The much-awaited Women’s 400m freestyle finals witnessed Katie Ledecky go head-to-head with some of the iconic swimmers across the world. The battle was dramatic with the fight for the gold resulting in a heated battle between her, Summer McIntosh, and Ariarne Titmus.
However, in the end, Ledecky managed to bag the bronze amidst loud cheers and thundering applause. She clocked in at 4:00:86, missing the Olympic record in the process.
Ledecky, who finished first at the heats with a quick pace, didn’t seem to want to waste energy at the earlier level. Though she tried matching up to her Aussie rival, it looks like Titmus got to keep her crown in the category. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old did not go down without a fight and got a podium finish towards the end.
Meanwhile, fellow American contender Paige Madden also managed to grab a great standing. Clocking in at 4:02:26, she bagged the sixth position, adding more points to the roster.
Katie Ledecky still has a lot more fight left in her
For the American, this will be her first Olympic bronze, missing out on getting the 400m freestyle crown by mere seconds. Before her, Titmus ruled the category with her World record of 3:55:38.
Ledecky still has more categories to battle her heart out, although several feel she’s got the longer races in her bag. With her strength being the 800m and 1500m already, fans know that they’re yet to see her in full force.
The upcoming days, the swim team captain might take time to recover and bounce back for her main races, with hopes of gold and more podium appearances. It’s no wonder that she dominates the sport to date.
