NINE-time Olympic gold medallist Katie Ledecky is spearheading the United States swimming team at the world championships in Singapore, with sights firmly set on the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Ledecky, heading to her seventh world championships, recently broke her own 800m freestyle world record in May, her first long-course world mark since 2018.
The 28-year-old also posted the second-fastest 1,500m freestyle time this season and her second-best 400m freestyle performance, proving she remains a dominant force in the pool. If she sweeps her three individual events and contributes to a 4x200m freestyle relay win, she will move within one gold of Michael Phelps’s all-time record of 26 world titles.
Ledecky, however, remains focused on personal improvement rather than records. “I just kind of swim a little more free and try to improve in different areas, rather than always comparing myself to my 19-year-old self,“ she said.
The US team blends experience with emerging talent. Gretchen Walsh, who twice broke the 100m butterfly world record this year, and Regan Smith, the 100m backstroke world record-holder, lead a strong women’s squad. The men’s team, led by Bobby Finke and rising stars like Luke Hobson and Jack Alexy, aims to rebound after a subdued Paris Olympics.
Ledecky expressed confidence in the team’s unity. “We want to set the tone as a whole team this summer and build from there,“ she said. - AFP
