The Girls’s 400m Freestyle on Saturday units up because the Race of the Century.
Katie Ledecky is pursuing her eighth gold medal and if she wins three medals, her whole of 13 would be the most for any feminine swimmer. Ledecky will match up in opposition to her most important rival, Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, with Canada’s Summer season McIntosh in place to win gold if both of the earlier two Olympic gold medalists falters.
NANTERRE, FRANCE – JULY 27: Australia’s Ariarne Titmus and USA’s Katie Ledecky swim in opposition to one another within the Girls’s 400m Freestyle Heats. (Picture by Adam Fairly/Getty Photographs)
As Yahoo Sports activities’ Henry Bushnell detailed, the three swimmers have spent the previous three years buying and selling the world document amongst themselves.
Ledecky, 27, has grown semi-accustomed to the once-foreign position since 2021, when Australia’s Ariarne Titmus dethroned her within the 400-meter freestyle in Tokyo. Titmus, 23, beat Ledecky by 0.67 seconds in a race for the ages at these Olympics. The next spring, she took down Ledecky’s world document, and a brand new hierarchy within the 400 crystalized.
Ledecky dominated it from 2013 till roughly 2019. Titmus, although, has develop into the queen.
Canadian teen phenom Summer season McIntosh briefly snatched the world document in 2023. However Titmus took it again, and, after a well being scare final fall, re-established herself as the lady to beat in 2024. The 23-year-old Tasmanian threw down a 3:55.44 at Australian trials earlier this week, almost three full seconds higher than Ledecky Saturday night time — and simply .06 seconds off her personal world-best mark, which she may very effectively decrease in Paris.
Ledecky seemingly landed the opening blow by ending first within the Girls’s 400m Freestyle Prelims earlier on Saturday. Her time of 4:02.19 beat Titmus’ 4:02.16. McIntosh positioned fourth at 4:02.65.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Ledecky insisted she wasn’t attempting to make an announcement to her rival.
“There isn’t any message or something,” she mentioned. “Simply attempting to have swim, get into that ultimate. So, acquired my lane. All of us acquired our lanes. Tonight’s what issues.”
Titmus had an identical response to the concept Ledecky’s win within the prelims despatched a message.
“Possibly. I do not know. I imply, I do not attempt to look an excessive amount of into warmth swims,” she replied. “She’s acquired Lane 4, I’ve acquired Lane 5, would not actually matter now.”
Each Ledecky and Titmus are proper. Saturday morning is not vital anymore. Saturday night time’s result’s what’s going to put the ultimate notice on their rivalry, probably outline the careers of two of the best feminine swimmers ever and probably ignite the game’s subsequent breakout star.
