Katie Ledecky Keeps Freestyle Sweep Alive With Amazing 200 Free Win at 2015 FINA World Championships

Photo Courtesy: R-Sport / MIA Rossiya Segodnya

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USA’s Katie Ledecky has already stamped her mark as the best distance freestyle swimmer ever, but now she’s moving into legendary air with her third gold medal as she won the women’s 200-meter free at the 2015 FINA World Championships.

Ledecky, who already won the 400 and 1500-meter freestyle this week, kept on pace to make history as the only person ever to win the 200-400-800-1500 gold medal quartet. Considering her 1500 free split is faster than anyone else has ever gone in the 800 free ever, the freestyle sweep is a foregone conclusion.

Ledecky won against a loaded field of seven world championship medalists with a top time of 1:55.16. That’s not the fastest time this year, putting her only fourth in the world. But it tied her personal best and demonstrated a ridiculous range this week.

That’s Ledecky’s seventh world title as she is quickly tracking down Missy Franklin and Libby Trickett’s record of nine career golds.

Italy’s Federica Pellegrini finished second with a time of 1:55.32 as she charged home hard to move from fourth to second. That’s world championship medal number eight with four golds, three silvers and a bronze.

Franklin, meanwhile, earned bronze in 1:55.49 in what proved to be a close finish. That’s Franklin’s 13th career medal. With one more medal this week, she will move into a fourth-place tie with Jenny Thompson and Leisel Jones for the most career world medals.

Most World Medals

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Russia’s Veronika Popova placed fourth in 1:56.16, while Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu faded to fifth in a time of 1:56.19.

China’s Shen Duo (1:56.27), Australia’s Emma McKeon (1:56.41) and The Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk (1:56.79) closed out the championship heat.

SCHEDULED EVENTS

Men’s 100 free semis
Women’s 50 back semis
Men’s 200 fly finals
Women’s 200 free finals
Men’s 50 breast finals
Women’s 200 fly semis
Men’s 200 IM semis
Men’s 800 free finals
Mixed 400 medley relay finals

HEAT SHEETS

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