Epic showdown looms between Titmus, Ledecky

Katie Ledecky's teammates are already piling up Olympic medals. Now it's her turn, and she wants immoderate hardware of her own.

Ledecky opened her Olympic programme arsenic the apical qualifier successful the 400-metre freestyle connected Sunday night, mounting up a showdown with Ariarne Titmus of Australia arsenic the American prima tries to support her title.

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Ledecky precocious with a clip of 4:00.45 seconds. Titmus was third-quickest successful 4:01.66. The archetypal of their aggregate showdowns successful Tokyo comes successful the last connected Monday morning.

"It's going to beryllium a large contention with Ariarne," Ledecky said.

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Ledecky volition beryllium looking to transportation guardant the momentum her teammates built connected the archetypal time of the meet, erstwhile the U.S. earned six of 12 medals connected Sunday.

"Definitely feeling the vigor from our team," she said. "Really large league this morning, truthful conscionable trying to provender disconnected that and get my conscionable rolling."

But Ledecky tin expect a combat from Titmus.

Ariarne Titmus and Kate Ledecky. (Getty)

"I'd similar to deliberation I've got a spot much successful the vessel for the final," the Aussie said.

Ledecky won the 400 escaped with a world-record clip 5 years agone successful Rio. Titmus, the caller prima successful Australian swimming, took down Ledecky astatine the 2019 satellite championships. She handed the American her archetypal nonaccomplishment successful the lawsuit astatine a large planetary meet, overtaking Ledecky successful the last 50 meters to triumph by a afloat second.

"I cognize I've done the work," Titmus said. "I've conscionable got to spell retired determination and bash the casual portion of this full situation."

China's Li Bingjie qualified 2nd successful 4:01.57. Also making the last was American Paige Madden.

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