The first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming, Simone Manuel stepped away from competition entirely in 2022.

The 26-year-old swimmer had been diagnosed with overtraining syndrome — also known as burnout — ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She continued to compete, and though she failed to qualify in the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials, she did qualify in the 50 free. Still, she knew some onlookers doubted her struggle.

“People didn’t believe that I actually was overtrained,” Manuel said in a new documentary produced by TOGETHXR. “People said that I was distracted by all my other sponsor obligations, and that’s why I didn’t perform well. That I became lazy and my success went to my head.

“It’s really hard to be vulnerable in that space because it’s so easy for people to say they don’t believe me. I don’t get the empathy or understanding that I deserve.”

She opened up about her diagnosis, and her decision to take a break from elite swimming, in the documentary. The release coincided with her return to competition at Knoxville Pro Swim, her first elite-level competition since the Tokyo Games. She placed third in the 50 free in her return.

Prior to her diagnosis, Manuel dealt with the pressures of Olympic preparation, the COVID-19 pandemic and the weight of expectation as a groundbreaking Black swimmer.

“My training was going pretty well until the pandemic hit,” Manuel said. “Pools got shut down fairly quickly just like everything else. What are we doing? What’s the solution? Are the Olympics happening? When is it going to happen?

“I think I had maybe two or three days off before we found that backyard pool, and I just continued to train.”

At the same time, she started to receive even more spotlight as a leading Black athlete.

“I was then being asked to speak on these panels: ‘How can we support our Black community?’ ‘How can we diversify the sport of swimming?’” she continued.

“Being an athlete who was trying to focus on the Olympics, it was my job to work and continue to train. But also then be asked to continue to put my emotions on the line for other people to somehow be entertained by it. It was just a really tough time for me. Because I was training so hard and never took a break, I think my body just ended up crashing.”

As someone who “has a high swimming IQ,” Manuel knew something was wrong with her swimming, she said. She first felt it in January 2021, and she brought her concern to her coach at the time. He was dismissive of her concerns, she said, telling her that she was training “really well.”

“My stroke wasn’t feeling the same. My rhythm was off,” she said. “And I remember having conversations with my coach and asking him, ‘Well, how do you think I’m training?’ ‘Oh, you’re training really well. This is the best training I’ve ever seen you have.’ And I’m like, ‘But my times are slower.’

“I wish I would have just told him, ‘No, I’m not going to come in.’”

By March 2021, she wasn’t able to compete in a full lineup of events. After a meet that month, a doctor diagnosed her with overtraining syndrome. Still, she kept training until her doctor mandated a break, or else she might not have been able to compete at the Olympic trials.

“It really was just about damage control,” she said. “I continued to train for a while per my coach’s instructions and my progress continued to decline.”

While Manuel wound up making the Olympic team, she described her experience in Tokyo as “not fun at all.” She says it was difficult watching people compete in the 100 free, the event in which she had won gold at the 2016 Olympics.

She placed 11th in the 50 free semifinals in Tokyo, falling short of a spot in the final race.

After her absence from the sport, she returns with a new outlook, though with her eyes still looking toward the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“Going into the next chapter of swimming would be trying to block out all the noise,” Manuel said. “I just want to swim with no pressure or expectations from anybody, even myself. Which I don’t know what that looks like, but I think that’s what’s next for me and that’s definitely going to be the focus: falling back in love with this sport and just being happy doing it.

“And then get back to competing on the highest level and hopefully winning some more medals.”

From NWSL MVP Sophia Smith to Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, from college basketball star Aliyah Boston to world-class runner Athing Mu, the future of women’s sports looks bright.

As we enter a new year, Just Women’s Sports takes a look at 23 athletes under 23 years old who we expect to shine in 2023.

One note: The list is limited to American athletes. So while athletes such as Germany’s Lena Oberdorf, Australia’s Ariarne Titmus and more should be considered among the best young stars in the world, they are not included here.

