In one way, Katie Ledecky is morphing, right here in front of an global audience, into an everyone-knows-who-she-is star, the premier female freestyle swimmer not just of these Olympics but of all time. By the next year, she was at 1:55.16, and maintained that identical mark in 2015, the year which produced a world title and was part of her 200-400-800-1500 sweep in Kazan.
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It was a bittersweet win for her.
DiRado was a late addition to the US women’s 4×200 freestyle relay team Wednesday, swimming the third leg ahead of teammate Katie Ledecky to help secure Team USA’s fifth gold in the event in the past six Olympics.
“I got in the lead and wasn’t about to let it go”.
“I think my emotions are so high right now that I just want to soak that in and figure out the rest later”.
As did everyone at Olympic Aquatics Stadium. Phelps, who had announced his retirement after London but launched a comeback in 2014, then celebrated by climbing into the stands to embrace his fiancee Nicole and kiss his baby son Boomer. Swimmers Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky are set to compete along with Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross playing against Switzerland in beach volleyball. Once again proving her dominance, Ledecky erased that 0.89 deficit and finished the race almost two seconds ahead of second-place Australia. For some teams, this would be a crisis. For Ledecky to touch the wall in 1:53.73, less than a quarter of a second shy of the Olympic record and.35 seconds ahead of Sjostrom, cemented her place in history, especially if she wins the 800 as expected Friday.
Phelps said he’s been texting with former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis, talking about the right way to end his career.
The 19-year-old from suburban Washington crushed the world record in the 400 and will be an overwhelming favorite in the 800, where she’s the world-record holder and far faster than anyone else in the world.
He was the last competitor to leave the pool deck. Now, he’s got an even 20 gold medals.
Ledecky, who had already earned two gold medals and a silver prior to the race, tore through the water to give Team USA a huge win.
Since 1960, the Americans have won the event 12 times, finishing third in Barcelona and second to Australia in 2000. Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden claimed the silver and Emma McKeon of Australia took the bronze. Over the winter, as the United States’ swim team was training, one male swimmer, after a session, said: “That was so hard I feel like I’m going to throw up”.
That is the American goal in each Olympic pool. Americans have won more swimming medals than any country in every Olympic games since 1988.
The Americans touched home in 7 minutes 00.66 seconds.
USA Network hosts live coverage of equestrian team jumping at 9 a.m., while CNBC airs live coverage of men’s rugby as the US faces Brazil at 5 p.m. Schmitt was followed by Leah Smith, then Maya DiRado, before Ledecky finished off the race.
Hosszu, the “Iron Lady” who withdrew from the 200 butterfly earlier on Tuesday to prepare for the individual medley final, is entered in one more individual event, the 200 backstroke.
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“You’re never too old to call your mom crying and asking her for advice”, Franklin said. “It’s nearly like you get mad when that happens, and I kind of swim better when I’m mad”. She had five double-faults in one game alone in the 6-4, 6-3 loss to the 20th-ranked Svitolina.
