Katie Ledecky wins 400m free with room to improve at World Championships
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Katie Ledecky clocked 4min 0.45sec to lift the title in Indianapolis, Indiana.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – Katie Ledecky easily won the 400m freestyle at the US swimming championships on Friday, but she knows she will need to do more to clinch the title at July’s World Championships in Fukuoka.
“It wasn’t great,” the American sighed after clocking 4min 00.45sec to lift the title in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In comparison, she set a world record of 3:56.46 in winning the gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Since then, Australia’s Ariarne Titmus has won the 2019 world title and outduelled her in the Tokyo Olympic final in 2021. Titmus broke the world record and Canadian teen Summer McIntosh lowered it again in March to 3:56.08.
With Titmus having clocked 3:58.47 at the Australian trials in June, Ledecky was clearly dissatisfied with her time but not discouraged.
“So many things to learn from,” said the seven-time Olympic gold medallist and owner of 19 world titles. “So I’ll try to learn as much as I can and be better in a couple of weeks.”
The 26-year-old, who had opened the week with her fastest 800m free time since 2016, said she felt her rhythm was off from the start.
With Japan looming, she will focus on “making sure I’m ready to go when I dive in and build throughout the race”.
Despite her disappointment, she was still nearly three seconds ahead of runner-up Bella Sims.
In other events, Regan Smith grabbed her third title of the week in winning the 100m backstroke, clocking 2023’s second-fastest time of 57.71sec. She held off Katharine Berkoff, who punched her ticket to Fukuoka in 58.02.
“Super happy with that time,” said Smith, who also won the 200m backstroke and 200m butterfly as her training with coach Bob Bowman – former mentor to Michael Phelps – paid dividends.
In the men’s 100m back, Hunter Armstrong pulled away on the final lap to beat four-time Olympic gold medallist Ryan Murphy with an impressive 52.33sec.
Murphy, who won double backstroke gold at the Rio Games, was second in 52.39.
World-record holder Lilly King rallied from third at the turn to win the 100m breaststroke in 1:04.75 with Lydia Jacoby, gold medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, second in 1:05.16.
Lilly King (right) rallied from third at the turn to win the 100m breaststroke in 1:04.75 with Lydia Jacoby second in 1:05.16.
PHOTO: AFP
Both King and Jacoby had to get past halfway leader Kaitlyn Dobler, who settled for third.
“I had some gas left,” King said. “That was a good feeling. Not taking it out like an idiot is something new for me.”
Nic Fink won the men’s 100m breaststroke in 58.36sec, second-fastest in the world this season and ahead of Josh Matheny.
David Johnston won the men’s 400m free in 3:45.75, ahead of Kieran Smith. AFP
