Ledecky sets pool on fire

Indianapolis, June 28

Katie Ledecky joined an elite club, earning her sixth trip to the World Championships with a dominating victory in the 800 metres freestyle at the US Nationals.

Ledecky was under her own world-record pace for much of the race before settling for the victory in 8 minutes and 7.07 seconds her third-fastest time in the gruelling event, which she has dominated over her long career with the 30 fastest times in history.

Ledecky will head to Fukuoka, Japan, next month as only the sixth US swimmer to make the Worlds for the sixth time, joining Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin, Elizabeth Beisel and Nathan Adrian.

Meanwhile, Caeleb Dressel dropped farther and farther behind, a far cry from the dominant swimmer he was at the last Olympics. In his first major competition since a long lay-off, Dressel finished 29th in the preliminaries of the 100m freestyle Tuesday. AP