Complete Preview for Women's Swimming 200-Meter Freestyle
The 200-meter women's freestyle will be a fierce battle between USA's Katie Ledecky and world-record-holder Federica Pellegrini.
It's hard to believe Ledecky is just 19 years old. But like all the greats, she can endure pain and fatigue.
"I think that absolutely allows her to compete at the level she does and do it so consistently," Bruce Gemmell, Ledecky's Baltimore-based coach, said, per Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun. "The one who might get caught up in it more might be able to rise to the occasion here and there. But to do it with her consistency, it probably comes from that."
Then there's Missy Franklin, the darling of the 2012 London Games with the smile that could power a Brazilian suburb with carbon-free emissions.
It's these three and more who will dive, flip, turn twice and fish for the wall; read on for a preview.
Schedule, TV and Live-Stream Info
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Schedule (all times ET)
Monday, Aug. 8: heats start at 12:02 p.m.; semifinal 1, 9:03 p.m.; semifinal 2, 9:12 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 9: final, 9:19 p.m.
TV/Live-Stream Information
Live streaming: NBCOlympics.com
TV: NBC
Top Storylines
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Will These Games Be Remembered as the 'Katie Ledecky Games'?
The hype train has arrived, and Ledecky's name is spray-painted along the side of the engine. She could swim away with a lot of hardware—she already has one medal—and it all starts (individually) with the 200-meter freestyle.
Ledecky is the reigning world champion at 200 meters, yet that's not her strength. Imagine that.
"I mean this in a positive way, but she doesn't care," Gemmell said, per Walker. "She doesn't care that it's the Olympics anymore than she cares that it's a championship meet at home, anymore than she cares that it's her high school championship. She gets excited about all of it."
We're in for something special from Ledecky.
The World-Record Holder Takes Aim
Pellegrini won the gold medal in this event in the 2008 Beijing Games, then finished off the board in London as one of the favorites. Think she's hungry in her final Games?
Her time of 1:52.98 from the 2009 World Championships would do just fine in this spot, but given that Ledecky beat Pellegrini head-to-head at the 2015 World Championships by 0.16 seconds, the Italian will need to find that extra something to outstretch the world's best swimmer.
Can Missy Franklin Overcome Her Recent Struggles?
Franklin was in danger of not even making Team USA in this event, and it took all of her grit and determination to do it.
"I've had some ups and downs so far, but this is definitely an up, and I plan on riding this for as long as I can," Franklin said during the Olympic trials after she made the team in the 200-meter freestyle, per Nicole Auerbach of USA Today.
Franklin finished third at the 2015 World Championships behind—you guessed it—Ledecky and Pellegrini.
Now Franklin, at age 21, will swim to ensure she's not forgotten. We may look back at these Games and remember them for Ledecky, or we may remember them for how Franklin remained relevant in the face of the world's greatest freestylist.
"People say there's nothing like making your first Olympic team," Franklin said. "But there's nothing like making your second Olympic team, either. You almost start to take advantage of it, but then it's moments like this where you have to sit back and say, 'I just did it.'"
Athletes to Watch
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Katie Ledecky, USA
You knew this.
Federica Pellegrini, Italy
The world-record holder at the distance swims in her final Olympics and tries to supplant Ledecky, who bested her at the 2015 Worlds.
Missy Franklin, USA
Is she washed up? Is she focused? If she does well, it's because she rebounded. If she flops, people will question her dedication.
Rikako Ikee, Japan
Rikako Ikee is just 16 years old and will swim in seven events for the Land of the Rising Sun.
"I felt a bit tired after qualifying," she told reporters. "But my times have started creeping back up. I want to make sure I get to Rio in peak condition."
Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
Swimming times around 1:54 in the 200-meter freestyle put this Swede in the contender category.
Her best event is the 100-meter butterfly, where she broke the Olympic record in the semifinals.
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Who Are the Sleepers?
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Emma McKeon, Australia
Australia's 22-year-old sensation Emma McKeon could cause headaches for the headliners in this event.
She swam the opening leg for the Aussies in the 4x100-meter relay; all that team did was win a gold medal and break a world record.
"It was so much fun," McKeon told reporters. "I think being in the marshaling area with these girls makes you so more relaxed because at this big can meet you get so worked up. But that was so much fun being out there with these girls."
She placed seventh in the 2015 World Championships.
Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, Vietnam
Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, 19, would be a surprise to hit the medal stand.
She took bronze in the 200-meter individual medley at the 2015 World Championships, and she enters these Olympics as one of the medal hopefuls for her nation.
Femke Heemskerk, Netherlands
At 28, Femke Heemskerk made her third Olympic team.
Pellegrini outtouched Heemskerk at this year's European Championships, winning the event with a time of 1:55.93. Heemskerk lost by 0.04 seconds.
Medal Predictions
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On paper, Ledecky is the planet's best swimmer, and Pellegrini and Franklin are top-three talents.
Ledecky gets better as the distance increases, so if she's vulnerable in any event, it's this one. Pellegrini has been sharp in all of her meets. Franklin, meanwhile, is a wild card.
She said on WFLA.com:
"You realize that, you know, it's not just this wonderful journey where everything is rainbows and butterflies all the time. There's these really, really hard patches that you have to go through. There's two ways to look at pressure and expectations. You can look at them as people really wanting you to do something and putting that pressure on yourself. You can also look at these expectations as support, as people that believe in you and want you to succeed.
"
Here are the predictions in this loaded field:
Gold: Katie Ledecky, USA
Silver: Federica Pellegrini, Italy
Bronze: Emma McKeon, Australia
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