China’s gold medalists Wang Han and Yang Hao perform during mixed 3 m synchro springboard final at the Swimming World Championships in Kazan, Russia, Sunday, August 2, 2015.
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In this photo taken with slow shutter speed United States’ Katie…
The heats of the 1500m freestyle for women is a workaday affair under normal circumstances but then there is nothing standard about Katie Ledecky: world record, 15:27.71, inside her own 15:28.36, set at the Pan Pacific Championships past year. Franklin’s mission in this capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, is to build on the history she made in 2013 in Barcelona, Spain, where she won a record six gold medals to increase her world championships total to nine, another record. But through the first 400 meters, she was 0.16 seconds below her world-record pace, and by the 900-meter mark – the portion of the race she was told to go “easy” – she was a second and a half under it. The 1,500 meter-freestyle is not an Olympic race for women, but is for men.
The Chinese swimmer ultimately pulled clear in the final 50m but Guy held off Canada’s Commonwealth champion Ryan Cochrane to become the first British man to win a World Championship 400m Freestyle medal since Paul Palmer’s bronze in 1998.
“The 200 is going to be a big race”, Ledecky said. “I do kick a lot for a distance swimmer and I think I did decide to rest my legs a little bit and see what I could do by pulling”.
While it was only good for fifth, the 20-year-old Franklin swam her fastest time of the year Monday.
Ledecky’s victory gave the United States their 100th gold medal in women’s events at all World Aquatics Championships. The current Olympic champion won in 3:42.58 and climbed the podium wearing shoes with flashing lights on the soles. “I think I’m set up pretty well for tonight”.
World record holder Katie Ledecky of the USA was the fastest qualifier into Sunday night’s 400m freestyle final just ahead of Australia’s Jessica Ashwood with New Zealand’s Lauren Boyle, the world bronze medallist from two years ago, the fourth fastest through.
Ive been aiming for this record for a long time so its great to finally have it, said Sjoestrom, who is entered in four other sprint events.
“It’s very flattering and a great honour for me that people seem to hope or expect a world record every time I swim, because I guess that is based on what I have done in the past”.
Hungary’s “Iron Lady”, Katinka Hosszu, was the fastest through in a national record of 58.78 seconds but will sit out the evening’s backstroke semis to defend her 200m individual medley world title.
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Sun is coming back following a three-month doping ban last year after testing positive for a banned stimulant.