Seasoned pros

Mia Fishel, 21 – Soccer

Why has Fishel not earned a call-up to the U.S. women’s national team? That question is only becoming more pressing as she continues to make her name in Liga MX.

One of the brightest young soccer stars, Fishel became the first foreign-born player to win the league’s Golden Boot with 17 goals for UANL Tigres. She also helped lead the Tigres to the Liga MX title. Fishel’s abilities — and her potential — made her an easy choice for this list.

Naomi Girma, 22 – Soccer

Girma is the present and future of the USWNT defense. After she was taken No. 1 overall in the last NWSL Draft, Girma had just about as good of a rookie season as one could have. Not only did the San Diego Wave star win Rookie of the Year, she was also named Defender of the Year and earned a spot among the NWSL’s Best XI.

She made her first appearance for the USWNT in April. Since then, she’s recorded 10 caps and was named to the Best XI for the Concacaf W Championship.

Rhyne Howard, 22 – Basketball

Howard had a stellar 2022, which culminated in the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. The No. 1 overall draft pick out of Kentucky in April, she became the lone rookie to earn a roster spot for the All-Star game and took Rookie of the Month honors every month from May to August. Howard finished the season at eighth on the scoring list with 16.2 points per game.

Trinity Rodman, 20 – Soccer

For Rodman, 2021 served as a coming-out party, and 2022 continued the celebration. She became the youngest player drafted in NWSL history in 2021 and helped lead the Spirit to the NWSL title that same year. She followed that up with a record contract in 2022, and in August she was named one of 20 finalists for the prestigious Ballon d’Or.

Internationally, Rodman scored her first USWNT goal in 2022 after making her national team debut in February. She just continues to get better, and that shouldn’t change in 2023.

Sophia Smith, 22 – Soccer

Smith is one of the best young soccer players in the world right now. At just 22 years old, she led the USWNT in scoring in 2022 with 11 goals, becoming the youngest player to do so since 21-year-old Mia Hamm in 1993.

In 2022, the Portland Thorns forward also became the youngest NWSL MVP, and she was named MVP of the championship match and as a member of the league’s Best XI. And she very well could be adding U.S. Soccer Player of the Year to her list of accolades. As the national team sets its sights on the 2023 World Cup, Smith will be a key piece for the defending champions.

Olympic medalists

Jordan Chiles, 21 – Gymnastics

After she helped the United States to a team silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she played a key role in the team winning gold at the World Championships in 2022. She also earned silver medals in the vault and floor exercises. Chiles is one to watch as the 2024 Olympic cycle approaches.

Kate Douglass, 21 – Swimming

Douglass put together arguably the greatest individual performance in collegiate swimming history in 2022, breaking American records in three separate events — in three separate strokes and distances.

The Virginia senior followed up that performance by winning three medals at the World Championships, including bronze in the 200-meter breaststroke. At the short course World Championships in December, she won two individual gold medals and seven total medals.

Eileen Gu, 19 – Skiing

Gu stunned the world in 2022, winning Olympic gold in big air and halfpipe while also capturing a silver in slopestyle. Born in the United States but competing for China, she became the youngest gold-medal winner ever in freestyle skiing and became just the second woman to land a double cork 1620 in competition on her first attempt.

As her celebrity skyrocketed, sponsorship deals also poured in for Gu. She finished the year as the third-highest-paid female athlete behind tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, bringing in an astounding $20.1 million, according to Forbes.

Torri Huske, 20 – Swimming

After finishing the NCAA season strong, Huske was a member of Team USA at the World Championships in June. There, she won the 100 butterfly in a new American record time for her first individual world title. She also claimed a bronze in the 100 freestyle, and she led all swimmers with six total medals.

She continued that run at the short course World Championships in December, winning seven total medals and topping the podium four times. As the swimming world starts to set its eyes on the Paris Olympics, Huske will be one to watch.

Chloe Kim, 22 – Snowboarding

Kim had a successful 2022, defending her 2018 Olympic title in the halfpipe at the Beijing Olympics. She scored a 94, well above the rest of the competition, and is eyeing a return for the 2026 Olympics. If she tops the podium again in Italy, she would become the first woman ever to earn three Olympic gold medals in snowboarding.

