Video captured by D’Artagnan Dias
Video produced by Coleman Hodges
Reported by Karl Ortegon.
When you own all 10 of the top 10 swims ever recorded in the 800 free, and nobody active has been within 10 seconds of your current best time in years, your true opposition is the clock… and yourself.
It’s a story we know all too well. Katie Ledecky is head, shoulders, knees and toes ahead of anyone else in this event in the history of the sport. It’s quite mind-boggling that her 8:10 at the U.S. Olympic Trials, considered to be an “alright” swim for her, was almost four full seconds faster than the pre-Ledecky world record of 8:14.10, and more than four seconds ahead of her gold-winning time from 2012 that shocked the world.
The focus for her is not going to be on any other swimmers. She has no true rival at her level in this event (but imagine if she did..), and she will be set on taking her world record to new heights in Rio. 8:06.68 is the mark, a time she swam at the Austin stop of the Arena Pro Swim Series in January. Ledecky was 8:07.39 to win the World Championship title last summer, and considering that she rested very little (if at all) for Trials, she could do something really magical in Rio.
While I am worried about Phelps (because of stupid decision to walk in the opening ceremony…stupid USOC), I am not worried about Katie Ledecky.
She is going to come home with 4 gold medals and become the first swimmer since Debbie Meyer to win 200-400-800 in Olympics, as well as an added medal bonus in 4×100.
She is the best female swimmer on earth! and by a distance! (pun intended)