China’s Sun Yang destroyed the field to win a hat-trick of men’s 400 metres freestyle titles while American Katie Ledecky reached more milestones in her glittering career as the swimming events got under way at the world aquatics championships on Sunday.
Sun posted a world-leading time of three minutes 41.38 seconds as he eased to victory by more than a body length over bitter Australian rival Mack Horton.
In a race billed as ‘War on the Water, Part 11’, the rivalry in the pool failed to materialise on Sunday as Sun become only the second swimmer to win a third 400 freestyle world title after Ian Thorpe of Australia 14 years ago. The 25-year-old Sun, wearing a distinctive pink swimsuit, looked in ominous form after taking the lead at the 150m mark and, after garnering his eighth world title, he glared at Horton who was racing in lane two after a sluggish morning heat.
Thirty minutes later, Ledecky duly bagged the 400m freestyle in another one-woman show of speed and agility.
Sjostrom’s world record
Ledecky also helped the U.S to a brilliant gold in the women’s 4x100m relay — which included a world record for Swede Sarah Sjostrom for the 100m freestyle — as the American quartet ruined Olympic champion Australia’s title defence.
The results: Men: 400m: 1. Sun Yang (Chn) 3:41.38s, 2. Mack Horton (Aus) 3:43.85, 3. Gabriele Detti (Ita) 3:43.93; 4x100m freestyle: 1. USA 3:10.06s, 2. Brazil, 3. Hungary
Women: 400m freestyle: 1. Katie Ledecky (USA) 3:58.34, 2. Leah Smith (USA) 4:01.54, 3. Li Bing Jie (Chn) 4:03.25; 4x100m freestyle: 1. USA 3:31.72, 2. Australia, 3. Netherlands .
