Paris Olympics, Day 7 Prelims: Katie Ledecky Top Seed in 800 Free Chasing More History

Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Paris Olympics, Day 7 Prelims: Katie Ledecky Top Seed in 800 Free Chasing More History

Katie Ledecky has reached the stage of her career where every medal seems to bring some new appellation of “best” or “most.”

Thursday night at the Paris La Defense Arena, with silver in the women’s 800 freestyle relay, it was surpassing the trio of Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin as the most decorated American female Olympic athlete with 13 total gold medal. She also passed those three and Emma McKeon for most total medals among female swimmers.

Friday, Ledecky could tie absolute royalty if she wins a ninth gold medal.

Ledecky is the top seed after morning prelims in the women’s 800 free at the Paris Olympics, going 8:16.62. That’s one of only three times under 8:20 in the morning heats.

World record: Katie Ledecky, USA, 8:04.79 (2016)
Olympic record: Katie Ledecky, USA, 8:04.79 (2016)
Tokyo Olympic champion: Katie Ledecky, USA, 8:12.57

Paige Madden is the second seed at 8:18.49, with Ariarne Titmus in third at 8:19.27. It’s two Aussies, with Lani Pallister also in, while Li Bingjie, the Tokyo bronze medalist in the 400 and a two-time World Championships medalist in this event is out.

Ledecky has eight career gold medals. Four individuals have nine golds each – Mark Spitz, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi and American Carl Lewis. Ledecky is also vying to win the 800 free for the fourth straight time; only Michael Phelps, in the 200 IM, has achieved that, from 2004-16.

To do that will require another battle with (friendly) nemesis Titmus. For the last Olympic quad, their races have followed a clear pattern. Titmus has reigned in the 200 free, such that Ledecky finished fifth in that event in Tokyo and eschewed it this time around. Ledecky has dominated the 800. And they’ve met in the middle, where Titmus has in Tokyo, the Fukuoka World Championships and here again in Paris gotten the better of her.

“I’m pretty buggered, but I get a day-and-a-half [before the final], so I’m going to be a hermit in my room, camped in the village,” Titmus said. “At the end of the week, it’s really hard to swim fast at the end of a tough eight days, but I’m going to give it a red-hot crack, my last swim of the Olympics, so I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”

Madden moved herself into medal contention with the first sub-8:20 effort of her career, doing so just hours after helping the U.S. women to a second consecutive Olympic silver in the 800 free relay. Madden also took sixth in the 400 free earlier in the meet.

“I was super nervous coming off the relay last night because I didn’t get a lot of sleep, and I knew it was going to be a hard turnaround,” Madden said. “I knew it was going to be a challenge to get into the final, especially with the event being new for me. I just wanted to control my race and try to put myself in a good position. I think I did a really good job. I think I even-split the race, which was great.”

Pallister won a sedate first heat in which no one got under 8:20. Her time was 8:20.21, just ahead of Germany’s Isabel Gose (8:20.63), there was a clear sort out, with those two breaking away from Erika Fairweather (8:22.22) and Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (8:22.99). Li was nearly five seconds back in 8:27.92.

The first four made the final despite the second of two heats being quicker. Ledecky was first, with Titmus for company most of the way before pulling away from her on the back half. Madden surged in the last 200 to get past the Aussie and into second. Simona Quadarella, the bronze medalist in Tokyo, is the sixth seed in 8:20.89.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use