
Superstar swimmer Katie Ledecky, who is competing in her fourth Olympics, booked her ticket to Paris on Saturday.
Seven-time gold medallist Ledecky secured her berth for Team USA in Indianapolis by winning the women’s 400-meter freestyle final in the 2024 U.S. Olympic swim trials. Despite coming in second, Paige Madden was unable to qualify for Paris in that event.
Ledecky, who finished in 3:58.35, stated, “I just took a look around and enjoyed the moment as I walked out of this tunnel tonight.” “We’ve made a lot of progress, and we appreciate your support so much. It’s been an incredible first evening.”
The 19-year-old winner of the men’s 400-meter freestyle final, Aaron Shackell, is also headed to Paris.
Shackell, the son of swimmer Nick Shackell, who competed for Great Britain in the 1996 Atlanta Games, will be attending his first Olympics.
Aaron Shackell stated, “Since learning that my dad was an Olympian, I’ve always aspired to be one myself” however he did admit that for a while he wasn’t very good at the sport and didn’t enjoy it. “Honestly, it’s unbelievable.”
Additionally, on Saturday, Gretchen Walsh, a senior at the University of Virginia, broke the record in her semifinal heat by swimming the 100-meter butterfly in 55.18, which became the first world record in trials since Michael Phelps accomplished it in 2008.
The thousands in attendance erupted in cheers and ovation when Walsh broke the record.
USA Swimming held the competition inside an NFL stadium for the first time. The trials’ competition pool was created within Lucas Oil Stadium, in an Indianapolis Colts red zone. 30,000 spectators may watch simultaneously at the enormous arena, according to the organizers, as some of the top athletes in the world participate in what is possibly the most nerve-wracking competition outside of the Olympics.
Rowdy Gaines, an NBC Sports analyst and three-time gold medallist, stated, “This is far more intensive than the Olympic games because it is quite difficult to qualify for the Olympics, and adding this monstrosity will further increase the strain on them.”
Approximately 20,000 people attended the first night, which was televised on NBC during primetime. This was the greatest audience to witness a night of swimming, according to commentators.
According to USA Swimming Chief Commercial Officer Shana Ferguson, the temporary competition and warm-up pools require 1.8 million gallons of water to be pumped into the stadium and continuously recirculated, thus organizing the nine-day event took weeks.
Hundreds of top athletes will still be vying to represent the United States in less than a week. For some, it’s their first Olympics.
“A previous Olympian or a former Olympian does not exist. A team is for life once it is formed, according to Gaines. “And you will always have that to yourself.”