AFP, United States :
Katie Ledecky won the 200m freestyle to complete the first half of a daunting double at the US Olympic swimming trials on Wednesday that concludes with the 1,500m free final.
Ledecky, added the 200m to the 400m free victory on Monday, giving herself a chance to defend two of the titles she won in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Trailing Allison Schmitt at the halfway mark, Ledecky surged home to win in 1min 55.11sec with Schmitt, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist, second in 1:56.79 to put herself in line for a trip to Tokyo.
Ledecky had little more than an hour before she was due on deck for the 1500m freestyle final, the two events representing the toughest daily double she will face as she targets a formidable array of events in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyles.
The heats, 200m semi-finals and finals of the two events require her to race 3,600m in less than 36 hours.