Suni Lee, 19 – Gymnastics

After she became a household name at the Tokyo Olympics, Lee began her freshman year at Auburn. While there, she won the 2022 national title in the balance beam and placed second in the all-around. She has announced that the upcoming NCAA season will be her last as she plans to return to elite gymnastics, with her sights set on the 2024 Olympics.

Athing Mu, 20 – Track and field

Following up on her stunning Olympic campaign in 2021, Mu continued her run in 2022, winning the world title in the 800 meters. In doing so, she became the first American woman to win the world title in the 800 and the youngest woman in history to win both Olympic and world titles in an individual track and field event.

Mu hasn’t lost on the outdoor track since Sept. 2019, a streak that dates back three years. Look for her to continue to dominate the track in 2023.

College Stars

Aliyah Boston, 21 – Basketball

Boston’s trophy case must be groaning under the weight of all her awards from 2022. She won the national championship with South Carolina, and she was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. She also won the Naismith College Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards, the Wooden Award and the AP Player of the Year award.

You name it, she won it in 2022 — except for the ESPY for Best Collegiate Athlete, which went to Jocelyn Alo. But that doesn’t take away from Boston’s accomplishments. She’s also started her senior season with similar success. The undefeated Gamecocks have a good shot at winning back-to-back titles, and that’s largely due to Boston.

Paige Bueckers, 21 – Basketball

It’s hard to know what kind of year Bueckers will have in 2023, as she will miss all of this season with a knee injury. But Bueckers’ capabilities cannot be disputed. Even after missing much of last season with a knee injury, she returned to help lead UConn to the national championship game.

Caitlin Clark, 20 – Basketball

Iowa basketball would not be Iowa basketball without Clark. Known for her logo 3-pointers and insane range, she single-handedly has sought to will Iowa to victory multiple times this season.

As a sophomore in the 2021-22 season, Clark became the first women’s player to lead the NCAA in scoring and assists. She also had a streak of 19 games with at least 15 points and five assists, the longest such streak in women’s basketball. Only Trae Young at Oklahoma has recorded a longer such streak.

Azzi Fudd, 20 – Basketball

In the absence of Bueckers, Fudd stepped up in a big way for UConn to start this season. Before she went down with her own knee injury in early December, the sophomore led the Huskies in scoring with 20.6 points while adding 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 rebounds. She also posted 32 points against a then-top 5 Texas team, tying her with Diana Taurasi for the most points scored by a UConn player against a top-five opponent. And she should be making her return to the court soon.

Caroline Harvey, 20 – Ice hockey

The youngest player named to the 2021 World Championship roster for Team USA, Harvey subsequently made the Olympic and World Championship rosters in 2022. The defender had a stellar run at worlds, recording three goals and five assists for eight points. She’s in the midst of her freshman year at Wisconsin, with 25 points — including 18 assists — through 21 games.

Taylor Heise, 22 – Ice hockey

Heise entered her fifth year at Minnesota on a high note. A member of Team USA and the 2022 winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, she made her World Championship debut in 2022 with a bang. En route to the silver medal, Heise led the tournament in scoring with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) through seven games. She was named Best Forward and tournament MVP.

The Golden Gophers star is not done rolling. Through 19 games this season, she has 13 goals and 21 assists, which puts her on track to beat her 29 goals and 37 assists through 39 games last season.

Rose Zhang, 19 – Golf

Zhang became the first athlete to sign an NIL deal with Adidas in June after she won the individual NCAA title and helped lead Stanford to its second NCAA title. In her freshman season, she broke the NCAA’s single-season scoring average with an astounding 69.68.

She received invitations to the U.S. Open and British Open this year, finishing tied for 40th and tied for 28th, respectively. She’s topped the world amateurs ranking for two years in a row. Look out for Zhang to make another NCAA title run in her sophomore season.

