At the Toyota U.S. Swimming Championships, Katie Ledecky, Bobby Finke, and Gretchen Walsh each secured their third victory, preparing them for the World Championships in Singapore this July and August. Ledecky continued her dominance in the 1500m freestyle, extending her 15-year unbeaten streak and recording a time of 15:36.76, 25 seconds ahead of her competitors. She holds the fastest times this year in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle. If she wins these events and is part of a successful 4x200m relay, she could come close to Michael Phelps’ record of 26 world titles. Currently, Ledecky has 21 world titles, trailing only Ryan Lochte in overall championship medals.
The competition is expected to intensify with 18-year-old Summer McIntosh from Canada, who outperformed Ledecky in the 400m at the Olympics and is the second-fastest in history in the 800m. Gretchen Walsh stands out in the sprint events, having achieved the fastest times this year in the 50m and 100m butterflies and the 50m freestyle, where she tied an American record with a time of 23.91 seconds.
Bobby Finke triumphed in the 800m and 1500m freestyle and the 400m individual medley during nationals, although he will not compete in the IM at the worlds. He aims to be the first American to win the 1500m at the world level since 1975. Additionally, Jack Alexy made headlines by winning the men’s 50m freestyle, now second-fastest American behind Caeleb Dressel. The championships will be featured on NBC on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
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