Katie Ledecky sets another world record while Michael Phelps finishes with gold
Americans top the medal standings with 14 gold medals at the Pan Pacific championship
Michael Phelps completed his comeback meet in international competition with a gold medal in the medley relay to cap off a Sunday night programme that kicked off with Katie Ledecky setting her second world record within 24 hours at the Pan Pacific championships.
The 17-year-old Ledecky sliced almost six seconds off her own world mark by winning the 1,500-metre freestyle in 15 minutes, 28.36 seconds a day after lowering her record in the 400 freestyle. She finished the meet with five gold medals.
It was, I think, a successful year. Obviously I’d like to win every single race I swim in. But, [that] doesn’t always happen. It was a learning experience, that’s most important
“I knew it was my last race of the meet, and last race of the season,” Ledecky said. “I’ve had a really good season. I wanted to finish on a good note. I didn’t want to walk away from the meet with a ‘That was OK’ feeling – I dug in deep for the last 50. Put it all in there.”
Phelps started his night with a narrow loss in the 200 medley, finishing two-hundredths of a second behind Kosuke Hagino’s winning time of 1:56.02, but finished it off by swimming the butterfly leg of the medley relay and helping the US continue their domination of the event.
The 29-year-old Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, finished the meet with three gold medals – the 100 butterfly, 4x200 and medley relays – and silvers in the 200 IM and the 4x100 relay.
He said it was a good haul considering he only returned to competitive swimming in April after 1 1/2 years in retirement.