The US perspective is that Ledecky was ‘looking forward,’ but the timing of the Olympic final, which was set up for the US, ‘upended’ her.
In the wake of Ariarne Titmus, the United States’s media is in a tizzy, with some reporting that American swimming legend Katie Ledecky was hampered by the session’s time on Monday.
Sports World Reacts to KatieLedeckys Performance
The Americans’ reaction to Titmus’s astonishing come-from-behind win over Ledecky, who had won five consecutive gold medals, was one of bewilderment.
ESPN, an American sports network, reported that Ledecky had experienced the “sting of defeat, dealt out by a rival from Down Under who made it clear she was not scared by the American star” for the first time in her “brilliant Olympic career.”
Ledecky’s Dissatisfaction “was a downer for the Americans,” as the saying goes.
With a time of 3 minutes, 56.69 seconds, Titmus finished the race just ahead of runner-up Ledecky (3:57.36). Titmus’s effort gained even more kudos from onlookers and analysts as it was revealed that she had been lagging by nearly a full body length at the halfway mark.
“Ariarne Titmus wouldn’t stop coming,” even though the Washington Post called Ledecky “the best female freestyler in history.”
They wrote, “She wouldn’t wilt.” She overcame everything that Ledecky had to offer and won.
That Ledecky was “looking ahead to the 200,” as the Post put it, is a Reasonable Inference.
Under normal circumstances, Ledecky would be able to get a full night’s sleep in between her two events. However, television executives have the power to disrupt the patterns and rhythms of the athletes. She would have to take two bus rides and rest for at least two hours.
In light of the fact that the swimming competition had been changed so that American fans could see their champion compete, the protest seemed out of place.
Titmus subsequently remarked the rivalry between the two athletes was a welcome addition to the sport, but it seems the Americans aren’t enjoying being on the losing end of things.
Sporting News noted that while there have been many great rivalries between Olympic swimmers, American supporters aren’t used to seeing their side come up short, calling Ledecky’s silver medal a “weird moment for American swimming fans.”
As San Diego Union Tribune’s Mark Ziegler put it, “her eyes gave her away, belying a trepidation inconsistent with possibly the most dominant female swimmer in history,” suggesting that Ledecky was nervous.
She gave out Vibes of being tense, Worried, and Anxious.
It turned out that their concerns were well-founded. A 20-year-old woman from Tasmania, Australia, ended her reign as the world’s best long-distance swimmer four minutes later.
The outcome also leaves Ledecky’s standing with the American public rather ambiguous, considering her accomplishments.
Sports Illustrated’s Michael Rosenberg put it this way: “Ledecky has been more admired than beloved; she has been almost as dominant as Simone Biles but not nearly as entertaining to watch.”
Conclusion
It was a lifetime for her to win by over five seconds in Rio. Ledecky won by a larger margin than the one that separated silver-medalist Jazz Carlin and seventh-place finisher.
It was ridiculous, but what else can you say when she has pulled so far ahead that she occupies the majority of your TV screen by herself?”
