INDIANAPOLIS — Katie Ledecky is on her way to her fourth Olympics after winning the 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. swimming trials on Saturday night.
With 20,689 spectators at the Indianapolis Colts’ stadium, Ledecky finished in 3 minutes, 58.35 seconds.
She improved on her preliminary time of 3:59.99 and is now poised to compete for another gold medal in Paris against tough competition.
Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, known as the “Terminator,” is the defending Olympic champion and record holder in the 400 free. Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh is also expected to be a strong contender.
At 27 years old, Ledecky will be participating in four events at the trials, all freestyle events ranging from 200 to 1,500 meters. She already holds six individual gold medals, more than any other female swimmer in Olympic history.
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“I’m pretty excited,” Ledecky said after the victory ceremony. “I never imagined I would go to a fourth Olympic Games.”
The expected second spot on the Olympic team will go to Paige Madden, the runner-up behind Ledecky with a time of 4:02.08.
Local favorite Aaron Shackell from Carmel secured his first Olympic trip with a win in the men’s 400 freestyle.
Shackell finished in 3:45.46, holding off Kieran Smith, the bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, who claimed the runner-up spot in 3:45.76. Both are likely to make it to the Summer Games.
The top two in each event are expected to represent the strong American team at the Olympics.
On the first night of the trials, Ledecky and Shackell were overshadowed by Gretchen Walsh, who set a world record in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 55.18.
Walsh broke the world record pace and finished strong, surpassing the mark set at the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, she still needs to secure her spot on the Olympic team.
The 100 fly final on Sunday includes other Tokyo Games medalists like Torri Huske, Regan Smith, and Claire Curzan. Shackell’s sister, Alex, also advanced and is hoping to join her brother on the Olympic team.