TOKYO: America’s big hitters flexed their muscles at the Pan Pacific swimming championships Saturday as Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel and Chase Kalisz all won gold for Team USA.
Not to be outdone, hosts Japan captured two titles through Rikako Ikee and Yui Ohashi but their American rivals continued to rule the roost, ruthlessly signalling their intent two years out from the 2020 Olympics.
Hot favourite Ledecky stormed to victory in the women’s 400m freestyle, recording the sixth-fastest time ever to make up for the American’s disappointment in the 200m.
The five-time Olympic gold medallist flirted with her own world record before touching in 3:58.50 with Australia’s Commonwealth Games champ Ariarne Titmus also ducking under four minutes to take silver.
Dressel, who last year became only the second swimmer to win seven gold medals at a single world championships after Michael Phelps, flexed his muscles in the men’s 100m butterfly as he powered to victory in a Pan Pacific-best 50.75.
American Jack Conger (51.32) took silver and Brazil’s Vini Lanza (51.44) bronze.
Dressel returned to help the United States win the 4x100m freestyle relay — only for the team to be disqualified for swimming out of order, gifting the gold to Brazil.
Kalisz clinically completed the men’s individual medley double by bombing to gold in the 200m, once again crushing Japanese rival Kosuke Hagino, runner-up to Phelps at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The double world champion tore it up over the second half of the race in typical fashion to win in 1:55.40 with Australia’s Mitch Larkin a distant second and Hagino relegated to bronze.
Mack Horton was upset by fellow Aussie Jack McLoughlin in the men’s 400m freestyle, the surprise gold medallist clocking 3:44.20 to win by just over a tenth of a second.
