Irvine, United States: Katie Ledecky edged world champion Missy Franklin to win the 200-metre freestyle Thursday in a rare meeting of America’s teen swimming queens at the US championships.

Ledecky clocked the second-fastest time in the world this year of 1 min 55.16 secs, just a day after winning the 800-metre free.

Only Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom at 1:55.04 has gone faster this year.

The 17-year-old Ledecky lowered her own world records in the 800-metre and 1,500-metre free in June, but with her performance on Thursday she showed she’s not just a distance star.

Franklin, a four-time Olympic gold medallist who claimed the 200-metre free as part of a six-gold haul at the world championships last year, had no answer when Ledecky powered home on the final lap, taking second in 1:56.40.

Leah Smith in 1:57.57 and Shannon Vreeland in 1:57.73 rounded out the top four, who all booked berths for the Pan Pacific Championships August 21-25 in Gold Coast, Australia.

Results at this week’s California meet and the PanPacs will determine the US team for the 2015 World Championships in Russia.

Olympic great Michael Phelps, on the comeback trail after a near two-year retirement, was due to try to qualify for the PanPacs on Friday in the 100-metre butterfly.

Ledecky said the chance to compete for the US internationally in the 4x200-metre free relay was the main reason she set her sights on the 200-metre.

Racing Franklin is an added benefit.

“I was trying to think how many times I’ve gotten to race her, it’s probably only four or five times,” Ledecky said of the 19-year-old Franklin.

Friendly rivalry

Don’t look for any trash talking between the young rivals.

“No! We don’t talk smack,” said Ledecky, sounding sincerely shocked. “No way! That’s not what we’re about.”

Instead they are a mutual admiration society.

“Watching Katie in the 800 metres and 1500 metres is a treat for everyone,” Franklin said. “But to be able to race her in the 200 metres is awesome.

“I’m still learning how to swim against her,” Franklin added. “I’m really excited to have her in that event pushing me.”

Franklin came out on top in the second half of a demanding double with a victory in the 200-metre backstroke.

She’s the world record-holder as well as world and Olympic champion in the event, but had focused in her first collegiate racing season more on freestyle.

So the win was a confidence builder, as was finding she had the “mental strength to tackle a day with four 200s.”

Lochte hurting

Five-time Olympic gold medallist Ryan Lochte opted out of a similar double, scratching from the men’s 200-metre free final to focus on the backstroke.

Swimming in unfavourable lane one after qualifying seventh-fastest, world champion Lochte took the race out fast but was overhauled by Olympic gold medallist Tyler Clary, who won in 1:54.73 — third-fastest in the world this year.

Ryan Murphy was second in 1:55.99 and Lochte third in 1:56.47.

“That was probably the stupidest way to swim a 200 back,” Lochte said. “I felt good the first 100. After that it kind of hit me — it’s going to get ugly.”

Matt McLean won the men’s 200-metre free in 1:46.93, with Conor Dwyer second in 1:47.35, Reed Malone third in 1:47.41 and Michael Weiss fourth in 1:47.87.

While the top four in the 100-metre and 200-metre freestyle booked their Pan Pacific Championship spots, only the first-place finishers of Thursday’s other events were assured of a trip to Australia.

Micah Lawrence triumphed in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke, withstanding the fast early pace and powering past Breeja Larson on the final lap to win in 2:23.05.

Kevin Cordes, who clocked a US Open record 2:07.86 in Thursday’s heats, backed up that swim with a wire-to-wire victory in the 200-metre breaststroke, although his winning finals time was a slower 2:09.48.