Four years ago at London 2012 at the age of 15 she won the 800m freestyle, a title she hopes to successfully defend when the final is held on 12 August. The 19 year-old American clocked a qualifying time seven seconds faster than the rest in her heat, and would surely power away from the field sooner rather than later.
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Even before stepping foot on Stanford’s campus she has equaled Cardinal greats Jenny Thompson, Summer Sanders and two others for the most Olympic medals won at one Games.
We already knew that Ledecky was operating on another level after her earlier performances in Rio, which included a record-shattering swim in the 400-meter freestyle.
Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps are favorites to add to their medal hauls.
Missy Franklin was among the preliminary swimmers dropped for the final. “I’m just honored and privileged to have the chance to race alongside him”.
Ledecky was the anchor in the 4×200 event, and as she dove in for her turn, she appeared to be in a pinch. Winning the silver medal were the Australians with 7:44.87.
“I was probably just concentrating on doing my own work.”
At age 19, she’s both the youngest member of the USA swim team and its most sure-thing victor.
The action gets under way with heats in the men’s 800 in the morning session.
Her paternal grandmother, who is Czech, once spent a year working as a translator for Albert Einstein at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.
“It feels like gold that I’m after her”, she said of Ledecky. And at 31 years old, he watched Schooling, 21, touch the wall first at 50.39 – breaking Phelps’ Olympic mark of 50.58 that he set at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Leah Smith, a graduate of Oakland Catholic high school, will be bringing home a gold medal to Pittsburgh. Maya DiRado of the United States, who has won gold, silver and bronze at her first Olympics, was third fastest in 2:08.60.
In the women’s all-around, Simone Biles is the favorite to win gold and Aly Raisman will be a medal contender.
Belmonte Garcia claimed a pair of silver medals in London, including a runner-up finish in the 200 fly.
Franklin said her parents have remained positive this week, reminding her that everything will be OK and those around her still love her no matter what.
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China led at the start before Australia, with Emma McKeon swimming the second leg, handed over in the lead to Bronte Barratt.