Tiare Jennings, 20 – Softball

While the spotlight of the 2022 Women’s College World Series centered on departing senior Jocelyn Alo, Jennings also continued to make a name for herself at Oklahoma. A two-time WCWS champion, she’s twice been named to the All-Tournament team — all in her first two seasons with the Sooners.

She batted .385 and blasted 24 home runs in the 2022 season. Her total of 72 RBI was tied for third in the NCAA. She also excelled in the field, posting a .982 fielding percentage and recording just two errors all season long. During the WCWS, she set the record for RBIs with 15, adding to the Sooners’ record-breaking 64 runs.

Next wave

Coco Gauff, 18 – Tennis

When Serena Williams announced her retirement from tennis in 2022, the question became: Who is the future of American tennis? As eyes turned to Williams’ final stretch of matches, the answer to that question went on an incredible run of her own.

Gauff rocketed up to a career-high world No. 1 in the doubles rankings in August and a career-high No. 4 in singles in October. The French Open, which came in the same month as her high school graduation, provided the stage for Gauff’s first-ever Grand Slam final. She also reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open for the first time in 2022. In October, she became the youngest singles player to qualify for the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova in 2005. While Gauff still has yet to win her first major, the 18-year-old is well on her way there.

Harper Murray, 18 – Volleyball

The Nebraska volleyball commit was named to our All-American team in December after capping her high school career with an eye-popping senior season. She ended with a .410 hitting percentage and 663 kills. That bumped her career total to 2,245, and she also finished with 1,423 career digs.

Her efforts earned her Michigan’s Miss Volleyball title, and she will enter her career at Nebraska as the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country.

Isabeau Levito, 15 – Figure skating

Levito made her senior international debut in 2022, placing first at the Philadelphia Summer International in her first senior competition. She followed that up by winning gold in her first appearance on the Challenger circuit.

She made her Grand Prix debut at Skate America in October, where she finished second behind world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan. She became the youngest American to qualify for the Grand Prix Final since Caroline Zhang in 2007. With her sights set on the 2026 Olympics, Levito will be one to watch this year and for years to come.

U-20 honorable mentions

Chloe Kovelesky, 15 – Golf

Kovelesky became the youngest player to play in the U.S. Women’s Open in 2021. In 2022, she placed first in the Portland Classic Amateur Open and qualified for her first LPGA event.

Olivia Moultrie, 17 – Soccer

After making her professional debut in the NWSL in 2021, Moultrie scored her first goal for the Portland Thorns in 2022. She won a championship with the club just a few months later, and she soaked in (most of) the celebrations.

Jaedyn Shaw, 18 – Soccer

Shaw is another teenager who has made a splash in the NWSL. She joined the San Diego Wave in July, she wasted no time, scoring her first professional goal in her first start. She finished the season with three goals for the expansion club.

Alyssa Thompson, 18 – Soccer

In September, Thompson became the youngest player since Sophia Smith to earn a senior national team call-up. She made her debut with the USWNT in front of a packed crowd at Wembley Stadium in London and finished the year with two caps.

Gretchen Walsh, 19 – Swimming

Walsh had a breakout freshman season for Virginia, becoming the first freshman ever to crack 21 seconds in the 50 freestyle. One of just two swimmers to break 21 seconds in the meet, she was bested only by teammate Douglass, who took gold. She later won the 100 freestyle with the fourth-fastest collegiate swim of all time.

Katie Ledecky dominated yet again in 2022, but she already has her sights set on the future.

The 25-year-old swimmer won the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award, announced Wednesday. She won all four of her events at the 2022 world championships, for 22 career medals and 19 career golds in that competition.

Ledecky, who also won the AP award in 2017, was selected by a panel of 40 sportswriters and editors. She and track star Sydney McLaughlin each received the same number of total points (22), but Ledecky won the tiebreaker, with 10 first-place votes compared to nine for McLaughlin.

Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson finished third, followed by South Carolina women’s basketball forward Aliyah Boston and Polish tennis player Iga Świątek in fourth.

