{"id":148181,"date":"2015-08-04T09:08:48","date_gmt":"2015-08-04T16:08:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=148181"},"modified":"2015-08-04T09:20:14","modified_gmt":"2015-08-04T16:20:14","slug":"federica-pellegrini-leads-200-free-semis-katie-ledecky-make-finals-in-gutty-performance-at-2015-fina-world-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/federica-pellegrini-leads-200-free-semis-katie-ledecky-make-finals-in-gutty-performance-at-2015-fina-world-championships\/","title":{"rendered":"Federica Pellegrini Leads Missy In 200 Free Semis, Katie Ledecky Makes Cut in Gutty Performance at 2015 FINA World Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"

Italy’s Federica Pellegrini<\/strong> might have put up the top time in the women’s 200-meter free, but Katie Ledecky’s<\/strong> massive 1700 free double was the story of the semis at the 2015 FINA World Championships.<\/p>\n

Pellegrini led the way into finals with a 1:56.23. \u00a0That’s a fairly pedestrian time as she’s already been a 1:55.00 to rank third in the world this year.<\/p>\n

USA’s Missy Franklin<\/strong>, on the tail end of a 100 back\/200 free double herself, raced her way to the second seed in 1:56.37.<\/p>\n

China’s Shen Duo<\/strong> took the third seed in 1:56.44, while Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu<\/strong> set herself up for another medal with a fourth-seeded 1:56.51 a day after taking down an incredible world record in the women’s 200-meter IM.<\/p>\n

Russia’s Veronika Popova<\/strong> claimed the fifth seed in 1:56.56.<\/p>\n

Ledecky, however, was the top storyline of the semifinal heats. \u00a0Turning well back in the pack with a 1:27.43 at the 150-meter mark, she put the last bit of energy into her legs with a 29.33 down the stretch to take third in the second semifinal with a sixth-seeded 1:56.76.<\/p>\n

This effort came after chopping two seconds from her world record in the 1500-meter free<\/a>. \u00a0Ledecky definitely looked spent in the pool after the swim, as she was in visible distress following the swim. \u00a0A look the world rarely gets to see.<\/p>\n

Franklin, shaking off some disappointment from a tough 100 back earlier in the night to show some team leadership, swam right up to Ledecky with her radiant smile becoming infectious as Ledecky was able overcome the pain.<\/p>\n

The finish for Ledecky kept her historic hopes alive of a 200-400-800-1500 free sweep for the first time ever.<\/p>\n

The Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk<\/strong> (1:56.91) and Australia’s Emma McKeon<\/strong> (1:56.95) also made their way into the 200 free finale.<\/p>\n

SCHEDULED EVENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n