Ledecky out-duels McIntosh in sizzing 400m free

MIAMI: US freestyle great Katie Ledecky posted the second-fastest 400m free time of her storied career on Thursday, clocking 3min 56.81sec to run down Summer McIntosh for a second stunning victory in as many days at the TYR Pro Swim Series meeting in Florida.

Ledecky, who posted the second-fastest 1,500m free time in history on Wednesday, overshadowed the return to action of Paris Olympic star Leon Marchand, who posted a personal best in finishing third in the men´s 400m free in his first competition in four months.

With the World Championships in Singapore coming up July 27-August 3, nine-time Olympic gold medallist Ledecky produced the fastest women´s 400m ever in a US pool -- and her fastest since she set the American record of 3:56.46 in winning Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

“I don´t know if I ever thought I would be 3:56 again,” a beaming Ledecky said in a poolside interview. “It wasn´t even in my head for tonight for sure.” For most of the race Ledecky was chasing McIntosh, who was under the pace of Titmus´s world record through 300 meters. Ledecky stayed in touch and as McIntosh began to fade on the penultimate lap she pounced.

“I just tried to stick with her and just stay calm and just stick with my race, trust my tempo at the end which is my bread and butter,” Ledecky said. Canada´s McIntosh, who had traded the world record with Ariarne Titmus in 2023 before finishing runner up to the Aussie at the Paris Olympics, finished second in 3:58.28. The World Championships promises to be another Ledecky-McIntosh duel with Titmus on an “extended break” before resuming training in preparation for the 2028 Olympics.

Meanwhile France´s Marchand made a solid return to competition in an event that didn´t feature among his four individual gold medals at the Paris Games. The 22-year-old, who opted out of the short course world championships in December then sought a change of pace by training in Australia before rejoining coach Bob Bowman in Texas, clocked 3:48.97 to finish third in the 400m free won by American Kieran Smith in 3:47.04, with Ryan Erisman second in 3:48.57.