Katie Ledecky capped the U.S. Swimming Championships by winning the 1500m freestyle, the longest event, by a whopping 28.70 seconds.
Ledecky earned her third title of the week on the last day of the five-day meet in Indianapolis.
She qualified to swim all of her primary events at the world championships in three weeks in Fukuoka, Japan — 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyles, plus a leg on the 4x200m free relay. She dropped the individual 200m free, which she also did last year in part because the 200m free semis and 1500m free final were on the same night at worlds.
At last year’s worlds, Ledecky took gold in all four of her races, upping her total to 22 world medals (19 gold, three silver) and breaking Natalie Coughlin’s female career record. Ledecky is one individual world title behind Michael Phelps’ career record of 15.
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In Saturday’s 1500m free, Ledecky clocked 15:29.64, distancing runner-up Katie Grimes, who touched in 15:58.34 to grab the other spot on the world team in the event.
Ledecky’s time was the sixth-fastest in history (she owns the top 15 times) and, she noted in a poolside interview, her best since March 2020.
Also Saturday, five-time Tokyo Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel tied for 22nd in the 50m freestyle heats in his last event of the meet and last chance to make the world team. Dressel previously was third in the 50m butterfly, fifth in the 100m fly and 19th in the 100m free.
Dressel withdrew during last June’s worlds on unspecified medical grounds, took at least two months off swimming and returned to training with his University of Florida-based group in January or February. He slowly worked his way back toward full training in the spring and did not enter nationals with a top-five time in the nation this year in his events.
“I’m doing very good right now,” Dressel said. “Very indifferent about my results. Kind of being pulled both ways of a little embarrassed, kind of what just happened, then also fully understanding of what just happened and the year I’ve had. So I get it. I’ve always loved the sport and how fair it is, so I know the timing of the year and what it’s been. So I’m proud of myself for the results.”
Abbey Weitzeil swam the second-fastest women’s 50m free in U.S. history, a 24.00 that was three hundredths off Simone Manuel’s American record.
Bobby Finke swam the second-fastest 800m free in U.S. history -- 7:40.34 -- just off his American record of 7:39.36. Finke, the Olympic 800m and 1500m free champ, won both events this week.
Kate Douglass took the 200m individual medley in 2:07.79 to become the second-fastest American in history after Ariana Kukors (2:06.15). Alex Walsh, a training partner and the reigning world champion, took second.
Douglass previously won the 100m free and took second in the 200m breast to make the world team in those events, too.
Carson Foster earned his third title of the week, taking the 200m IM in the absence of 2017 World champion Chase Kalisz (food poisoning).
Shaine Casas, who entered nationals with the nation’s top time this year, second to Foster to grab a spot on the world team in his last opportunity. Casas was the last qualifier into the eight-man final.
Ryan Held won the men’s 50m. Jack Alexy, the 100m free champ, held off Michael Andrew by one hundredth, keeping Andrew off the world championships team.