United States’ Katie Ledecky holds the gold medal after the women’s 200-meter freestyle during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Michael Phelps won the gold medal with 1 minute 53.36 seconds.
Advertisement
But as she takes to her block on Friday and attempts to make history again, Ledecky, a Catholic, will likely ask for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Ledecky anchored the USA women’s 4×200 freestyle relay, leading the Americans cruise to victory ahead of Australia and Canada, who won silver and bronze respectively.
Milking the acclaim of the crowd, Phelps climbed, Wimbledon tennis-style, past a bank of poolside photographers to kiss little Boomer and fiancee Nicole Johnson after an emotional medals ceremony.
“That event was kind of like my bread and butter”, Phelps said. Having that come to an end is weird.
Kenderesi added: “Michael was my biggest idol when I was a child”. Satisfied with the accomplishment, Phelps declared, “That’s the last time I’ll ever swim it”.
Over at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Ledecky and Franklin go for the gold in the 200m freestyle and Phelps gets a rematch against London victor Chad le Clos of South Africa in the men’s 200m fly final. Chad Le Clos of South Africa, Phelps’ conqueror four years ago, finished fourth. Ledecky brought her relay team from behind to victory as the anchor with a split time of 1 minute 53.74 seconds.
Biles, Lauren Hernandez, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman also gave retiring national team coordinator Martha Karolyi a fitting send off with powerful performances on all the apparatuses. “To have three golds, it’s unreal”. Great Britain Siobhan-Marie O’Connor grabbed the silver medal in a new Great British record of 2:06.88. Bronze went to American Maya Dirado, touching in 2:08.79.
Teenage sensation Ledecky held off Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom to add the 200m freestyle crown to her previous success over 400m.
The 200 butterfly is the race that Phelps wanted to win the most here.
China led at the start before Australia, with Emma McKeon swimming the second leg, handed over in the lead to Bronte Barratt.
It was a night of world records in Rio.
Even though Ledecky was victorious in the 200-meter freestyle on Tuesday, she admitted afterwords that she wasn’t sure she had won. It was Russia’s second gold in judo at the Games. Joe Clarke (kayak (K1) men) and divers Chris Mears and Jack Laugher (men’s synchronised 3m springboard) were the gold medallists as GB took its tally to three. Trstenjak beat second-seeded Clarisse Agbegnenou of France.
Japan’s Uchimura dazzles in gymnastics: With a dazzling 15.8 on the high bar, Kohei Uchimura, the superstar gymnast from Japan, won the men’s all-around title on Wednesday night, edging Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine by less than a tenth of the point to capture his second straight Olympic gold.
Advertisement
For Britain, who had qualified first for the final, James Guy overhauled Takeshi Matsuda on the final leg to take the silver in 7:03.13, with Japan clocking 7:03.50 for the Bronze.