“I know so many great athletes have won this honor,” Ledecky said. “I’m really happy — happy with how my year went, and also excited about the future.”

As this year ends, she is eying the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where she is expected to compete in at least four events.

At the world championships in Budapest, she won her specialties — the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle — and also won the 400 freestyle and the 4×200 freestyle relay.

She has not slowed down, even as she shifted her training from California to Florida. She has held the long-course world record in both the 800 and 1,500 since 2013, and she won both races by at least 10 seconds at worlds. She also set the short-course records in both events this year, though she rarely competes in short-course races.

“I’m very driven, and I’m always setting new goals for myself no matter what I’ve achieved in the past,” she told NBC Sports earlier this month. “I’m always looking forward, I don’t take very many breaks, and so it’s always on to the next goal and making sure I’m doing the little things right and doing the things I need to do to reach my goals.”

Ledecky has not counted out the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the Associated Press reported.

“I’m always setting new goals for myself,” Ledecky said. “I enjoy the process more and more every year. What it takes to stay at this level. What it takes to continue to have your eyes set on something that’s a couple of years away.”

A group of current and former Cal swimmers and parents of swimmers are concerned about the direction and independence of an investigation into abuse allegations against Teri McKeever, the coach of the women’s team.

The four-time NCAA champion coach has been accused by Golden Bears swimmers of verbal and emotional abuse and bullying during her 29-year career at UC Berkeley. The allegations first came to light in a bombshell report from the Orange County Register in May.

In the wake of the allegations, Cal placed McKeever on administrative leave and commissioned an independent investigation, which is being conducted by the law firm of Munger, Tolles and Olson. McKeever, 60, has been interviewed multiple times by four attorneys as part of the university-sponsored investigation, the OC Register reported.

Yet multiple current and former swimmers have questioned the attorneys hired for the investigation. Brad Brian, who holds the top position at Munger, Tolles and Olson, is a leading fundraiser for the Cal athletic department.

“I had nothing to do with our firm being hired to investigate the allegations against Coach McKeever, have played no role whatsoever in that investigation, and haven’t discussed the investigation with anyone at Cal,” Brian said in a statement.

Swimmers also have criticized what they perceive as the narrow focus of the investigation on McKeever. Investigators have not asked swimmers about senior executive associate athletic director Jennifer Simon-O’Neill or athletic director Jim Knowlton, who swimmers say enabled McKeever’s behavior, per the OC Register.

A former Cal administration official told the OC Register that top officials within the athletic department knew of McKeever’s alleged behavior “for years.”

On Aug. 31, a group of 31 swimmers and 22 parents of swimmers sent a letter to the UC Berkeley chancellor and other university leaders. In the letter, they address concerns with the investigation.

“Our experience has shown that widespread university leadership has failed to take action on our concerns,” the letter reads. “Beyond the athletic department, which university departments are included in the investigation? Who is responsible for leading a university-wide shift in culture toward protecting student athletes?”

Dan Mogulof, an assistant vice chancellor at UC Berkeley, told Just Women’s Sports in a statement that the athletic department has “provided the investigators with complete authority to conduct an impartial investigation to ensure they can follow any and all relevant information.”

“We have a very strong institutional interest in knowing if and when our policies and values are violated, and we will not hesitate to impose appropriate consequences when warranted,” he said in the statement. “The campus has directed the investigators to conduct a complete and thorough investigation of the allegations regarding Coach McKeever that have been presented to them. At the same time, we do understand that the time required for a thorough and fair investigation has been the source of frustration.

“However, it would only undermine the purpose, legitimacy, and utility of the investigation were the campus to step in and bring it to a halt before the investigators’ work is completed. We are unable to comment on any other aspect of the investigation beyond what we have shared to date.”

In addition to the investigation by Munger, Tolles and Olson, McKeever also is being investigated by the university’s Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination and by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

A group of 31 current and former Cal swimmers and 22 parents of swimmers sent a letter to the University of California, Berkeley chancellor and other university leaders last Wednesday calling on them to address the “toxic culture” within the program.

