Katie Ledecky broke a world record for the fourth time this year, and Michael Phelps won his first international race since the London Olympics on Saturday.
Ledecky clocked 3 minutes, 58.37 seconds to win the 400m freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships in Gold Coast, Australia. The 17-year-old rising high school senior broke her world record of 3:58.86 set at the U.S. Championships on Aug. 9.
Ledecky has broken world records in the 400m free, 800m free and 1500m free this year. She won her fourth gold medal of the meet Saturday, adding to her 200m and 800m free titles and with the 4x200m free relay.
And she’s not satisfied yet.
“I have some long-term goals,” Ledecky told reporters in Gold Coast, smiling. “We’re not quite there yet, but we’ll get there.”
Phelps, who hasn’t broken a world record since 2009, notched his biggest victory Saturday since coming out of competitive retirement in April.
He won the 100m butterfly in 51.29 seconds, relegating Ryan Lochte to second place in 51.67. Phelps is the three-time reigning Olympic 100m fly champion and owns the fastest 100m fly time in the world this year, 51.17 from the U.S. Championships two weeks ago.
“It definitely feels good to see the one next to your name, not second or losing by this or losing by that,” said Phelps, who finished fourth in the 100m free and won gold with the 4x200m free relay team earlier in the meet. “I think I’ll be able to sleep a little easier.”
Phelps and Lochte also swam in the 4x100m free relay Saturday. The U.S. took second behind Australia.
NBC and NBC Sports Live Extra will have Pan Pacs coverage Saturday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. ET and Sunday from 1-2:30.
Pan Pacs are not only the biggest meet for U.S. and Australian swimmers this year, but times from Pan Pacs and the U.S. Championships will also determine the U.S. team for the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia.
Lochte failed to make the World Championships team in the 100m fly. As it stands, there is only one potential head to head between Phelps and Lochte slated for Worlds next year, the 200m individual medley if both come through in that event at Pan Pacs on Sunday.
In other events Saturday, Missy Franklin finished fourth in the 200m backstroke, 1.33 behind Australian winner Belinda Hocking. Franklin, the Olympic and World champion and world record holder in the event, is swimming through a bad back at Pan Pacs.
Franklin came back to swim the second leg of the 4x100m free relay as the U.S. took silver behind Australia. The Aussies, with three of the four women who broke the relay world record July 24, clocked 3:32.46. The U.S. swam 3:34.23.
Olympic champion Tyler Clary won the men’s 200m back in 1:54.91. The World champion Lochte opted not to swim it in prelims earlier, knowing he was already busy with the 100m fly and 4x100m free finals Saturday.
Beijing Olympic champion Park Tae-hwan won the men’s 400m free in 3:43.15 over Japanese star Kosuke Hagino and American Connor Jaeger. Park’s time was the fastest in the world this year.
Australian Alicia Coutts won the women’s 100m fly in 57.64. American Kendyl Stewart took bronze, her first major international medal.
Women’s 400m Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky (USA) 3:58.37 WR
2. Cierra Runge (USA) 4:04.55
3. Lauren Boyle (NZL) 4:05.33
Men’s 400m Freestyle
1. Park Tae-hwan (KOR) 3:43.15
2. Kosuke Hagino (JPN) 3:44.56
3. Connor Jaeger (USA) 3:45.31
Women’s 100m Butterfly
1. Alicia Coutts (AUS) 57.64
2. Lu Ying (CHN) 57.76
3. Kendyl Stewart (USA) 57.82
Men’s 100m Butterfly
1. Michael Phelps (USA) 51.29
2. Ryan Lochte (USA) 51.67
3. Hirofumi Ikebata (JPN) 52.50
Women’s 200m Backstroke
1. Belinda Hocking (AUS) 2:07.49
2. Emily Seebohm (AUS) 2:07.61
3. Elizabeth Beisel (USA) 2:08.33
4. Missy Franklin (USA) 2:08.82
Men’s 200m Backstroke
1. Tyler Clary (USA) 1:54.91
2. Ryosuke Irie (JPN) 1:55.14
3. Mitchell Larkin (AUS) 1:55.27
Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
1. Australia 3:32.46
2. U.S. 3:34.23
3. Japan 3:39.06
Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
1. Australia 3:12.80
2. U.S. 3:13.36
3. Brazil 3:13.59
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