RIO DE JANEIRO – Katie Ledecky had been aiming for this day for nearly two years, pointing toward the moment when she would be able to take the world record in the 400 freestyle, one of her specialties, even lower than she had before.
That time came Sunday night at the Olympic Aquatics Center at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, when the 19-year-old American swimming sensation sprinted to the finish in a race known for its distance, not only shattering her world record, but also winning the first gold medal of these Games for USA swimming.
“Pure happiness,” Ledecky said of her reaction after she had swam the 400 in a scintillating 3 minutes 56.