In Battle of Rio de Janeiro Katie Ledecky The fast end was reached after eight lanes through a 50 meter pool. Since then her world record in the 400-meter freestyle, over 3: 56.46 minutes, has swum to one of the four gold medals in Brazil, and still stands today. On Monday in Tokyo, Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky of Washington, DC, Rio: 3: 57.36 was faster than ever, except for the time.
“Fifty-three, this is an incredible time,” said Ariane Titmus. She should have known. She swam behind Ledecky. She swam near Ledecky. Then she swam in front of Ledecky. Ariane Ditmus swam faster than Katie Ledecky. Born nearly 21 years ago in Lancaster, Tasmania, Ariarne Ditmus was the first woman to win an individual race at the Olympics against Katie Ledecki.
In Australia, a country that has fueled a significant portion of its small sporting pride with the victories of its swimmers over the Americans, public life remained almost four minutes on Monday, Ariarne said after the Titmus. At their old school, at St. Peter’s Lutheran College in Indore, Queensland, students in the arena would have watched the broadcast. “To be a part of this story,” he told his press conference after the race. “It makes me very humble.” Ariane Ditmus has risen to the rank of best Australian swimmer.
Katie Ledecky swam to 15 World Championship titles between 2013 and 2019. But at the World Championships in Guangzhou, two years ago, Katie Ledecky lost in the 400-meter dash. Against Ariane Ditmus, a young Australian who went to Queensland with his parents for sports opportunities. Katie Ledecky was on her way to the opening block of Runway Four in Tokyo on Monday morning with some questions. She is now 24 years old, having won the US test in Omaha, Nebraska in June – but times have now raised a question that haunts her: is it still invincible Katie Ledeckia? Or is it old latex?
Next to her, five-lane, 20-year-old Ditmus. And Pingji Li, China, 19. Isabel Goss, Germany, 19. Erica Fairweather, New Zealand, 17. Mohan Dong, China, 17. and Summer McIntosh, Canada, 14. She won Stratford’s first Olympic gold medal at the watershed more than Ledecky nine years ago. Scratched.
The beginning. The Macintosh is the fastest to take the first turn. Ledecky then took charge. She is old. She pulls. Half a second ahead after 150 meters. One tenth of a second after 200. Ledecky presides, Sovereignty. Ditmus’ head moves level with Ledecky’s legs. But the lead is no longer growing. “I know I’m behind,” Ditmus would say later. “I was approaching the fifth track.” She thinks wrong. In the fifth turn, the lead is as large as the fourth: 66th of a second. Later, Ariane comes near Titmus. Fast very fast. From 250 to 300 meters she steals Ledecky for half a second.
Ledecky would later say she saw 300 meters. Also saw: “Oh, there it is.” And Ditmus recalled: “We were built at 350 meters.” That too is not true. She leads. One hundredth of a second in a second. Fifty yards to go. Titmus leads, but Ledecky is still undefeated. Titmus she did not want to change it. Ledecky did not see Titmus, Titmus did not see Ledecky. They breathe into each other like a couple arguing before the lights go out at night, Titmus on the left, Ledecky on the right. Now it is getting dark for swimmers too.
Now this is a race that people have been talking about for a few years. The woman against the woman. Up to the wall. Titmus attacks. Ledecky strike. Titmus won. 3: 56.69 minutes. TV viewers know. Ariane Ditmus does not know. She must swim a world record to beat Ledecky, as her coach Dean Box told her over the years. That is not true. Titmus looks to the left, turns his head, and looks at the scoreboard. See the number next to her name. And the brain is turned off. “I saw something, not time, thought: whatever.” It is not a bar. Olympic champion. Defeated Ledecky.
In the stands, the coach box is powered by endorphins. Like a dervish, like a rock star, he clears over the ranks, his long, blonde hair spins, and at some point it looks like he wants to internet on a flexible glass wall. This video spreads instantly around the world. Li crosses the finish line in third place. Four and a half seconds after titmus. Isabel Goss finished sixth. And Katie Ledecky? Defeated.
And still satisfied. Very satisfied. Only once more than this race did she swim 400 meters faster. “I swam a big race,” she says afterwards. “I’m not been that fast for five years. This is a good sign for the races to come.” 200, 800, 1500 meters: Ledecky plans three more individual starts. And wants to start the 800-meter freestyle.There should be a continuation of the 200-meter freestyle final on Wednesday.
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