Katie Ledecky swims in her last full meet before the U.S. Championships at a Pro Series event in Santa Clara, Calif., live on NBCSN and Olympic Channel this week.
The four-time 2016 Olympic champion headlines a field that also includes Ryan Lochte in his first Pro Series meet since the Rio Olympics, plus Olympic and world champions Lilly King, Simone Manuel, Caeleb Dressel, Chase Kalisz and Ryan Murphy.
That’s pretty much the whole set of U.S. swimming’s biggest stars save Missy Franklin, who competes in Europe this weekend (Olympic Channel, Saturday 12 p.m. ET and Sunday 7 p.m. ET) at her first meet since the Rio Olympics.
Ledecky said Wednesday that Santa Clara marks her last full meet before late July’s nationals in Irvine, Calif. Nationals determines the U.S. team for this year’s major international meet -- the Pan Pacific Championships in late August. Nationals and Pan Pacs determine the team for the 2019 World Championships in South Korea.
At her last meet three weeks ago, Ledecky smashed her 1500m freestyle world record by five seconds (her first world record since the Rio Games) and swam the second-fastest 400m freestyle ever, trailing only her world record from Rio. Ledecky isn’t signed up for Thursday’s 1500m freestyle in Santa Clara, but can she chase world records in shorter distances starting Friday?
“We’ll see,” Ledecky said after participating in the USA Swimming Foundation’s Make A Splash tour stop in Stanford University. “Didn’t really expect those kinds of times in Indianapolis.”
Pro Series Santa Clara Finals
Thursday -- USASwimming.org (1500m freestyles only)
Friday -- NBCSN, NBCSports.com/live, NBC Sports app
Saturday -- Olympic Channel, NBCSports.com/live, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, Olympic Channel app
Sunday -- USASwimming.org
All finals sessions are 8-9:30 p.m. ET.
Ledecky is not only in the middle of hard training, but also final exams as a sophomore at Stanford. She’s continued to take classes but will no longer swim for the Cardinal, having turned professional after the NCAA Championships in March.
Ledecky has yet to sign with a swimwear sponsor. She raced in different brands of suits in Indianapolis and said she may do so again on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!
MORE: Missy Franklin enters first swim meet since Rio Olympics