Ledecky’s 1500m dominance continues with gold at swimming worlds

SINGAPORE — Katie Ledecky has ceded a tiny little bit of floor in different occasions, however she’s nonetheless unbeatable within the 1500-meter freestyle.

She received it once more Tuesday within the swimming world championships in Singapore, ending in quarter-hour, 26.44 seconds. Simona Quadarella of Italy took silver in 15:31.79 — a European report — with bronze for Lani Pallister of Australia in 15:41.18 in a really quick-paced race.

“I was just trying to get out fast, but comfortable enough that I could go from there,” Ledecky mentioned. “I’m happy with the time and happy with the swim.”

“I love this race,” she added. “It was the race I broke my first world record in 2013. Lots of great races over the years.”

Ledecky was forward of her world-record tempo by means of 1,250 meters, pushed early by Pallister. It was Ledecky’s second medal in these video games after taking bronze within the 400 free behind Canadian Summer McIntosh.

The numbers communicate to Ledecky’s dominance, probably the most embellished feminine swimmer in historical past who has been on prime for greater than a decade.

With Tuesday’s swim she now owns 25 the highest 26 occasions in historical past within the 1,500. Her time Tuesday was the fifth quickest, not far off her world report of 15:20.48 set in 2018.

It was her twenty second gold medal in a world championships and her twenty eighth general. Add to that 9 Olympic gold medals and 14 general. If you are not counting, that is 42 Olympic and world medals — 31 gold.

Watching from the stands was new International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry. She was joined by former president Thomas Bach. Coventry was an Olympic gold medal winner for Zimbabwe in 2004 and 2008 within the 200-meter backstroke.

The Americans had the highest qualifying occasions going into 4 finals and received one gold and three silver medals with very shut finishes in all three.

The United States group has been battling what officers referred to as “acute gastroenteritis” picked up at a coaching camp in Thailand earlier than arriving in Singapore.

American head coach Greg Meehan mentioned a lot of group had turned the nook.

“We’re taking it a day at a time,” he mentioned in an interview with American community NBC. “Obviously, this is not how we thought the first few days of this competition would go. But I’m really proud of our team, our medical staff working overtime. You don’t want your medical staff working overtime.”

“If you were in our team area you would never know that the overall majority of the team has gone through something over the last few days,” Meehan added, saying the group “vibe” was good.

McIntosh, who received two gold medals the primary two days, didn’t race on Tuesday, Day 3 of the competitors.

Paris Olympic champion David Popovici of Romania received the 200-meter freestyle, overtaking American Luke Hobson within the final 50 meters for the victory. Popovici swam 1:43.53 with Hobson throughout in 1:43.84. Tatsuya Murasa of Japan was third in 1:44.54.

“I think it was better than the Olympics to be honest,” Popovici mentioned of the victory. “You know why? Because I trained a lot for the Olympics. But this coming for a more relaxed year, easygoing year after the Olympics. I don’t know. I feel very proud of myself.”

Kaylee McKeown of Australia took the ladies’s 100-meter backstroke, closing over the past 50 to beat American Regan Smith. McKeown completed in 57.16 — simply .03 off the world report held by Smith. Smith completed in 57.35 with bronze for American Katharine Berkoff in 58.15.

McKeown is the two-time defending Olympic champion on this race and in addition within the 200 backstroke. She additionally beat Smith a 12 months in the past in Paris with Smith taking silver.

Pieter Coetze of South Africa represents a brand new wave of contenders with the 21-year-old successful the lads’s 100 backstroke in 51.85 seconds. Thomas Ceccon of Italy took silver in 51.90, with bronze for Yohann Ndoye-Brouard in 51.92. Ceccon is the world-record holder in 51.60.

In the final remaining of the evening, Anna Elendt of Germany — swimming from Lane 1 — took the ladies’s 100-meter breaststroke in 1:05.19. American Kate Douglass took silver in 1:05.27, with bronze for Tang Qianting of China in 1:05.64.