Queens of Consistency: Where Katie Ledecky Blazes A Pioneering Path To The Pantheon

Britain’s Jazz Carlin summed up the feeling of those racing in the tank with a shark when she said: “It is tough. She’s set incredible times, so far ahead of the field but we’re all individuals and we bring the best we can, we strive for the best we can be. You never know what can happen on the day. With the Olympics its best to expect the unexpected: you’ve got to be on your game and at the very best you can be. That’s what all the work is for.”

The only way to approach the challenge presented by Katie Ledecky as the American heads into an Olympic Games from which she may emerge as the first woman since Debbie Meyer in 1968 to claim gold over 200, 400 and 800m freestyle. There’ll be a shot at gold in world-record time, too, in the 4x200m with USA teammates, that an event Meyer did not have to aim for back in Mexico City, the long relay having joined the program for women only in 1988.

Wagers look pointless at the deeper end of business, the 200m by far the tighter contest on paper.

History Calling

By the time she was 14-year-old, Meyer had broken world records in the 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle and 1500 freestyle. She was trailblazer scorching a path to the first triple gold among women in the Olympic pool at the first Games to feature the 200m for women. Here’s a fine tribute to Meyer:

After Meyer came another shoot star: Shane Gould, the first and to date the only winner of five solo gold medals among women at the Olympic Games. On freestyle, it was gold in the 200 and 400, silver in the 800 and bronze in the 100 for the Australian. There was gold in the 200m medley, too, all three title won in world-record times.

Gould is “the standard”, says Ledecky’s coach Bruce Gemmell. There will be no match of the spectrum, but three solo freestyle golds would be sensational, all the more so in context of the prevailing competition. World records will come if they come, Ledecky having established 11 world records since 2013, two over 400m as the first woman inside 4 minutes in textile; four over 800m, as the first woman inside 8:14 and all numbers down to 8:07; and five over 1500m, as the first woman inside 15:30.

Shane Gould (NT Archive)

Katie Ledecky by Patrick B. Kraemer

Gould’s status as the first woman and the last woman ever to hold all freestyle world records 100 to 1500m inclusive and the 200m medley simultaneously, will not be surpassed by the current generation – or perhaps ever.

In terms of the most world freestyle records held by a woman, the record stands at 15 to Dawn Fraser at the sprint end, the Australian legends count including 11 marks over 100m freestyle and Meyer from 200 upwards, the American legend’s count including 1 over 200m, 5 each over 400 and 800m and 4 over 1500m.

The other ‘standard’, of course, is Janet Evans, the American having won the 400 and 800m free and 400IM Olympic crowns in 1988 and set Beamonesque world records that stood from 1988 to 2006 (400m, gone to Laure Manaudou, FRA) 1989 to 2008 (800m, gone to Rebecca Adlington, GBR), and 1988 to 2007 (1500m, gone to Kate Ziegler, USA).

Shirley Babashoff, Kornelia Ender and Enith Brigitha, 1976

And then there was Shirley Babashoff, who, but for the GDR and State Plan 14:25 at Montreal 1976, might have won the 200, 400 and 800m freestyle, and shared gold in the 4x100m medley. With the gold she did claim with teammates in the 4x100m freestyle, Babashoff has a plinth in the pantheon alongside the greats of women’s freestyle swimming. She might have repeated the 200, 400, 800 triple that Meyer launched in 1968. We will never know, for Babashoff was robbed of that right by state-sponsored systematic doping.

The IOC meets this Sunday, a decision due by Tuesday at the latest, as to whether Russia is to be barred from the 2016 Olympic Games for its role in state-sponsored systematic doping in this century.

Fraser, Gould, Meyer, Evans all had a sense of ‘ahead of their time’ about them. So does Ledecky, very much so, the gap to the rest over 800m vast; the edge over 400m significant, Leah Smith a touch inside 4:01 at USA trials in Omaha the 10th entry on the all-time top 10 swiftest efforts in textile with only one other name on it – Katie Ledecky; the 200m presenting a much closer challenge.

In the 400m all-time in textile, Ledecky owns 15 entries, including those top 9, seven of them sub-4-minute, Smith’s 4:00.65 the omnly other sub-4:01 in history.

In the 800m all-time in textile, you must trawl down to 13th place to find the first non-Ledecky entry in the top 25, Jazz Carlin and her 8:15.54. Between 8:06.68 and 8:14.86, Ledecky riules the roost, while Rebecca Adlington’s Beijing 2008 victory of 8:14.10 leaves Ledecky with all top 10 in all suits, the British ace at No 11.

A glimpse …

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