The Week That Was: Katie Ledecky Breaks Two Pool Records In Stanford Home Opener

This week saw Katie Ledecky, arguably the most dominant swimmer in the world, continue her NCAA season in her first home meet with Stanford where she set two pool records. Catch up on those performances and all of the biggest news below in The Week That Was!

The Week That Was #5 – Italian Olympic Committee Confirms Bid Withdrawal For 2024

Roman Colosseum, possible venue for 2024 Olympics

Photo Courtesy: Vassil

Giovanni Malago, the president of the Italian National Olympic Committee, announced last week the official withdrawal of Rome as a bid city for the 2024 Olympic Games. Rome’s mayor and city council both have expressed their support for removing the bid from the city, citing the financial burden of the Games as the major motivation behind their lack of support. This decision comes as there is mounting concern over the financial burden of the Olympic Games on host cities, including 2020 host Tokyo. With Rome out of the picture, there are only three remaining bid cities left for the 2024 Olympic Games: Los Angeles (United States), Budapest (Hungary), and Paris (France). The International Olympic Committee is expected to announce the final host city in September of next year.

The Week That Was #4 – Connor Jaeger Moves To Hoboken, Effectively Retires

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

This week Olympic silver medalist and reigning American distance star Connor Jaeger announced he is effectively retiring from competitive swimming. In a feature story in the Washington Post, the 25 year old explained he has moved from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Hoboken, New Jersey, where he plans to land a job related to Manhattan real estate. Ann Arbor has been Jaeger’s training base for the last six years; he graduated from Michigan in 2014 and continued training as a professional following a very successful NCAA career that included a team championship in 2013. Making his first Olympic Team in the 1,500 in 2012, this summer Jaeger earned his first Olympic medal when he finished second in the 1,500 freestyle behind Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri. With that swim, the former Wolverine set an American record and became the first American under 14:40 in the mile.

The Week That Was #3 – Kyle Chalmers Breaks World Junior Record In Singapore Stop

kyle-chalmers-2015-fina-world-juniors-1 (4)

Photo Courtesy: Singapore Swimming Federation

The first stop of the third and final cluster of the 2016 FINA World Cup kicked off in Singapore this week, giving swimmers one last chance to move up on the leaderboard and add some prize money to their pockets. While nobody looks capable of catching Katinka Hosszu or Vlad Morozov for the top spot of the respective women’s and men’s leaderboards, that didn’t stop Olympic gold medalist Kyle Chalmers from posting a world junior record in the 100 freestyle. Chalmers touched in 46.61 to finish second behind points leader Morozov, breaking the world junior record in the process (the Aussie will turn 19 in June 2017). Chalmers went on to win the 200 free the next day (1:42.67) for his first World Cup gold medal, narrowly missing the world junior record in that event. Other notable swims included Jamaican Alia Atkinson in the 50 and 100 breaststrokes, who was just off the world records in both events. The Jamacian was only a tenth off of Jessica Hardy’s world record in the 50 breaststroke when she touched in 28.91 and only four-one hundredths off her own world record in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.40). The World Cup’s next stop will be in Tokyo on October 25-26.

Day One Results

Day Two Results

The Week That Was #2 – North Dakota Swimming & Diving Safe

There was good news for the University of North Dakota Athletics teams this week, as UND President Mark Kennedy announced that no sports, including swimming & diving, would be cut at the end of the year. News broke last week that six different teams at UND were at risk of being cut at the end of the spring semester for financial reasons, with swimming & diving among the vulnerable programs. Alumni, former coach Mark Stromberg, current Head Coach Chris Maiello, and CSCAA Executive Director Joel Shinofield were all instrumental in advocating for the program’s survival. In a statement released on Tuesday, Kennedy explained the programs would not be cut while acknowledging the work of finding the necessary funding was still ongoing. Joel Shinofield echoed that sentiment, stating he believed significant alumni support is going to be needed to keep the program viable in the long-term.

The Week That Was #1 – Katie Ledecky Breaks Two Pool Record In First Home Contest

Photo Courtesy: David Bernal Photography

The Stanford Cardinal women’s swimming & diving team hosted their home opener this past weekend, with freshman star Katie Ledecky setting two new pool records in the team’s 149-99 win over Washington St. Starting off in the 200 freestyle, Ledecky touched in 1:44.18 to just sneak by teammate Simone Manuel’s record of 1:44.34. The Olympic gold medalist then came back in the 500 freestyle to touch first and break an eight-year-old pool record held by Julia Smit. Ledecky touched in 4:36.43 to break the old record by more than five seconds. That time also comes close to Janet Evans legendary 26-year-old school record of 4:34.49 and places Ledecky second all-time in Stanford’s top times. Manuel, herself an Olympic gold medalist in Rio, had a pool record of her own this weekend in the 100 freestyle. Returning to the home pool after redshirting last year, Manuel touched in 48.00 to take down teammates Lia Neal’s record of 48.43. And as if her home meet debut wasn’t enough, Ledecky was also named one of Time’s most influential teens this week. Stanford has won their last eight home meets and is an early favorite to challenge for an NCAA team title.

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Laura M Wanco

7 years ago

It is safe to say all distance records will be reestablished.

Karen Bundick Crook

7 years ago

Way to go Katie!

Jen Townsend

7 years ago

Nick Radziul

Micheal Jason Babich

7 years ago

Whats the bid surprise with Ledecky doing so well as a college athlete? I mean did you really think any different would happen?