How NCAA Swimmers Navigate the 400 IM

How NCAA Swimmers Navigate the 400 IM – Arguably Swimming’s Hardest Race

For sprinters, there’s no pleasure like the push of power that comes from a 50 freestyle. For distance swimmers, the grinding battle usually generates a way of delight. These are two very completely different swimmers, additionally coaching in vastly other ways. But the mere point out of 1 race usually strikes worry into each: the 400 particular person medley. 

Featuring all strokes, the 400 IM is essentially thought to be one in every of swimming’s biggest challenges. Strength in all 4 strokes is required, together with a robust cardio capability to deal with the race’s size. This mixture makes it a novel occasion, one requiring a particular sort of swimmer for achievement. 

While the highway to turning into an amazing 400 IMer is extremely troublesome, many have definitely risen to the problem. We spoke with two of faculty swimming’s greatest within the occasion, Tristan Jankovics of Ohio State and Campbell Stoll of Texas, to uncover the secrets and techniques behind the race. Jankovics was the silver medalist on the 2025 NCAA Men’s Championships whereas Stoll completed tenth on the NCAA Women’s Champs. 

Training Approach

With the 400 IM being such a novel race, coaching accurately is a problem. Balancing an emphasis on the “stroke” side and cardio capability throughout coaching may be troublesome, because it’s laborious to mix each into one follow. Both swimmers described rising up with extra of a “stroke” focus at follow, given their respective strengths. However, by including extra cardio freestyle units, they’ve been capable of take their IMs to new heights. 

Stoll pointed to the freestyle as important to her confidence in her again half of the race. “You really need to work on the freestyle, because that’s how you end the 400,” Stoll mentioned. “It’s helped me gain a lot of confidence at the end of the race.”

For Jankovics, further freestyle work has helped not simply offered a bodily enhance.

“The yardage has definitely helped with my fitness, but also just (my) mental toughness,” Jankovics mentioned.

Working on Weaknesses

Even on the elite degree recognized by these collegiate athletes, each swimmer has a “strong stroke” and a “weak stroke.” In order to be environment friendly within the IM, although, consistency in all 4 strokes is a necessity. It’s why the athletes emphasised {that a} deal with their less-developed strokes at follow was equally vital.

“We prefer to say ‘focus on your weaknesses, but keep your strengths sharp,’” Jankovics said. “We’re consistently mixing issues up, and it’s made me develop.”

Both swimmers pointed to the butterfly leg as a key focus not too long ago, however in very other ways. For Stoll, that leg is a power to enhance upon. 

“Working on gaining confidence in my butterfly, and trusting myself to go out fast,” Stoll mentioned of her mindset. “It’s something that could transform my I.M.”

For Jankovics, the leg was one thing to enhance upon. 

“We’ve been putting a lot of work into the butterfly, just to find an easy speed to start the race off with,” he famous. 

Race-Day Revelations

While it’s vital to make sure all strokes are sturdy to achieve success within the 400 IM, it’s unattainable to make all of them excellent. That’s when race technique usually comes into play. The swimmers identified that many opponents swim the race in several methods, usually seeking to preserve their power for his or her greatest strokes. This pondering presents an attention-grabbing problem, because it’s laborious to know what to anticipate from any competitor. 

“You kind of have to put your blinders on, but balance that with going out there and racing,” mentioned Stoll. “I’m always telling myself: ‘stick to the gameplan, but don’t forget to have fun and race.’”

Jankovics referenced NCAAs final March as a studying second. The Ohio State standout completed second, however felt like he carried out outdoors of himself. 

“My biggest takeaway was that I wasn’t used to situational racing,” he mentioned. “I didn’t realize those around me would take it out that fast, and so I’ve got to learn there are different factors to every race, and stay true to myself.”

The outdated saying “swim your own race” seemingly applies greater than ever within the occasion. But with a gradual psychological focus, the swimmers have realized to deal with their enterprise within the water. 

Accepting the Challenge

The unpredictability and distinctive coaching required for the 400 IM place a heavy toll on those that select to swim it. However, Jankovics and Stoll welcome the adversity.

“I just kind of get in the mindset where I know it’s going to be hard. I know it’s going to hurt, and that’s okay,” Stoll mentioned.