Teri McKeever, the coach of the women’s team, has been accused by Golden Bears swimmers of verbal and emotional abuse and bullying. The allegations first came to light in a bombshell report from the Orange County Register in May.

McKeever was placed on administrative leave in the aftermath of the report, and an investigation is ongoing.

“For us former swimmers, the consequences of McKeever’s coaching, the culture of fear and intimidation on the team, and the athletic department’s disappointing failure to protect its student-athletes have unfortunately followed us into adulthood,” reads the letter, as obtained by Just Women’s Sports. The letter also notes that in addition to the reports already made public, “many more stories” have not been shared.

The letter was sent via email to Carol Christ, the chancellor of UC Berkeley; Michael Drake, the president of the University of California system; Rich Leib, vice chair of the University of California board of regents; and other university leaders.

Swimmers who signed the letter include two-time NCAA champion Cindy Tran, NCAA finalist and two-time Big 12 champion Lindsey King, four-time world championship qualifier Sophia Batchelor and more. The swimmers’ careers with Cal ranged from 1990 to 2020.

Six swimmers who signed the letter chose not to give their names to the media, but they include an Olympic medalist, former team captains, NCAA champions and All-Americans. Per the letter, 15 other swimmers supported the message but chose to remain anonymous from the university leaders as well.

“In the weeks since the news broke, many of us have found solidarity and comfort in reconnecting with former teammates, supporting one another, and rebuilding the bonds that were broken by our isolating and traumatizing experiences at Cal,” the letter reads.

The swimmers and the parents who signed the letter pressed university leaders to protect the athletes still within the program.

“We expect you now to not let history repeat itself and urgently call on you to stop the abuse that continues with each new class,” they wrote. “As program alumnae, it is an understatement to say that we are very concerned that a toxic culture in the swimming program continues to reward coaches, protect predators, and safeguard those who use outdated and trauma-inducing tactics.”

Since 2018, at least six Cal women’s swimmers said they had made plans to kill themselves or dealt with weeks of suicidal ideation because of “what they describe as McKeever’s bullying,” the OC Register reported.

One swimmer penned an anonymous first-person essay for Sports Illustrated, affirming the abuse allegations and describing her own experiences.

In the wake of the allegations, Cal commissioned an independent investigation conducted by the law firm of Munger, Tolles and Olson. McKeever also is being investigated by the university’s Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination and by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

Dan Mogulof, an assistant vice chancellor at UC Berkeley, told Just Women’s Sports in a statement Saturday that the university would respond to the swimmers directly.

Katherine McAdoo, a former Cal swimmer who helped coordinate the letter, told Just Women’s Sports that those who sent the letter received a response from the university over the weekend. The group is currently meeting to discuss next steps.

Mogulof also said that the university is “acutely aware” that it has work to do in building and creating a culture that “provides an authentic sense of belonging, safety, respect and inclusion.”

The university is also implementing a new Presidential Policy on Abusive Conduct in the Workplace, “which will cover abusive conduct and retaliation in the workplace, including behavior by coaches,” Mogulof wrote.

As for the swim program, the women’s and men’s teams have been training together ahead of the upcoming NCAA season. Former men’s head coach Dave Durden will serve as acting director of both programs, and David Marsh will step in as associate head coach of the women’s program.

“The top priority for the coaching staff will be to create and maintain a positive environment and culture that will help support the swimmers’ aspirations and well-being in the pool, in their classes, in their lives beyond the campus,” Mogulof wrote.

The office of the University of California system president said in a statement to Just Women’s Sports that President Drake “is aware of the concerning allegations reported by our student athletes and supports the investigation currently underway.”

McKeever previously has declined to comment on the situation. Her attorney, Thomas Newkirk, has said that she is the victim of a double standard with respect to how male and female coaches are viewed and judged.

As head coach of the Cal women’s team since 1993, McKeever has led the Golden Bears to five Pac-12 titles and four NCAA championships. She has also served as a U.S. women’s swim coach for four Olympic Games, including as head coach in London in 2012, and has helped produce 26 Olympians from Cal who have gone on to win 36 medals.

