Katie Grimes has been on a run and has grabbed the podium finish in the second leg of the ongoing Swimming World Cup 2023. The event has witnessed some of the greatest performers and Grimes is surely one of those who has impressed the world alike. She clinched gold in the 200-meter backstroke with a spectacular finish of 2:11.32 and got better of her Australian rival Kaylee McKeown.
Apart from her recent success, the Las Vegas native was also the first-ever athlete to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic team. Her remarkable achievements and victories were recently honored at an NFL game where passionate fans cheered for the 17-year-old swimming phenom at the top of their lungs.
Champions admire champion
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The heartwarming moment came when Grimes attended a Sunday night football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders. Amid the excitement of the game, Grimes’ swimming achievements were displayed on the big screen, and it took no time for the fans to acknowledge the local hero. As reported by Swimming World, the $6 billion-worth Las Vegas Raiders and their more than 15 million fans proudly celebrated the achievements of the young swimming sensation.
Grimes, who was in the stands, accepted the recognition and waved to the crowd. The Sandpiper swimmer deserved the appreciation, as she has been one of the most dominant performers for the United States in 2023. In the Swimming World Championship, she claimed medals both in the pool and in the open water.
In the 10K open water event, she was able to finish in the top three and win the bronze medal. This performance also stamped the automatic Olympic qualification of the American prodigy. If that was not enough, then she kept on achieving one milestone after another to ensure that she was going to be the next big thing in the swimming world.
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The swimming prodigy is just getting started
In the same competition, she also won a silver in the 400-meter individual medley with a spellbinding finish of 4:31.41. Even in the ongoing swimming World Cup, she kept the American flag high. On Saturday, she blazed through the Greek pool and won gold in the 400-meter medley. She clocked an impressive time of 4:38:74 seconds and got better than her Japanese rivals, Waka Kobori and Ageha Tanigawa, who placed second and third, respectively.
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Grimes was the quickest to earn 872 Aqua Points for her impressive performance. With these recent performances, Grimes has solidified her position for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and her competitors will need to put in significant effort to surpass her. This swimming sensation has captured the world’s attention with her remarkable achievements so far.
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