4 to Watch: Ledecky, Phelps Continue Quest for Gold

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On Day 7 of Olympic competition, Bethesda's own Katie Ledecky won big in spectacular fashion, destroying her own world record and winning by nearly half a pool length. But after days of racking up the gold, Michael Phelps claimed a silver in his signature event.

Meanwhile, the American men ended a whopping 84-year medal drought in team foil fencing.

Here are four of the biggest Things to Watch during the Summer Games Friday.

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Samuel Mikulak of the United States competes on the pommel horse during the men's team final on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Rio Olympic Arena on Aug. 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

1) Ledecky Crushes Record; Phelps Earns Silver 

Bethesda's Ledecky gave a stunning performance in the 800-meter freestyle, demolishing her own previous world record and claiming another gold medal.

Ledecky blasted past the rest of the field, winning by nearly a half a pool length. Her 8:04.79 time was almost 12 seconds faster than silver medalist Jazz Carlin of Great Britain. 

"I felt good the whole way through," Ledecky said after the race, saying she knew she was in good shape from the start.

But Phelps -- who bested Ryan Lochte in a stunning 200-meter individual medley victory Thursday night -- didn't add another gold to his collection in the 100-meter butterfly, instead tying for silver with sometimes-rival Chad le Clos, of South Africa, and Laszlo Cseh, of Hungary.

How to watch: See highlights on your smartphone, tablet or desktop computer at 9 p.m. EDT.

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Katie Ledecky of the United States of America reacts after a women's 200m freestyle final for swimming at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 9, 2016. Katie Ledecky won the gold medal with 1 minute 53.73 seconds.

2) U.S. Men's Fencing Team Breaks 84-Year Medal Drought in Team Foil Fencing Event

Team USA fencer Alexander Massialas won silver in the men's individual foil competition Sunday, ending a 32-year medal drought for the United States. But that wasn't all -- Friday, the squad returned to the piste to compete in team foil competition, winning their medal in that event since 1932.

The Americans, led by top-ranked Massialas and Gerek Meinhardt, throttled Italy 45-31 for their third medal in fencing so far at the Rio Games.

How to watch: See fencing coverage on your smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.

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Daniele Garozzo of Italy (L) competes with Alexander Massialas of the United States during the men's foil individual final in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 7, 2016.

3) U.S. Basketball Teams Win on the Court

The U.S. men's basketball team eked out a close victory against Serbia, 94-91.

The Americans won their 48th consecutive international tournament game, but it was anything but easy. Serbia's Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a 3-pointer from the left wing with 2 seconds left that would have tied it, and Kevin Durant grabbed the rebound to keep the Americans unbeaten.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. women cruised past Canada, 81-51.

With the offense struggling, Maya Moore and the U.S. women's basketball team turned in a stellar defensive effort to dispatch Canada. Moore scored 12 points, and the Americans clinched the top seed in the group.

How to watch: Catch highlights of the U.S. men vs. Serbia online here and the U.S. women against Canada online here.

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USA's forward Carmelo Anthony scores during a Men's round Group A basketball match between USA and Venezuela at the Carioca Arena 1 in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 8, 2016, during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

4) U.S. Women Lose Against Rival Sweden in Soccer

 The U.S. women's soccer team lost in a shootout to Sweden in the Olympic quarterfinals in a hotly contested match between familiar foes.

Sweden scored first in the second half, but Alex Morgan tied it up at 1-1 for Team USA. After two scoreless overtime periods, Sweden outscored the U.S. 4-3 in penalty kicks.

The Americans entered the Olympics as favorites to top the podium and their play in the group stage did little to change that. Despite a hiccup in its 2-2 draw with Colombia, the U.S. looked the part as the top ranked team in the world, especially in its win over France when the team rebounded from a poor first half.

Sweden is led by former U.S. women's coach Pia Sundhage, who coached the U.S. at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, winning two gold medals. The last time these two teams met, at the 2015 Women's World Cup, Sundhage had some critical comments about her time coaching Lloyd and Solo.

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This story has been updated from an earlier version.

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