When Katie Grimes finished third in the 1,500-meter freestyle Wednesday at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, establishing the relatively unknown 15-year-old as a swimmer worth keeping tabs on, Katie Ledecky threw in her support.
“You’re the future,” Ledecky, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, told Grimes.
Ledecky had to amend her statement Saturday night, though, when Grimes clinched her spot on the Olympic Team with a second-place finish behind Ledecky in the 800-meter freestyle. Ledecky booked her first trip to the Olympics in 2012 as a 15-year-old. And now it’s Grimes’ turn.
“I told her after that, she’s the now,” Ledecky told NBC Sports in a post-race interview. “And I think Katie squared is going to crush it in Tokyo.”
“You’re the future. She‘s the now.”
15-year-old Katie Grimes will join THE Katie Ledecky at the #TokyoOlympics this summer. #SwimTrials21
📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/bLQQa1G8Qh
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) June 20, 2021
After Ledecky finished first in the 800-meter freestyle, she looked up at the scoreboard to see who would join her in the event at the Olympics. That’s when she noticed Grimes’ name, and she swam across the lanes in the pool to celebrate with the teenage up-and-comer.
Grimes earned a spot in the 800-meter final Saturday after she finished eighth in the preliminary race, dropping six seconds off her personal best. In the final, Grimes cut another 11 seconds off her best time to touch out 29-year-old Haley Anderson by 0.15 seconds.
After the event, Grimes ran over to her family to celebrate. Ledecky stalled for Grimes so she could have that moment before the interview.
“I don’t even know. Just speechless,” Grimes said. “It’s been a long time — I know I’m just 15, but it’s a lot of work.”
Grimes is one of 10 teenagers to qualify for the U.S.’s Olympics squad, and there’s another chance Sunday on the final day of the trials. That’s the most teenagers on the Olympic team since 1996.
So many emotions for 15-year-old Katie Grimes after qualifying for the Olympics Games.@USASwimming | #SwimTrials21 x #TokyoOlympics
📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/Yy0aJ7HIj0
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) June 20, 2021
Ledecky, who at 24 is now the elder statesman of the group, earned her eighth career Olympic trials win, breaking the women’s record she shared with Katie Hoff and Tracy Caulkins. She’ll compete in four individual events — the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle. She’s the favorite to win the 800-meter and 1,500-meter events, but her times are behind Australia’s Ariarne Titmus in the 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle.
