Record-breaking Katie Ledecky completes freestyle sweep

AMERICAN Katie Ledecky entered the record books as she smashed the women’s 800m world record to claim her fifth gold medal of a remarkable world championships yesterday.

Ledecky was bidding to become the first women to claim golds in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events at a single World Championships, while she had also earned 4x200m freestyle relay gold in the Russian city. Her finish makes her the first woman to ever finish the 800 meter freestyle in under eight minutes and ten seconds.

The teenager once again proved to be in a class of her own as she spent most of the distance racing against her own world record of 8min 11.00sec, eventually coming home in 8:07.39, with her nearest rival, New Zealand’s Lauren Boyle, finishing more than 10 seconds adrift. Having won four gold medals at the Barcelona world championships two years ago, Ledecky has gone one better in Kazan and thrived despite a punishing schedule here.

“It might have been actually tiring and it was”, Ledecky stated. Although the team was far from in control throughout the race -and in fact, Lochte turned in only the fifth-fastest leadoff split- anchor Franklin held off a hard charge by the Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk to secure the win by just.

“I knew that I was capable of going sub-8:10”, she said, “so to go 8:07 means a lot”.

“I don’t really think about the historical aspects during the meet, but I guess I can now and I will cherish these moments”.

Japan’s Daiya Seto cruised to a 1.40-second victory for his second consecutive title in the 400 individual medley on the final night of swimming. “They are my idols so to be swimming against them in a World Championship final is a great feeling”. I did what I wanted to do to set myself up properly every time that I received up on the blocks.

“I’m just very happy that he’s back to his good form, so he can’t come out and say, “Oh, I haven’t been training” or all that rubbish that he’s been talking”, Le Clos said.

Seto led all the way and won in 4:08.50 – 0.19 faster than he swam two years ago in Barcelona.

Emily Seebohm garnered Australia’s sixth gold medal of the championships with a remarkable final lap to take the women’s 200m backstroke title. Bruno Fratus of Brazil took third in 21.55.

Franklin, the Olympic champion, settled for silver in 2:06.34.

“This one was in fact unique as much just like the tiredness I could truthfully have gotten, consequently now suggests that You can administer my plan very well”.

“Today I came here and during the warmup in the pool, I feel uncomfortable in the heart so I have to give up competition”, Sun said through a translator at a news conference after the races ended.

Joseph Schooling of Britain, who led at the turn, finished third in 50.96.

Australia was second and France third at Kazan Arena, where Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was in attendance.

Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden gained the 50 butterfly, a non-Olympic occasion, in 24.96.