Katie Ledecky makes history with 800m freestyle victory at US Olympic trials
By Aimee Lewis, CNN
(CNN) — Katie Ledecky did on Saturday what she always does – win an 800m freestyle race. But this victory at the US Olympic Swimming Team Trials had added significance.
The seven-time Olympic champion became the first woman to win four titles in a single event at the US trials, according to USA Swimming, clocking home in 8:14.12 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to secure Olympic qualification in an event in which she has won gold at the last three Games.
“I’m happy to have gotten the job done here in Indy tonight and this week,” Ledecky said, per USA Swimming. “It was a thrill to race in front of this crowd all week, and of course tonight to reminisce a bit on 12 years ago when my international career got kickstarted by that 800 in Omaha.”
Ledecky, the 800m freestyle women’s world record holder, was unable to surpass Canada’s Summer McIntosh’s world-leading time this year of 8:11.39.
As the owner of 29 of the top 30 fastest women’s 800m freestyle times in history, Ledecky will be favorite to win gold in Paris, but the potential head-to-head against the American and McIntosh is set to be one of the standout races in Paris.
Paige Madden finished in a personal best time to qualify for her third Olympic event, but was more than six seconds behind Ledecky.
Elsewhere, Caeleb Dressel won the men’s 100m butterfly to book his second individual spot for Paris, winning in 50.19 seconds.
In the women’s 200m individual medley, Kate Douglass won in a personal best time of 2:06.79.
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