American swimming sensation Katie Ledecky has shattered her own world record in the women’s 800-metre freestyle, a feat she achieved at a TYR Pro Swim Series meet held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On Sunday, she completed the distance in a remarkable time of 8:04.12, beating her previous record of 8:04.79 set at the 2016 Olympic Games.
At 28 years old, Ledecky demonstrated her dominance in the pool, now holding the 18 fastest times in the women’s 800m freestyle as well as 31 out of the top 34 times recorded. Her final lap performance was electrifying, sparking cheers and applause from the enthusiastic crowd who witnessed her historic swim. The excitement reached a crescendo when the time flashed on the scoreboard, leading to an eruption of celebration.
Prominent figures in the swimming community expressed their admiration following Ledecky’s achievement, including American swimming legend Rowdy Gaines, who asserted on social media that anyone doubting her status as the greatest female swimmer of all time needed to reconsider.
Earlier in the same meet, Ledecky also made headlines by clocking her second-fastest 400m freestyle time, finishing in 3:56.81, triumphing over 18-year-old Canadian star Summer McIntosh, who swam 3:58.28. The current world record for this event is 3:55.38, set by Australia’s Ariarne Titmus at the 2023 World Championships.
Ledecky expressed surprise and delight at her performance, stating, “I don’t know if I ever thought I would be 3:56 again. It wasn’t even in my head for tonight, for sure.” Additionally, she showcased impressive speed in the 1500m event earlier in the meet, clocking 15:24.51, which was tantalisingly close to her world record of 15:20.48 established in 2018.
Having become a nine-time Olympic gold medalist in Paris last year, Ledecky claimed her fourth consecutive Olympic title in the 800m freestyle, finishing strong against Titmus by 1.25 seconds with a time of 8:11.04. She made her Olympic debut at just 15 years old, winning gold in the same event at the London 2012 Games.
Katie Ledecky’s latest accomplishments not only reinforce her status as one of the sport’s greats but also highlight her enduring legacy in the realm of competitive swimming.