Katie rebounds, anchors quartet to gold

BUDAPEST: Katie Ledecky claimed her 13th career world championship gold medal on Thursday as the USA ruled the pool in Budapest with a hat-trick of victories.

Katie led the USA to the women’s 4x200m freestyle title with a powerful anchor leg to win her fourth gold medal in the Hungarian capital and the 13th world title of her career.

Katie sealed gold for the USA quartet, alongside Leah Smith, Mallory Comerford, Melanie Margalis, as she held off China’s Li Bingjie, who took silver for China, while Adriane Titmus earned bronze for Australia.

“It was a big victory for us,” said Katie .

It was the perfect response after the 20-year-old Katie was beaten into joint second in Wednesday’s 200m freestyle – her first defeat in 13 finals at world championships.

“I had no frustation about yesterday any more. I had confidence in my other team mates, that we can do it together.”

Katie has now won five medals at these championships after gold in the 400m freestyle, 1500m freestyle, the 4x100m, plus that 200m silver.

Another gold beckons for her tonight when she defends her 800m freestyle crown as the reigning world and Olympic champion.

Katie helped the USA quartet win gold after Chase Kalisz had earlier won the men’s 200m individual medley gold.

He touched the wall at one minute, 55.56 seconds, with Japan’s Kosuke Hagino taking silver at 0.45sec and China’s Wang Shun earning bronze at 0.72.

It means he follows in the footsteps of compatriots Michael Phelps, who won the 200m IM gold medal at four Olympic Games from 2004 until 2016, and Lochte, who won four titles in the event from 2009 until 2015.

“Those two are the best in our sport, they will never be replaced and it means a lot to continue the IM tradition – they were my idols,” said the 23-year-old.

Elsewhere at the Duna Arena on Thursday, Mireia Belmonte overcame a sore throat to win the women’s 200m butterfly title to add to her Olympic gold medal.

The Spaniard touched the wall in two minutes, 05.26 seconds with Germany’s Franziska Hentke taking silver at 0.13 back and Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu earning bronze at 0.63.

Having won world silver at home in Barcelona four years ago, Belmonte has gone one better a year after being crowned Olympic champion in Rio. AFP