Emma Hruby is an Associate Editor at Just Women’s Sports.

Ariarne Titmus made history at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday as Australia set a new world record to win the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay in a time of 7 minutes, 39.29 seconds.

The Aussies beat the previous best, set by China at the Tokyo Olympics, by 1.04 seconds.

Titmus anchored the relay with a time of 1:52.82, the fastest relay split ever. She became the first woman to break 1:53 in a relay split.

The world record in the 200-meter individual freestyle is 1:52.98, set by Federica Pellegrini at the 2009 world championships. Those world championships were the last of the super suit era, as the suits were later banned at the beginning of 2010.

Titmus touched first for Australia, more than 12 seconds ahead of Canada, which took silver, and another five seconds ahead of England, which finished in third.

Also on Sunday, Emma McKeon became the most successful athlete in Commonwealth Games history, winning her 11th career gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle. She surpassed fellow Australian swimmers Ian Thorpe, Susie O’Neill and Leisel Jones for most career golds at the Games.

“It is a fun event for me, the 50. I feel like I am a lot more relaxed this year than last year,” McKeon said. “I have not done as much work as I had this time last year but the place I am in mentally is showing in my performances.”

In total, McKeon has won 16 Commonwealth Games medals. With four more races to go, she could surpass the record of 18 career medals.

Katie Ledecky may be using the U.S. swimming championships as an opportunity to swim in some unusual events, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t winning them.

The 10-time Olympic medalist took gold in the 400-meter individual medley in a time of 4 minutes, 35.77 seconds.

Not only was the time just a little over four seconds off of the American record (4:31.12), it also would have won her bronze at this year’s world championships. The mark also stands as best time of her career — two seconds ahead of her previous best of 4:37.93 from 2016 — and puts her at No. 13 all-time among American women.

Leah Smith, an Olympic bronze medalist in the 400 freestyle, battled Ledecky to the end and took silver with a time of 4:36.36. Delicia Pasadyn took third in 4:42.79.

Despite the win, Ledecky doesn’t think she’ll be adding the event to her lineup anytime soon. In Tokyo, she swam an Olympic record 6,200 meters all in freestyle races.

“I’ve got a lot of meters of racing that I would like to do at the big meets, so I think adding the 400m IM is a little bit of a stretch,” she said.

Ledecky has had a strong nationals so far, winning both the 200 and 800 freestyles as well as the 400 IM.

Katie Ledecky continues to dominate at the U.S. national championships. The 25-year-old won the 200-meter freestyle Wednesday with a time of 1:54.50.

That time would have won gold at the world championships in June by nearly half a second, beating out China’s Yang Junxuan, who won the title in 1:54.92. Ledecky passed on the event at worlds, in part because the semifinal heats took place on the same night as the 1,500 freestyle final, NBC Sports reported.

At the U.S. championships in Irvine, California, Ledecky beat the next closest competitor by 1.64 seconds. Erin Gemmell, 17, took silver in 1:56.14, making her the ninth-fastest American woman in history, and Claire Tuggle took third in a time of 1:58.34.

For Ledecky, the swim came one day after she opened the meet with a staggering win in the 800 freestyle. With her time of 8:12.03, she won gold by 19.89 seconds over second-place finisher Kensey McMahon. Ledecky now owns the 29 fastest times in history.

“I’m happy with that,” said Ledecky, whose time Tuesday sits at No. 19 on the all-time list. “I didn’t really have any expectations coming into this.”

 

The time was faster than the time she swam to win gold in Tokyo last summer at the Olympics, but not quite as fast as the 8:08.04 she scored at the world championships earlier this summer. With that time, she won her fifth consecutive world title in the event – becoming the first swimmer to do so. She also set a women’s record for the most career worlds medals with 21.

In all, this summer has been faster than the last for Ledecky, who moved her training base to Florida in September.

