Ledecky crushed the field in breaking her own world record in the 800 freestyle. She finished in 8 minutes, 4.79 seconds, shaving almost two seconds off the mark she set at a grand prix event in January. She was about 11 1/2 seconds faster than runner-up Jazz Karlin of Britain.
Ledecky joined Debbie Meyer as the only women to sweep the three longer freestyle events at the same Olympics.
The basketball team struggled before knocking off Serbia 94-91. Kyrie Irving scored 15 points for the Americans, who didn't lock up their 48th consecutive international victory until Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a 3-pointer from the left wing with two seconds left. The Serbians chipped away before the United States survived a second straight close call.
The three-time defending-champion U.S. women's soccer team was ousted by Sweden on penalties 4-3 following a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals. American goalkeeper Hope Solo allowed goals on Sweden's last two kicks, then blasted the Swedes' conservative style that allowed them to extend the match.
Solo said she thought the U.S. "played a bunch of cowards," adding that she strongly and firmly believes that the best team did not win.
Sweden is coached by Pia Sundhage, who led the U.S. to gold medals at the Beijing and London Games. Sundhage responded to Solo's comments by saying "It's OK to be a coward if you win."
It's the earliest the United States has been eliminated from the Olympics since women's soccer became a sport in 1996.
Phelps finished in a three-way tie for second in the 100-meter butterfly, an event won by Singapore's Joseph Schooling in 50.39 seconds. Phelps touched in 51.14 seconds to tie longtime rivals Chad le Clos of South Africa and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh.
Phelps still has a chance to win his 23rd gold medal in his final race of the Olympics, the 4x100 medley relay.
Also at Rio:
— The oldest member of the U.S. swimming team claimed gold as 35-year-old Anthony Ervin won the 50-meter freestyle, edging defending Olympic-champion Florent Manaudou of France by one-hundredth of a second. The victory comes 16 years after Ervin won his first individual gold medal. American Nathan Adrian took the bronze.
— American Maya DiRado won gold in the women's 200-meter backstroke. DiRado rallied furiously on the final lap and got Katinka Hosszu at the touch to win in 2 minutes, 5.99 seconds. Hosszu was bidding to become a four-time gold medalist at Rio.
— Michelle Carter of the U.S. upset New Zealander and favorite Valerie Adams in women's shot put with a throw of 20.63 meters. Adams had been trying to win the event for the third straight Olympics.
— Nico Hernandez is the first U.S. boxer since 2008 to win an Olympic medal, capturing bronze in the light flyweight division. Hernandez is also the first American light flyweight to medal since Michael Carbajal won silver in 1988.
— American Kim Rhode has captured bronze in women's skeet, becoming the first woman to earn a medal in six straight Olympics. Rhode has three gold medals and six overall in her career.
— Brady Ellison won the bronze in men's individual archery, 6-2 against Netherlands' Sjef van den Berg. Ellison was one arrow away from the gold medal round when he flat out missed and registered an eight in a shootout against South Korean Ku Bon-chan.
— The Americans have claimed the bronze medal in dressage, finishing behind gold medalist Germany and runner-up Great Britain.
— Maya Moore scored 12 points as the U.S. clobbered Canada 81-51 to clinch Group B in women's basketball. It was the 45th straight Olympic win for the 4-0 Americans, who led by just two points after one period.
— Defending champ Andy Murray has moved into the semifinals in tennis singles, beating American Steve Johnson 6-love, 4-6, 7-6. Johnson was two games away from wrapping up the match in the third set. Rafael Nadal, Kei Nishikori and Juan Martin del Potro also advanced to the semis.
— American Madison Keys has been relegated to the bronze medal match in women's tennis following a 6-3, 7-5 loss to second seed Angelique Kerber of Germany. Kerber saved all 10 break points she faced in earning a berth in the gold medal match against Puerto Rico's Monica Puig. The seventh-seeded Keys will face two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova for the bronze ton Saturday.
— Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross advanced to the quarterfinals of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament. The Americans rallied to beat Italy 21-10, 21-16 in just 35 minutes.
— The U.S. fencing team has won bronze in men's foil, its first medal in the event since 1932. Top-ranked Alexander Massialas and Gerek Meinhardt led the Americans to a 45-31 win over Italy, the team's third medal at Rio.
— Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram are through to the mixed doubles semifinals following a 6-3, 7-5 victory against Roberta Vinci and Fabio Fognini of Italy. Williams is seeking her record-tying fifth Olympic tennis medal.
— Marcus Fraser remains the leader midway through the Olympic golf tournament following a 2-under 69 that leaves him at minus-10. The Australian is one shot ahead of Belgium's Thomas Pieters, a former NCAA champion who closed with three straight birdies. British Open champ Henrik Stenson is two shots off the pace. Matt Kuchar shot a 70 and is seven shots back for the best showing by an American.
— The United States leads the Olympics with 20 gold and 50 total. China is second in both categories, claiming 13 gold and 37 overall.
— A Chinese swimmer, Polish weightlifter and Bulgarian steeplechaser have been sanctioned for doping offenses at the Olympics.
