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It was probably the most anticipated races within the pool, billed because the “race of the century”—the ladies’s 400-m freestyle, that includes American Katie Ledecky, who already owns 10 Olympic medals, racing towards Australian Ariarne Titmus and Canadian Summer McIntosh.
It’s Ledecky’s least dominant occasion; she final received gold on the 2022 world championships and misplaced to Titmus in 2021 on the Tokyo Olympics. But though it has been some time since Ledecky set and broke her personal world file within the occasion twice from 2014 to 2016, you possibly can by no means depend her out. In current years, Titmus and the teenager McIntosh have traded world-record instances—Titmus set a brand new file in 2022 on the Australian championships at 3:56.40, which McIntosh bested a yr later at 3:56.08. Titmus, the defending Olympic champion within the occasion, has held the present world file since July 2023, at 3:55.38.
The matchup on the Paris Olympics started earlier within the day with the heats, with Ledecky qualifying with the quickest time, Titmus with the second quickest and McIntosh the fourth quickest. The boisterous crowd presaged the extremely anticipated race later within the night. “It’s loopy that the group is so loud for a warmth session,” Titmus mentioned.
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Ledecky obtained the loudest cheers when she was launched however stored her sport face on behind darkish goggles, by no means waving or acknowledging the group however focusing as a substitute on the upcoming race. She was first off the blocks with a 0.68, however shortly fell to fourth after the primary 50 m and remained there by the primary 200 m, then pulled as much as third whereas Titmus and McIntosh held in first and second, respectively, all through.
“I might have favored to have been a bit of sooner tonight and I’ve been sooner just a few instances this season, however you possibly can’t complain with the medals,” Ledecky mentioned. “The prime three would most likely all say that we’d have favored to have been a bit of sooner. I’m so completely happy I acquired my hand to the wall for a medal. I get two days of relaxation so I can attempt to be higher the remainder of the week.”
Titmus discounted the rivalry, saying, “I’m simply completely happy to get the outcome for myself, and I’m so honored to be a part of the race and be alongside legends like Katie. I look as much as her a lot as an athlete, and it’s definitely not a rivalry past the races. I actually respect her as an individual. Her longevity within the sport. It’s good to catch up and have a chat.”
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Ledecky’s bronze was adopted by a silver within the 4×100-m freestyle relay for the U.S. ladies, behind Australia, whereas China earned bronze. The U.S. crew of Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, and Simone Manuel held on to complete 1.28 seconds behind the Australians, after trailing in fourth place for the primary 200 m. Manuel, who has been open about her struggles with overtraining syndrome through the Tokyo Games, and now trains with Michael Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman, discovered some additional gas within the final 20 m to out-touch Wu Qingfeng, who had pulled forward of the U.S. within the subsequent to final lap. “It’s been some time since I’ve been within the anchor place, so I undoubtedly was a bit extra nervous for that race than I might have favored to be, however hopefully I can construct from that,” Manuel mentioned. “It simply feels good to be again right here, truthfully. I didn’t know if I might ever be acting at this degree once more, so simply to have the full-circle second of being on this relay once more from 2021 to now, however simply in a happier and more healthy place, I feel is de facto particular.”
The Australian ladies have overwhelmed the U.S. in 4 of the previous 5 Olympics; the Americans final received the relay in 2000 in Sydney. The purpose, Manuel mentioned, set at first of coaching camp as soon as the U.S. Olympic crew was named, was to set an American file, which the crew did.
That historical past is flipped for the boys on this relay occasion; the U.S. males have owned the race on the Olympics, solely lacking gold 4 instances within the 14 that it’s been held since 1964. The U.S. males maintain the world file within the occasion, set on the Beijing Olympics in 2008 with Michael Phelps swimming the opening leg.
Australia got here into Paris because the world champions from 2023, whereas Italy are the silver medalists from Tokyo and silver medalists from the final two world championships. The Australian crew acquired off to a gradual begin within the first leg, touching in at sixth place earlier than the primary switch-off, and dropped behind so far as seventh earlier than Kyle Chalmers narrowed the hole within the final 100 m. But they nonetheless couldn’t contact the Americans and completed 1.07 seconds behind them for silver. The U.S. crew of Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, and Caeleb Dressel continued the American streak within the occasion and led after the primary 100 m, by no means wanting again. The Italians rallied from seventh place after the primary 100 m to toggle with the Australians between second and third, and finally fell behind them within the final 50 m.
For Dressel, the win is a candy reward after taking eight months off after Tokyo, during which he struggled with defining himself outdoors of successful swim races and breaking world data. In February, he and spouse Meghan welcomed their first baby, whom they dropped at Paris, and along with his household’s assist, he’s mentioned that he discovered to quiet the noise that turned so damaging after Tokyo . The feelings acquired better of him when his newest gold medal, his eighth from the Olympics, was positioned round his neck. “You can’t clarify this second till you’re on the rostrum watching the flag go up,” he mentioned.
