Under the bright lights of the Toyota U.S. Swimming Championships, Katie Ledecky, Bobby Finke, and Gretchen Walsh didn’t just compete—they dominated. Closing out Saturday with their third wins of the meet, these swimming powerhouses now prepare to lead the U.S. team to the World Championships in Singapore this July and August.
Ledecky, an untouchable force in the pool, continued her reign over the 1500m freestyle—an event she has owned for 15 years. Clocking in at 15:36.76, she left competitors trailing by over 25 seconds in Indianapolis.
Her performance furthers her position as the fastest in the world this year across 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyles. At the upcoming worlds, Ledecky is on a quest to extend her record of 21 world titles. A clean sweep plus a relay victory could place her one title shy of Michael Phelps' record 26.
With healthcare rival Ariarne Titmus stepping back, Ledecky’s main challenge will come from 18-year-old Canadian, Summer McIntosh. Already a silver medalist in the 400m free at the Olympiad, McIntosh stands as the second-quickest in history in the 800m behind Ledecky and might join the race in Singapore.
Walsh maintained her momentum, claiming top times in the 50m and 100m butterflies, plus a record-equalling 50m free, touching in at 23.91 seconds. She’s on the hunt for her first individual title in a 50-meter pool at a major international meet, hoping to replicate her short course success from last December.
Finke proved his mettle too, with national wins in the 800m and 1500m frees along with the 400m individual medley. Though the latter won’t feature at worlds, Finke aims to end a decades-long drought for U.S. men by winning a world title in the 1500m—last achieved by Tim Shaw in 1975.
Elsewhere, Jack Alexy sprinted to glory in the men’s 50m free, clocking 21.36 seconds—second only to Caeleb Dressel in U.S. history. In the men’s and women’s 200m individual medleys, Shaine Casas and Alex Walsh clinched victories with top global times this year.
Catch highlights of the U.S. Championships airing Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.
