Katie Ledecky was out-touched by an American in the 200m freestyle final for the first time in nine years by the fingertips of possibly the next young swimming star to come.
Claire Weinstein, 16, got the best of the 10-time Olympic medalist after falling short to Ledecky the year prior at the U.S. International Team Trials.
Ledecky, as a result, placed as the runner-up at the U.S. Swimming Championships on Wednesday.
“I just wanted to make the [world championships] team again,” said Weinstein according to NBC.
Weinstein clocked in two hundredths of a second ahead of Ledecky at 1:55.26 after eliminating the 28 hundredths deficit to the swimmer in the final 50 meters.
She cut her personal best by 1.45 seconds ahead of the meet, which gave her plenty of nerves in the anticipation of qualifying for Worlds again this year.
Due to her career-best performance, she nabbed a spot in the A-final, where she will be one of the elite talent after a relay spot for Worlds.
“I definitely had more nerves in the morning because I knew that was probably going to be the deciding factor if I made the team or not. Everybody was swimming fast in the morning, so the hardest part was going to get into the A-final. It would probably be harder to get into the A-final than to make the team, so I just wanted to do that,” she said per Swimming World Magazine.
“In the morning, I was pretty nervous, but at night, I was pretty calm. I knew I could do it. I convinced myself that I could have a good race.”
“I honestly wasn’t even chasing (Ledecky) down. I was breathing to Bella’s side, and my race plan is always blast the last 50, so that’s what I did. I didn’t know I was catching up with her or anything,” Weinstein continued.
Before Wednesday, 2012 Olympic champion Allison Schmitt was the last American to beat Ledecky in a 200m free final in 2014.
Nothing can be taken away from Ledecky still, who remains the fastest American this year with a 1:54.96 finish mark in March, ranking fifth in the world.
With her second-place finish on Wednesday, she still qualified to race in the world championship in July in Fukuoka, Japan.
Last year, Ledecky won the 200m freestyle race at trials, but dropped it from her worlds schedule because the 200m free semifinals and 1500m free final were in the same session.
The events will take place during the same session again this year.
Ledecky said before nationals that she would say after the meet whether she will race the individual 200m free at worlds. Last year, she won the 200m free at trials, then dropped it from her worlds program in part because the 200m free semis and 1500m free final were in the same session at worlds, as they are this year.
Weinstein kicked her love for the sport into drive in 2021 after watching Bella Sims, Katie Grimes, and Erica Sullivan all qualified for the U.S. Olympic team. She made the career push by moving across the country from Westchester County, New York, to Las Vegas, to team up with Ron Aitken’s club.
She has proved to be a surprise powerhouse member of the Sandpipers of Nevada with less than a year since the move, qualifying for the U.S. World Championships team while adding a win over Ledecky under her belt.
Two more young stars claimed spots on the world team behind Weinstein — 18 year old swimmers Sims and Erin Gemmell.