Team USA’s Katie Ledecky sets another record in Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO — Katie Ledecky has set an Olympic record with the fastest time in the 800-meter freestyle preliminaries.
The 19-year-old American swam the 16-lap event in 8 minutes, 12.86 seconds Thursday, bettering the old mark of 8:14.10 set by Rebecca Adlington of Britain in 2008.
Ledecky’s time was nearly seven seconds faster than anyone else. She will swim the final Friday night, seeking to complete a sweep of the 200, 400 and 800 freestyles for the first time since the 1968 Mexico City Games.
Boglarka Kapas of Hungary qualified second in 8:19.43. Others moving into the final are Jazz Carlin of Britain, American Leah Smith, Lotte Friis of Denmark, and Mireia Belmonte Garcia of Spain, who won the 200 butterfly on Wednesday.