Stunner: Ledecky takes silver
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Katie Ledecky reached for the wall.
Someone else was already there.
For the first time ever at the world championships, the Stanford student knows what it’s like to lose.
Bidding to become only the second female swimmer to win six golds at a single worlds, Ledecky settled for silver in the 200-meter freestyle Wednesday evening when Italy’s Federica Pellegrini surged to a stunning victory on the final lap.
Pellegrini, the worldrecord holder, had taken a close defeat at the hands of Ledecky two years ago in Kazan, Russia. This time, it was the Italian touching first in 1 minute, 54.73 seconds.
Ledecky and Australia’s Emma McKeon tied for the silver at 1:55.18.
“I just didn’t really have it today,” Ledecky said. “I can’t complain really with the silver medal.”
While Pellegrini covered her mouth in delight and climbed atop a lane rope to celebrate, Ledecky stared blankly at the scoreboard. She hadn’t seen a “2’’ beside her name at the world championships.
“I didn’t really feel at the end that I had that extra gear that I normally have,” said Ledecky, 20.
Ledecky had been 12-for-12 over the past three world championships, including three golds in this stately European capital. But her most audacious schedule yet — six freestyle events covering distances ranging from 100 meters (on a relay) to 1,500 (the grueling metric mile) — finally caught up with her along the banks of the Danube.
Cal alum Missy Franklin will remain the only female swimmer to win a half-dozen events at worlds. Ledecky can take comfort in being the winningest female swimmer overall. Twelve golds leave her trailing only Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte for the most wins.
Now, she has a silver, too. “It happens,” said Ledecky, who will be a heavy gold-medal favorite in her last two events, the 4x200 free relay and the 800 free. “It happens to every athlete at some point. I know this race will really motivate me moving forward and the rest of the week as well.”
Of course, losing to Pellegrini, 28, was hardly an embarrassment.
She became the first swimmer in the history of the championship to take seven medals in a single individual event. Pellegrini’s run in the 200 free began at the 2005 worlds in Montreal, where she grabbed a silver. She was third in 2007 at Melbourne, and then had back-to-back victories, including a world-record performance at Rome in 2009 (1:52.98) that still stands from the rubber-suit era.
Pellegrini was runnerup at the past two worlds, finishing behind Franklin in 2013 at Barcelona and Ledecky two years ago.
On Wednesday, the Italian was back on top in what she called the last 200 of her career.
“I honestly thought the one to win the race would be Katie,” Pellegrini said. “It wasn’t.”
She wasn’t the only Italian atop of the medal podium. Gabriele Detti rallied to win the men’s 800 free, racing past both teammate Gregorio Paltrinieri and Poland’s Wojciech Wojdak after those two put on a thrilling back-and-forth duel.
Detti finished in 7:40.77, holding off Wojdak by less than a second. Paltrinieri faded to bronze.
Standing in the aisles and screaming furiously, the packed house at Duna Arena came to cheer for Katinka Hosszu, who also was in the 200 free final, and Laszlo Cseh, one of the favorites in the 200 butterfly.
Hosszu wasn’t a factor, finishing seventh. Cseh rallied over the final lap but couldn’t catch South African Chad le Clos, who took the gold in 1:53.33.
The U.S. finished on a strong note with its second world record of the day in the 4x100 mixed medley relay. Matt Grevers, Lilly King, Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel won gold with a time of 3:38.56.