At just 19 years-old, Katie Ledecky is the one to beat at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and she’s beating them all!
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It’s not an ideal distance for her, but just to show how dominating she is, she managed a narrow victory over Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom by.35 seconds, in a time of 1 minute, 53.73 seconds.
“That hurt pretty badly”, Ledecky said. Phelps holds the world and Olympic records in the event.
Well, she sort of had fun.
She has two events still to come and the teen was asked after Tuesday’s race if she was the future of American swimming. “I’m pretty sure it’s the closest I’ve come to throwing up in the middle of a race”. The death stare, the media talking, it was going to be a huge race. “And just to see the 56 up there feels really good”.
“I couldn’t se anything going on around me”. This afternoon, Ledecky plans on getting her rest. “Women’s swimming in this meet has been incredible; to be in a collective final like that has been a great honor”. He swam so impressively in a time trial a week before the Olympics that Bowman put him on the 4×100 team, a decision Phelps more than justified with his race-altering relay leg Sunday night.
Nearly everyone finishes behind the United States in the men’s 800 freestyle relay. Only Debbie Meyer (1968) has accomplished the feat.
The victory was particularly special for the swimmer who finished second in the 200 fly at the London Games with a mental mistake at the finish.
Yet it’s only the third time in Olympic history that the Americans have taken the team title (2012 and 1996 were two previous titles).
Since then Ledecky, who attended Catholic schools in Bethesda, Md., has become the world record holder in the 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyles, and the American record holder in the 500-, 1000- and 1650-yard freestyles.
In other soccer action, the defending champion USA women’s soccer team takes on Columbia.
At 50 meters, Ledecky was in fifth place. She has executed similar marvels in the 400- and 800-meter.
It’s a bit sad that Ledecky’s colleagues can’t simply celebrate her achievements and rejoice that they’re on the same team with the best swimmer in the world, but find themselves worrying about being “beaten by a girl”.
She also said people need to look beyond athletics for inspiration.
In attendance was Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky, Katie’s uncle.
This is why sports and the Olympics are the best. “It’s always very tough mentally”.
Ledecky said she nearly threw up with 25-meters left to go, so shattered was she by the long sprint.
She’s excited about the 800 relay Wednesday, and also thrilled to have the morning off.
MEDAL STRIPPED: A Ukrainian javelin thrower was stripped of his silver medal from the 2012 London Olympics, becoming the latest athlete disqualified after the retesting of stored doping samples. “That was the last time I’ll ever swim it”.
“I wanted to hold him longer”, Phelps said.
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Ledecky could easily take home more gold medals in Rio, so here’s what you should know about the Olympic superstar for the weeks ahead. Where does she get her urge to win at all costs? By the time she got to the other end of the pool she was four-tenths of a second ahead.
