict
Ledecky is the favorite to make the Olympic team, but there's always the potential for an upset in a race like this. Any of the higher seeds could put up a strong fight for the second spot on the Olympic team, but Madden looks like the favorite to make the Olympic team based on her recent performances and national rankings.
SWIMSWAM Recommendations
Dark Horse Pick: Cavan Gormsen – Gormsen placed eighth in the 400m freestyle at the 2021 Olympic Trials and has since improved her personal best to 4 minutes 8.12 seconds. Seeded 11th at the trials, Gormsen's time was just a hundredth of a second off Mintenko's. She hasn't come close to her personal best in recent competitions, but if she can regain her top form at the trials, she may have a chance to make the final.
