London Olympics 2012 Swimming: US teen prodigy claims gold in 800m freestyle

London: America`s 15-year-old freestyle prodigy Katie Ledecky blew away the field for gold in the women`s 800 meters freestyle at the Olympics Friday.

Ledecky clocked an American record of eight minutes, 14.63 seconds to claim the title, as Mireia Belmonte Garcia of Spain snatched the silver four seconds back. "I figured I was going pretty fast. At one point I thought, if I`m gonna be close to this record I don`t even care. I just want to get my hand on the wall first," Ledecky said. Britain`s defending champion and world record holder Rebecca Adlington couldn`t live with the pace, fading from silver position to settle for bronze in 8:20.32. Garcia spoke of her shock at overtaking Alington at the death. "I let the other girls go a little bit ahead but not too much," she said. "Actually, when I was overtaking Adlington, I thought: `What is happening here?" Adlington also took the bronze in Sunday`s 400m freestyle, won by Camile Muffat of France. She admitted the weight of expectation was hard to cope with. "The pressure has been hard to deal with over the past four years, no other Brit has ever won two gold medals," she said. "I am not disappointed I have got a bronze medal so there is nothing to be ashamed of, what I am disappointed more in is the time," Adlington said. IANS