She still has the 200 free and 800 free to go, plus two relays.
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Katie Ledecky already holds the world-record in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meter freestyles, so now all that’s left for the 19-year-old Washingtonian is to beat her own scores.
“When she does that, part of you is in awe and part of you is trying like insane to catch up to her”, Smith said of Ledecky with a laugh. It was apparent the old record’s hours were growing short after Ledecky clocked a 3:58.71 in the afternoon preliminary heats. This time, she will enter the race as the unquestionable favorite instead of the unlikely contender she was at age 15.
With yet another dazzling performance, the most decorated athlete in Olympic history added to his staggering haul Sunday night in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, giving the United States a lead it never relinquished.
“I knew before the Olympic games that something was missing, I knew no other girls had won an Olympic medal before and I thought maybe it’s time“.
Four hundred-meter swimming races at the Olympic level with margins of victory nearing a quarter lap are practically unheard of – and the first two nights of the Rio Games gifted the world two such blowouts.
But she tore that time to pieces to finish ahead of Britain’s Jazz Carlin and USA teammate Leah Smith.
“I am obviously a little bit devastated, but this is the best that I have done at an Olympics”, Ashwood said.
On Saturday, Ledecky made her Olympic sprint debut, anchoring the US 400 freestyle relay that earned the silver medal and set an American record. Defending Olympic champion France took the silver in 3:10.53, while Australia rallied for the bronze in 3:11.37.
Sjostrom led from the start and touched in 55.48 seconds, breaking the mark of 55.64 she set at last year’s world championships. It was never really in doubt at that point, as Adrian touched first in 3 minutes, 9.92 seconds.
She qualified second for Monday’s 100 breaststroke final, 0.02 seconds behind Lilly King of the United States.
Cheered on by fiancee Nicole and toddler Boomer in the stands, the peerless Phelps again provided the spark, producing a blistering 47.12-second leg to overtake France’s Fabien Gilot and set up victory in the 4x100m free. Her nearest competitor, Great Britain’s Jazz Carlin, earned the silver medal nearly five seconds behind Ledecky. “I didn’t realize it was a world record”.
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New Zealand’s top medal hope, Lauren Boyle, failed to qualify for the 400m freestyle final but will be competing against Ledecky in the 800m – Boyle’s favoured event – on Friday. Canadian Penny Oleksiak took silver with a time of 56.46 seconds. Teammate Katie Meili swam the fifth fastest time and also qualified for the final in the event. For his relay team mates Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Held, it was their first Olympic medal. “I was just trying to set a [personal] best time, and for me that just happens to be a world record”.
