Kate Ziegler

Kate on keeping expectations in check

“If you feel drained after preparing for and competing in a big meet, consider adjusting your expectations for awhile. Your body and mind will tell you to take care of yourself to avoid burnout. Give yourself time to recover. You’ll come back stronger.”


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Kate Ziegler’s record-breaking ways earned her the title of 2006 Female High School Athlete of the Year by Swimming World Magazine. In a little more than 12 months, this phenom left three long-standing American distance swimming records in her wake:

  • First, she first broke Sippy Woodhead’s 25-year- old record in the 800m freestyle (scm) at the 2005 World Cup, which at the time was the oldest American record on the books
  • Next, she took down two of Janet Evans’s distance records in the 1000y freestyle and finished almost four seconds under Janet’s 1988 time in the 500y freestyle
  • Then, she smashed her own record in the 800m free (scm) at the 2006 World Cup

Then came 2007. As if she had more to prove, Kate continued her “broken record” theme. In June, she obliterated the longest-standing swimming world record when she shattered Janet Evans’s 1500m freestyle world record in 15:32.90.

In 2008, Kate qualified for her first Olympic team by placing second in both the 400m freestyle and 800m freestyle at Trials. There’s no stopping this one!

Read more about Kate in SPLASH magazine, courtesy of USA Swimming - November/December 2010 | November/December 2011

Watch Kate’s aha moments:

Vitals

  • Birthday: June 27, 1988
  • Hometown: Great Falls, Virginia

Sweet Achievement:

“Making the 2008 Olympic team”

Winning Record

  • World Championships
    2011 – Silver, 1500m freestyle; Bronze, 800m freestyle
    2010 – Bronze, 800m freestyle (scm)
    2007 – Gold, 1500m freestyle; Gold, 800m freestyle
    2006 – Gold, 400m freestyle (scm); Silver, 800m freestyle (scm); Bronze, 800m freestyle relay (scm) (WR)
    2005 – Gold, 1500m freestyle; Gold, 800m freestyle
    2004 – Silver, 800m freestyle (scm)
  • Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships
    2010 – Gold, 800m freestyle; Silver, 1500 freestyle
    2006 – Gold, 800m freestyle; Gold, 1500m freestyle
  • Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool
    2010 – Gold, 400m freestyle; Bronze, 200m freestyle

Race Clips