How to break a world record without even trying.
Katie Ledecky is the world’s most dominant athlete and one you may have never heard of. She’s one of the competitors in this week’s swimming world championships in Kazan, Russia, an event you likely didn’t know was happening. And on Monday morning, she broke a world record in a preliminary heat, which is little like shattering a long-distance running mark during a warm-up jog. Thus, it’s time to start remembering the name of Katie Ledecky, because she’s going to be America’s greatest Olympic hero next summer in Rio.
Ledecky, the matriculating college freshman from Bethesda, Md.