OMAHA, Neb. – History was made at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials Wednesday night, and it was entirely appropriate that Katie Ledecky was the one to do it.
For the first time ever, women are being allowed to swim the mile – the grueling 1,500 meters – at the Olympics Games, and by churning to the fastest time in the world this year here in the final, Ledecky was, is and will be the strong favorite for the gold medal in the event.
Men have been swimming the 1,500 in the Summer Games since 1904. It took only 117 years for the old boys club running international sports to give women the same chance.