U.S.A. makes a splash at aquatics worlds
Canada misses out on relay bronze, but swimmers qualify for finals on Monday
Katie Ledecky is off to a golden start at the world aquatics championships. Make it a double.
The 20-year-old American star began an audacious week by winning a pair of gold medals Sunday on the opening night of swimming along the Danube River. She cruised to a dominating victory in the 400-metre freestyle and put the U.S. ahead to stay in the fourby-100-metre free relay.
Anchored by Nathan Adrian, the American men also won gold in the four-by-100m free.
“It was a good first night for Team U.S.A.,” Ledecky said. “I’m happy with my two swims and how it all went.”
The only blip of a disappointment: Ledecky didn’t break the 400m free world record she set last summer at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. That merely demonstrates what a high standard she’s set.
For the most part, her only competitor is the clock.
“It’s my second-best time,” Ledecky said. “There’s no disappointment. It’s a world championship gold medal and there’s nothing to complain about there.”
Ledecky touched in 3 minutes 58.34 seconds, more than three seconds ahead of U.S. teammate Leah Smith but nearly two seconds off the world record (3:56.46) from the Olympics. China’s Li Bingjie claimed the bronze.
Meanwhile, Sydney Pickrem put herself in medal contention at the FINA world championships on Sunday by breaking her own Canadian record in the 200-metre individual medley semifinal.
Pickrem, from Clearwater, B.C., clocked a time of 2 minutes 9.17 seconds, which puts her in third position for Monday’s final.
World record holder Katinka Hosszu of Hungary took the top spot at 2:07.14 while Melanie Margalis of the U.S. is second after finishing in 2:08.70. Ottawa’s Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson was 11th.
Toronto’s Penny Oleksiak advanced to Monday’s 100-metre butterfly final after clocking a time of 57.07 seconds in the semis, good for fifth spot. The 17-year-old is the Olympic silver medallist and world junior record holder in the event.
Canada just missed a medal on Day 1 as the women’s four-by100m freestyle relay came fourth in 3:33.94. The team of Sandrine Mainville, Chantal Van Landeghem, Kayla Sanchez and Oleksiak claimed bronze in the event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The men’s team of Yuri Kisil, Markus Thormeyer, Javier Acevedo and Carson Olafson finished sixth.
In another semifinal, Edmonton’s Richard Funk came 15th in the men’s 100m breaststroke.
Meanwhile, Canada fell 10-6 to France in the first classification match of water polo. The Canadians play their final match Tuesday against South Africa for 15th spot. Canada’s women’s team faces Hungary in a quarter-final match on Monday.
In the relay, Ledecky turned in the slowest split on the American team, slipping to third on her 50 flip. But she powered back to the front by the time she passed off to Olympic champion Simone Manuel, who closed it out for the Americans.
Sarah Sjostrom set a blistering opening pace for Sweden, taking down the first swimming world record of the championships with a split of 51.71. She eclipsed the 100 free mark of 52.06 set last year by Australia’s Cate Campbell.
But Sweden didn’t have enough speed on the back end and faded to fifth. Manuel touched in 3:31.72, anchoring a team that also included rising star Mallory Comerford and Kelsi Worrell.
The U.S. took three of the first four swimming events, holding off hard-charging Brazil in the men’s relay. Caeleb Dressel went out more than a second faster than anyone on the opening leg, and Adrian brought it home with Bruno Fratus right on his left shoulder.
At the worlds two years ago, the Americans stunningly failed to qualify for the final in Kazan, Russia, in a huge embarrassment for the swimming superpower. Now they’re back on top of the world.
“There’s a legacy that was left for us to take over,” said Adrian, 28, the senior member of a squad that also included Townley Haas and Blake Pieroni.
“I know when I leave, it will be in good hands.”
In the first final of the night, China’s Sun Yang got a bit of payback for his Olympic defeat in the men’s 400m free, pulling away from rival Mack Horton of Australia.
Yang was in a league of his own. The Chinese star finished more than two body lengths ahead of the field with a time of 3:41.38.
“I have no exact target for the week,” the 25-year-old Sun said through an interpreter. “I’m in a lot of pain. I’ve been training a lot for the last year. I’m also getting old, so there are a couple of injuries here and there. I’m always wrapped up in tape after every competition.”
Horton settled for the silver, far back at 3:43.85.
Horton defeated Sun in the 400 free at Rio after calling him a “drug cheat” due to his three-month doping suspension in 2014. The Aussie has made it clear he doesn’t think anyone who tests positive should be allowed to compete.
Horton shrugged off his loss to Sun, saying “the most disappointing thing for me was the time.”