These are the faces of the U.S. swimming team that is headed to the Paris Olympics. Ledecky, Dressel and Douglass will take with them the United States’ hopes, expectations and pool-loads of talent. The three stars wrapped up their U.S. Olympic trials Saturday night, each posting a big win as they positioned themselves for multiple medals when the world’s best meet in France in five weeks.
“It’s time to get back to work,” Ledecky told the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium. “Got to get ready for Paris.”
With her landslide win in the 800-meter freestyle, Ledecky’s Paris program is set. Already with 10 Olympic medals to her name — seven of them gold — Ledecky will compete in three individual races at the Paris Games and probably one relay.
Saturday’s victory means Ledecky will have a chance to win gold in the 800 freestyle at a fourth straight Summer Games, dating from her surprising win at the 2012 London Olympics — when she was all of 15. Michael Phelps is the only swimmer to win four consecutive Olympic titles in the same event, claiming the 200 individual medley in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.
But no female Olympian has ever been quite like Ledecky, and certainly no swimmer has put her mark on an event as Ledecky has in the 800. Her winning time Saturday — 8 minutes 14.12 seconds — was more than 6.5 seconds better than runner-up Paige Madden (8:20.71). But it was well short of her world record (8:04.79) and only the 35th-best time she has ever posted. It was the second-fastest time she has turned in this year and surely a number she hopes to lower in Paris.
The win ended these trials for Ledecky. She swam 6,000 meters here — nearly 3¾ miles — over eight days. She won all four races she entered but doesn’t plan to race the 200 freestyle in Paris, preferring to focus on the longer distances.
Saturday’s penultimate day of competition was a showcase of stars that raises hopes for the U.S. team’s prospects in Paris. Douglass is poised for a breakout Olympics and closed her trials with another stellar swim, winning the 200-meter IM in 2:06.79, the fifth-fastest time ever. She beat Alex Walsh (2:07.86), her University of Virginia teammate, to the wall by more than a second.
Douglass’s Paris program is set, and it promises to be a grinding — and unheard of — assortment of races. She will be the first American woman to compete in individual freestyle, breaststroke and IM events at an Olympics. The 22-year-old also won the 100 freestyle and 200 breaststroke here.
“I feel the goal coming into this meet was to try to win all three events, but I didn’t really think I’d be able to achieve that,” she said. “So I’m really happy I did.”
Douglass is likely to be part of two — or possibly three — relay teams in Paris, which means she could have a shot at five or six medals. Natalie Coughlin is the only American woman to win six medals at a single Olympics.
Dressel also ensured he will have a shot at multiple podium visits in Paris by winning the 100-meter butterfly in 50.19 seconds, his best time in the event since April 2022. Dressel, who won five gold medals at the Tokyo Games, took an eight-month break from the sport beginning in late 2022 and failed to qualify for the U.S. team that competed at the world championships a year ago. But he had a strong trials, also winning the 50 freestyle Friday. He also will get a shot in at least one relay in Paris — probably more.
The 27-year-old has been open about his discomfort with the pressure and challenges that come with elite swimming, and his comeback promises to be one of the dominant storylines heading into Paris. Asked to speculate what he’s capable of, Dressel thought about it for a few seconds but couldn’t come up with a firm answer.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever go a best time ever again, and that’s tough to say out loud,” he said. “I’m still working harder than ever. I’m trying to find every path I can take to shave those couple tenths. … I’m doing everything I can. Some things are out of my control.”
Simone Manuel, another fan favorite, is trying to position herself for an individual event in Paris. At 24.51 seconds, the five-time Olympic medalist posted the fourth-fastest 50 freestyle time in Saturday’s semifinals. Gretchen Walsh, who set a world record in the 100 butterfly earlier in the meet, posted the best semifinal time: 24.06, just 0.03 faster than Torri Huske. The Walsh sisters will be one of two sets of siblings on the Paris-bound U.S. team, joining Aaron and Alex Shackell.
With two events remaining Sunday — the women’s 50 free and the men’s 1,500 free — the U.S. squad is almost set: a mix of new faces, seasoned veterans and at least three superstars.
None is more accomplished than Ledecky. As Saturday’s session came to a close, she stood on an underground lift, awaiting the 800 freestyle medal ceremony. She slowly emerged from below the pool deck, waving to fans, flashing that familiar camera-ready smile and rising, rising, rising to the surface. The former child star is now a 27-year-old legend, but she keeps finding new heights. Her next stop: Paris.
