When U.S. swimmers get together for an important meet, fast times follow.
At the U.S. Championships in Indianapolis, Missy Franklin had two world-leading times and two that rank second, winning all four. Ryan Lochte won three events and was second in another.
But the Woly Award this week goes to Katie Ledecky, who has the following distinctions:
1. She won Olympic gold at age 15.
2. She’s not as famous as Franklin, Lochte and company.
3. She won the 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle, and she finished second in the 200.
4. She broke Janet Evans’ meet record and posted the top time in the world this year in the 1,500.
The full list of top times from the meet, thanks to FINA’s nifty database:
1st in the world this year
M-50 free: Nathan Adrian, 21.47
W-1,500 free: Katie Ledecky, 15:47.15
W-50 back: David Plummer, 24.52
W-100 back: Missy Franklin, 58.67
W-200 back: Missy Franklin, 2:05.68
W-200 IM: Ryan Lochte, 1:55.44
2nd in the world
W-100 free: Missy Franklin, 53.43
W-200 free: Missy Franklin, 1:55.56
W-400 free: Katie Ledecky, 4:04.05
W-100 back: David Plummer, 53.10
W-200 back: Elizabeth Pelton, 2:06.29
W-50 breast: Jessica Hardy, 30.24
W-200 breast: Kevin Cordes, 2:08.34
3rd in the world
M-800 free: Connor Jaeger, 7:46.78
W-50 back: Rachel Bootsma, 27.68
M-200 back: Ryan Lochte, 1:55.16
W-50 breast: Breeja Larson, 30.40
M-50 breast: Kevin Steel, 27.26
W-100 breast: Breeja Larson, 1:06.16
W-200 breast: Breeja Larson, 2:23.44
W-100 fly: Dana Vollmer, 57.53
W-400 IM: Maya Dirado, 4:34.34
Elsewhere, it was a slow week, but a couple of highlights are worth mentioning.
Track and field: Christian Taylor had the second-best triple jump in the world this year as he, Dawn Harper-Nelson and Reese Hoffa won Diamond League events in Birmingham, England.
Tennis: Serena Williams is out of Wimbledon, but Sloane Stephens isn’t.
Duresport.com 