Ledecky punches ticket to worlds
chicago — Five-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky won the 800-metre freestyle on Tuesday at the US Swim Championships with this year’s fastest time in the world only 25 minutes after another final.
World record-holder and reigning world and Olympic champion Ledecky, who placed sixth in the 100 free, took the 800 crown in 8mins 11.50secs with Leah Smith, sixth at Rio, taking second, 8.96 seconds back.
Ledecky could swim in four individual events and two relays at next month’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with a strong showing at this five-day meet in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“It’s important to get the job done here and get to Budapest and do a lot,” Ledecky said. “So far I’m setting myself up well but it’s just the first day.”
While it was a 2017 world
It’s important to get the job done here and get to Budapest and do a lot
Katie Ledecky
best, the winning time was only the ninth-best for Ledecky, who captured 200, 400 and 800 free Olympic gold last year in Rio — defending the 800 crown she won in London — and helped the US women’s 4x200 relay win as well.
Ledecky won the world 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyle titles and shared in a 4x200 free relay win in 2013 in Barcelona then defended those crowns and adding the 200 world title in 2015 at Russia. Mallory Comerford, who matched Ledecky for the 200-yard free US college crown, won the women’s 100 free in 52.81 seconds, shaving 1.1 seconds off her pre-meet personal best. —