Ledecky eyes fifth gold at Worlds
BUDAPEST: Freestyle queen Katie Ledecky on Friday cruised towards her fifth gold at the World Championships as the fastest into the women’s 800m final.
Despite only turning 20 in March, Ledecky is already the most decorated female swimmer in World Championships’ history.
She earned the 13th title, spanning three championships, by anchoring the USA’s quartet to victory in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay on Thursday.
Ledecky clocked eight minutes, 20.24 seconds in the 800m heats on Friday morning, the fastest into Saturday night’s final as the defending champion.
“It was fine, it went to plan,” said Ledecky. “I just had to get my lane for tomorrow, move on and have one more swim,” she said. “I’m excited. I always enjoy my last race at a meet, just giving it all and leaving it all in the pool.” Ledecky already has five medals at these championships --- freestyle golds over 400m and 1500m, plus the 4x100m and 4x200m relays, as well as silver in the 200m freestyle.
DJOKOVIC WILL BE BACK STRONGER: CASH
LONDON: Twelve-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic’s enforced injury break gives him enough time to rediscover his intense playing style and will also make him mentally tougher on his return, former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has said. The 30-year-old Serb said he will miss the rest of the tennis season, including next month’s US Open, to recover from a right elbow injury.
“It will take time for him to get his intensity back,” Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon singles champion, told the BBC.
“Djokovic’s style is similar to almost everyone else on the circuit, but he was just that bit fitter, that bit more flexible, that bit more mentally tough.”