World Championships: Katie Ledecky Chases Fourth 400m Freestyle World Crown After Comfortable Sub-4:00 Heat Win

TOP GUN: Superstar Katie Ledecky in cruise control in today's 400m freestyle heats. Photo courtesy: Peter H Bick.

World Championships: Katie Ledecky Chases Fourth 400m Freestyle World Crown After Comfortable Sub 4 minute Heat Win

U.S. super swimmer Katie Ledecky will be chasing a fourth 400m freestyle world crown on the first night of finals in Budapest tonight after an impressive sub-4 minute heat swim this morning.

The 25-year-old Ledecky took the lead at the 100m turn (57.13) in the fourth and final heat and swam away from the field to record a comfortable win.

The three-time world champion from 2013, 2015 and 2017 was never headed, clocking an impressive heat time of 3:59.79 (1:57.72). Ledecky clearly backed off during the last half of the race, but was still able to dip under the 4:00 barrier. It was the perfect way for Ledecky to open her meet and build momentum for the days to come.

Without defending champion and world record holder, Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, who is sitting out these Championships, Ledecky will be joined in the finals by Tokyo fourth place getter, outstanding 15-year-old Canadian Summer Macintosh (4:03.19) and Australian pair World Junior champion Lani Pallister (4:03.71) and Tokyo finalist Kiah Melverton (4:03.74).

Ledecky’s US team mate Leah Smith, third in the 400m behind Ledecky in the 2016 Rio Olympic 400m final, finished in fifth place in the final heat and that’s where she qualified into the final.

Heat three winner, New Zealand Olympic finalist Erika Fairweather (4:06.00), made the final in sixth in 4:06.00 ahead of China’s Muhan Tang (4:06.29) with Germany’s Isabel Gose (4:06.44) rounding out the top eight.

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