OMAHA, NEB. — Katie Ledecky had a little more than 12 hours to recover from her victory in the 400-meter freestyle at Olympic Trials before swimming in preliminaries for the 200 freestyle.
Ledecky being Ledecky, she fired off the best time (1 minute, 55.6 seconds) of Tuesday morning, one that would put her fifth in the world rankings for 2016. She already holds the best time of the year, of course.
It was a daunting sign for any competitor hoping Ledecky has not fully matured as a sprinter.
"I've definitely gained a lot of speed in the last few months and it's showing in these races," she said. "I've gained a lot of confidence."
Allison Schmitt of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, the 2012 gold medalist in the 200 freestyle, posted the fourth best time in morning qualifying at 1 minute, 57.77 seconds.
The 200 final on Wednesday evening projects as one of the most star-studded races of the week with Ledecky, Schmitt, Missy Franklin and Leah Smith all on track to make it.