Upsets continue to be the central theme of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Coming into the competition, Katie Ledecky was the absolute favorite to clinch gold. However, she will have to settle for silver after being pipped by Aussie swimmer Ariarne Titmus.
Katie Ledecky suffers shocking upset at Tokyo Olympics 2020
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USA Today via Reuters
Jun 15, 2021; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Katie Ledecky reacts after swimming in the Women’s 200 Freestyle Semifinals Heat 1 during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Swimming competition at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
The 20-year-old swimmer from Queensland bossed the field, finishing in a brilliant 3:56.69 and set an Oceanic record. She was only 20 milliseconds short of breaking the Olympic and world record. But who set that world record? It was Katie Ledecky, who had to settle for silver after an exhilarating race. “She really pushed me and I think it’s good for the sport,” she concluded.
The 2016 triple gold medalist couldn’t get the upper hand despite a quick reaction time of 0.66 seconds. She aimed to repeat her magnificent feat from the Rio Olympics but will add a second silver medal to her tally. Her race ended at 3:57.36, almost a second slower than the gold medalist. China’s Li Bingjie won bronze with an impressive 4:01.08.
This finish between Ledecky and Titmus was nothing short of electric ⚡️
(via @NBCOlympics)pic.twitter.com/pezQipsmFg
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 26, 2021
As for Ariarne, beating Ledecky might just have meant more than winning gold. Winning championships before turning twenty, Ariarne entered the Tokyo Aquatics Centre with a chip on her shoulder. In a field comprising many debutantes, Ariarne Titmus rose above them all on her path to gold.
Ariarne didn’t just dominate Ledecky at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. At the 2019 World Aquatic Championships, Titmus blazed past Ledecky and upset her to claim gold in the 400m event. Lightning struck twice for the Aussie, and this means a second gold medal for her country, pushing them to fourth in the table.
Is Ledecky’s Olympics over?
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: Katie Ledecky of United States celebrates winning the women’s 800m Freestyle on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
For fans of Katie Ledecky, they shouldn’t be disappointed for too long. The Washington native still has a long way to go before the Tokyo Olympics 2020 ends, and she has hopes to claim gold in the 200m, 800m, 1500m and the 4 X 200 m events.
In Rio, Ledecky pulled off a Michael Phelps like performance, storming to gold in four events and winning silver in one. She claimed gold in the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 4 X 200 relay race and a silver in the 4 X 100 relay race.
In Tokyo, she can stake her claim as the greatest female swimmer to walk the planet. However, the likes of Ariarne Titmus and Li Bingjie will not let her flourish easily.
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