Sixteen-year-old Penny Oleksiak of Canada – only three months old when Michael Phelps swam at his first Olympics at Sydney 2000- took the silver medal in 56.46. “Find out how she did”.
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Tnly 19, U.S. Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky has already become one of the standout athletes of the 2016 Games.
Ledecky, who shattered the 400m freestyle world record in winning gold on Monday, was second at the 100m mark but had moved into first at the final turn, holding off Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom with Australia’s Emma McKeon claiming bronze. She also set the world record in that race at the Worlds Championships in 2013, and has since shaved 11 seconds off her time while re-breaking the record on four occasions.
When Ledecky saw the time – 3:56.46 – she let out an uncharacteristic scream and shook her right fist.
The 19-year-old Washington, D.C., native amazed in her global debut four years ago at the 2012 London Games, winning gold in the 800-meter freestyle.
If she wins all three, Ledecky – who also won a silver in the 4×100 freestyle relay on Saturday – will be the first women to achieve the feat since American Debbie Meyer at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968.
Missy Franklin, who had qualified second in the 200 free at USA trials six weeks ago, did not get to swim the final, adding to a disappointing week for the darling of the London Games.
Franklin failed to qualify for the final of the 200-meter freestyle, finishing last in her semifinal heat and posting only the 13th-best time among 16 swimmers.
Ledecky, who has gone from strength to strength since her surprise win in the 800m free as a 15-year-old in London, has broken 12 world records since then.
The Hungarian, who had already won the 100-meter backstroke and 400-meter individual medley, finished just ahead of Great Britain’s Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and American Maya Dirado. “I think if I go out there and do my best, my whole team is going to know that”. The bronze went to Cody Miller of the United States, whose time of 58.87 held off teammate Kevin Cordes.
“The 200 is a much more stressful race than the 400 and 800, and it always just feels good when it’s over”, she said.
“I’m gonna take a really long nap, like two hours at least”, Ledecky told Michele Tafoya in a poolside interview.
This may be the shortest race on Ledecky’s program but it’s definitely her toughest, requiring both speed and endurance against a far more competitive field.
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Ledecky blazed in the blue tank, timing in at 3:56.46 Sunday to win the 400-meter freestyle at the Summer Games. To get out there, it felt so good to just kind of get in the water and race again.