Her domination comes mere days after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris announced its swimming event lineup, with some reshuffling that could mean more Ledecky swims.

The 200-meter freestyle was moved to Day 3, avoiding a conflict with the 1,500 on Day 4. Ledecky won the 1,500 in Tokyo but missed the podium in the shorter event.

For now, Ledecky will keep her sights on U.S. nationals, with the 100 freestyle and 400 individual medley still to swim.

The 2022 ESPYs celebrated the best players, teams and moments in sports Wednesday, and some of the best in women’s sports were recognized for their accomplishments.

Jocelyn Alo was named the best college athlete in women’s sports following her record-breaking season. A two-time national champion with Oklahoma, Alo leaves her collegiate career behind with the all-time NCAA home run record across softball and baseball.

Alo accepted the award via Zoom during the ESPYs preview show, as the category was not presented at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Alo was present at the ceremony, though — she and her Oklahoma teammates were up for the Best Team award.

“It means a lot to me and my family, just with the journey that we’ve been through,” she said. “This is just a stepping stone for softball and women’s sports in general. It’s great that people are starting to realize women are just as fun to watch, if not more fun to watch.”

Katie Ledecky was named best overall athlete in women’s sports for her stellar summer for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, at which she won two gold and two silver medals. Ledecky also took home the award for best Olympian in women’s sports.

“To all of the young athletes out there, all of the young kids, young adults: find something that you really love, that you’re good at, that can be a positive force in our world,” she said.

Megan Rapinoe won the award for best play for her Olimpico at last summer’s Olympics. In her speech, she highlighted efforts to bring home WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February.

Candace Parker won Best WNBA Player, while Nelly Korda took home the award for women’s golf and Emma Raducanu for women’s tennis. Jessica Long was named best athlete with a disability in women’s sports.

Washington Spirit star Ashley Hatch, who won the Golden Boot last season, added to her awards haul with the Best NWSL Player award. Sam Kerr was named the best international athlete in women’s soccer.

Skiing star Eileen Gu took home two awards, Best Breakthrough Athlete and Best Athlete in Women’s Action Sports.

Canadian swimmer Mary-Sophie Harvey said Wednesday via Instagram that she was drugged on the final night of the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in June.

In the post, Harvey says that there is a “four-to-six hour window where I can’t recall a single thing.” In addition to a statement, Harvey shared photographs of bruising that she received while unconscious. Harvey added that there are other bruises she didn’t feel comfortable sharing.

Harvey was competing in her first World Championships meet since 2017. She swam in the 200-meter individual medley and finished in eighth, and she won a bronze medal as part of the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay team. Harvey also competed for Canada at last year’s Olympics.

In her post, the swimmer said she has “never felt more ashamed.”

“It felt like the body I was in, wasn’t mine (it still feels this way),” she wrote. “I got home and found a dozen bruises on my body. Some of my friends told me afterwards that they had to carry me while I was unconscious and it probably explained why.”

Harvey wrote that she wound up going to the hospital where she received testing and treatment. There, it was revealed she had suffered a rib sprain and small concussion.

“To anyone reading this, please be careful,” she continued. “I thought I was safe, that it would never happen to me, especially while being surrounded by friends. But it did…and I wish someone and educated me on the matter prior to that night.

“I’m still scared to think about the unknowns of that night.”

Swimming Canada responded to SwimSwam when asked about the incident and revealed that, to the organization’s knowledge, athletes had left the team hotel on the final night of the championships.

“We are aware there was an incident the night before departure from Budapest,” they wrote. “As soon as team staff became aware, Mary received excellent medical treatment from our team physician on site, and was cleared to travel home.

“Staff have been in contact with Mary since her return and we are offering her support. We continue to gather information on the situation, and the file has been forwarded to our independent Safe Sport officer.”

A statement from FINA was later issued to CNN.

“We are in contact with Swimming Canada and the Local Organising Committee. In 2021, FINA adopted widespread measures aimed at safeguarding athletes and an Independent Investigation Officer will be assigned to investigate the matter further,” FINA said.