Katie Ledecky wins 200 free at Olympic trials. Why she likely plans to give up spot

INDIANAPOLIS — Katie Ledecky won another event at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials Monday, but she likely won’t be swimming it in Paris.

Ledecky, the greatest female swimmer in history, qualified for her second event at the 2024 Summer Olympics by winning the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:55.22. After being in a virtual tie at the 150-meter mark, she poured it on in the final lap, defeating Claire Weinstein by almost a second. 

But Ledecky likely plans to give up her spot in the 200 to be able to focus on her longer races at the Olympics: the 400 freestyle, for which she qualified Saturday, as well as the 800 and 1,500, for which she is expected to qualify later this week. She will be the Olympic gold-medal favorite in both of those longer races. 

Ledecky, 27, had her reasons for swimming the 200 free: she has now qualified to swim in the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay in Paris, where the United States will be favored to win a medal. 

At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Ledecky finished fifth in the 200 free, but starred in the 4 x 200 relay, swimming the fastest split of all the finals swimmers to lead the United States to the silver medal.