Ledecky has her eyes set on the first of what could be three individual gold medals for her in Rio as she competes in the women’s 400m freestyle final, a race in which she is a two-time world champion.
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Ledecky led from start to finish to set a new mark of three minutes, 56.46 seconds, bettering the 3:58.37 she set in Australia two years ago. Efimova won her preliminary heat – there were audible boos from the crowd after she touched the wall – and ultimately qualified second heading into the women’s 100 breaststroke semifinals Sunday night behind American Lilly King.
The U.S. women’s relay performance was fitting on a day when American teenager Ginny Thrasher, competing in the women’s 10-meter air rifle, won the first gold medal of the Rio Games. Ledecky already holds world records in the 400m, 800m and 1500m but she doesn’t consider herself a sprinter. Ledecky has dominated the longer freestyle events since winning gold in the 800 free at the London Olympics as a 15-year-old.
She should have plenty to laugh about here in Rio where she is expected to grab a haul of golds to add to her first from London.
It was unclear before the Games whether Ledecky would swim in the finals of this event, as shorter distances are not her specialty.
The Maryland teen said she didn’t get to bed until 2:45 a.m. Sunday.
The NBC commentator criticized for calling the coach and husband of Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu “the guy responsible” for her turnaround said Sunday it is “impossible” to tell Hosszu’s story without crediting him. “I mean, I was insane the last half-year and just don’t understand what’s going on and everything”.
Tanja Kylliainen, who was born just down the I-95 in Baltimore, said it was incredible to watch Ledecky’s rise.
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“That’s the easiest it’s felt to go under 4 minutes”, Ledecky said, barely breathing hard. “Every time she gets in the water, it’s like a world record”. She was one of seven Russian swimmers barred from the Games who had either failed doping tests or were named in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation into state-sponsored doping.
