Katie Ledecky missed breaking her own world record in the women's 800-meter freestyle by 0.22 seconds Saturday night in Austin. (Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)
Halfway through the women’s 800-meter freestyle Saturday night, the crowd at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center came alive. The words “under world record pace!” boomed through the pool’s public address system, and the murmuring crowd gathered for the final day of USA Swimming’s Pro Swim Series in Austin transformed into a whistling and shouting throng. For the next four minutes spectators, swimmers and coaches stood riveted, watching a legend chase history.
Katie Ledecky, 17, touched in 8 minutes 11.21 seconds, missing her own world record time by the narrowest of margins, while registering the second-fastest swim in history. She finished the entire length of the Olympic-sized pool ahead of runner-up Elizabeth Beisel, who won the 400 individual medley and was second in the 200 backstroke Friday.
“I could really tell the crowd was getting into it about halfway through so I just wanted to give it my all,” Ledecky said. “It wasn’t hurting at the point it usually hurts when I’m having a bad swim so knew it was a pretty good swim.”
Less than three years removed from her first foray onto the national stage, Ledecky has made the seemingly impossible a regular occurrence. As a nervous 14-year-old, she won her first Pro Swim Series — formerly Grand Prix — event in 2012. A gold medal, four world titles and a seven world record performances later, a world record at a mid-January meet with little to no significance seemed plausible.
“We never talk about world records … especially right now,” Ledecky said. “I had no clue what I’d be able to go tonight. … I was going to be happy if I broke 8:20.”
A year ago in Texas, Ledecky beat Danish Olympian Lotte Friis by fewer than two seconds, with a winning time of 8:26.70. She opened the race with a 29.47-second split, her fastest length of the night. Saturday, after a grueling 750 meters at a pace no swimmer except Ledecky has ever held, the Stanford recruit charged home in 28.95 seconds.
“I’m light years ahead of where I was at this meet last year,” Ledecky said. “I’m just really excited about this next year.”
Ledecky won her fourth freestyle gold medal of the weekend Saturday, a night that may have given a glimpse into swimming’s not-so-distant future. Four out of 10 individual events Saturday night were won by teenagers, including Ledecky’s stunning near-miss of her own world record. Three of those events were won by swimmers from Ledecky’s home club, Nation’s Capital Swim Club.
Fifteen-year-old Cassidy Bayer began the club’s gilded night by tying 17-year-old Katie McLaughlin, who will represent the U.S. at FINA’s world championships in Kazan, Russia in August, in the 200 butterfly. Bayer charged down McLaughlin on the final lap, nearly overtaking her in the final meters as she buried her head for the touch. Both finished in 2:09.12.
It was a personal best for Bayer, a West Potomac freshman, and moves her into the top 20 all-time among U.S. performers. Olympians Cammile Adams, 23, and Katinka Hosszu, 25, finished third and fourth, less than a second behind the high schoolers.
“It didn’t hit me until halfway through the third 50 that I could really win,” Bayer said. “That’s where I started to really pick it up.”
Minutes later, NCAP’s Andrew Seliskar swam the men’s race with a very different strategy but with the same result. Seliskar led from start to finish, winning the men’s 200 butterfly by more than a body length. He matched his own personal best of 1:55.92, which stands as the event’s junior world record and was first set at August’s Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii.
“This is the first time I’ve swum long course in a couple months,” Seliskar said. “It really felt good on the back half .. and I didn’t really feel like I faded very much.”
The reigning All-Met Swimmer of the Year out of Jefferson reached the first wall in 26.69 seconds and added a punishing 29.0-second split during the third length to build a more than two second lead with 50 meters to go. Seliskar, 17, also took second in the 200 individual medley, finishing behind Olympian Conor Dwyer, 1:59.56 to 2:00.22.
“We’ve had great swims for everyone,” Seliskar said of his club’s remarkable weekend in Texas. “Katie always swims lights out. Cassidy always shows up and competes.”
The fourth teen victor was 15-year-old pro swimmer Michael Andrew, who won the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.67, edging a field of seasoned veterans.
Full meet results from Austin can be found here.
In other results, Canadian Dominque Bouchard shocked Olympic great Natalie Coughlin in the 100 backstroke, winning in 1:00.68. Coughlin, a 12-time Olympic medalist, finished in 1:00.70. Bouchard also won the 100 backstroke Friday.
Hosszu of Hungary, FINA’s world swimmer of the year, picked up her fourth medal and first gold in the 200 individual medley, her seventh final. Her time was 2:11.43.
Olympian Breeja Larson of Mesa, Arizona, won the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.33.
In men’s finals, Matt Grevers of Lake Forest, Illinois, took the 100 backstroke (53.27) and Connor Jaeger won the 1,500 freestyle (15:16.17). Dwyer won the 200 free on Friday and Jaeger took the 400 free on Thursday. Jaeger, Grevers and Dwyer have all swam in the Olympics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More coverage of the 2015 Austin Pro Swim Series:
• Race footage: Katie Ledecky rattles world record; Andrew Seliskar, Cassidy Bayer win gold
• Katie Ledecky adds a third title in Austin
• Race footage: Katie Ledecky, Elizabeth Beisel highlight fast Day 2
• Katie Ledecky doubles up at Austin Pro Swim Series
• Race footage: Katie Ledecky, Jack Conger win on first day
• Katie Ledecky, Jack Conger talk Day 1 success in Austin