KAZAN, Russia — Missy Franklin and the American women’s 4×100-meter relay team were a bit of a disappointment Sunday at the world swimming championships. Teammate Katie Ledecky was on the other end of the spectrum.
Franklin won a bronze medal, along with teammates Margo Geer, Lia Neal and Simone Manuel, in the relay, finishing behind Australia and the Netherlands. Franklin, a Regis Jesuit High School graduate, won four Olympic gold medals in 2012 at London, which sets expectations high.
Ledecky, meanwhile, stood on the podium, a gold medal slung around her neck after winning the 400-meter freestyle.
Ledecky began an ambitious program with a 3.89-second victory, falling off her world-record pace on the next-to-last lap. She touched in 3 minutes, 59.13 seconds to set a championship mark and defend the world title she won two years ago in Barcelona.
She set the world record of 3:58.37 at last year’s Pan Pacific championships in Australia.
“I’m really happy with my speed in that,” she said after Sunday’s race. “That sets me up really well for the rest of the week.”
Ledecky, a recent high school graduate who has yet to earn a driver’s license, will be favored in the 800 and 1,500 freestyles and is a threat in the 200 free.
Also on Sunday, Sarah Sjoestrom of Sweden set a world record in the semifinals of the 100 butterfly. Competing in the second semifinal, she won in 55.74 seconds to lower the old mark of 55.98 set by American Dana Vollmer at the 2012 Olympics. The final is Monday night at Kazan Arena.
“I’ve been aiming for this record for a long time, so it’s great to finally have it,” said Sjoestrom, who is entered in four other sprint events.
