Ledecky rockets to gold in 400m freestyle

BARCELONA (Reuters) - American teenager Katie Ledecky stormed to gold in the 400 metres freestyle at the world championships in Barcelona on Sunday, becoming only the second woman after Italy's Federica Pellegrini to break four minutes.

Ledecky of the U.S. swims in the women's 400m freestyle final during the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona

The 16-year-old Ledecky, gold medallist at 800 metres at last year's London Olympics, was on course to break Pellegrini's world record of 3:59.15 but slipped off the pace in the final 100 metres to finish in a still-blistering time of 3:59.82.

Spain's Melanie Costa Schmid lifted the home support inside the hilltop Palau Sant Jordi by taking silver in 4:02.47 and Lauren Boyle of New Zealand was third in 4:03.89.

Olympic champion Camille Muffat of France finished a disappointing seventh.

(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Toby Davis)