The 2023 U.S. Open Swimming Championships kicked off tonight in Greensboro, North Carolina with a short session featuring the timed finals of the men’s and women’s 800 freestyle events. The women’s event saw three-time defending Olympic Gold Medalist Katie Ledecky dominate, posting a time of 8:15.91 to win by 14 seconds. Paige Madden took second place with a time of 8:29.91, and Jillian Cox placed third with a time of 8:33.77.
In the men’s 800 freestyle, Charlie Clark took the lead and never looked back, finishing with a time of 7:50.49 to claim the top spot on the podium. David Johnston finished in second place with a time of 7:53.87, and Ilia Sibirtsev took third with a time of 7:54.36.
Notably, 14-year-old Luka Mijatovic, who holds the 13-14 national age group record in the event, posted a time of 8:05.44 to place 8th overall in the men’s 800 freestyle.
The competition continues tomorrow with the 400 freestyle prelims. Fans can catch all the action live on YouTube.