Katie Ledecky smashes 800m short-course world record
Katie Ledecky shattered another record a week after shattering the 800m short-course mark on her way to victory at the FINA World Cup in Indianapolis.
The American ran a new personal best of 7:57.42, about two seconds faster than Mireia Belmonte's previous mark of 7:59.34. Last week, Ledecky came
close to breaking this record as she ran the 1500 meters in a record time with a split time of 8:00.58, just a second slower than the world record pace.
Ledecky stated, "I pushed myself a lot after last week," according to the website of FINA, the sport's international governing body.
"It's amazing to have so many supporters here to support us. The presence of benchmarks is beneficial (in short course). Similarly to
her world-record-breaking 1500-meter swim, Ledecky took the lead from the opening turn and never seemed to be bothered by the other rivals.
Only Summer McIntosh of Canada, who finally finished in second place, was still within striking distance of Ledecky at the end of the
race. She was over 10 seconds behind the American. "After my swim in Toronto, I was putting some pressure on myself. I regret not
doing it in Toronto. It's always good to be able to hear some of the audience. It's a good way to start the season and the fall, said Ledecky.