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Katie Ledecky Claims Seventh Straight 800m Freestyle Title With Championship Record

Her championship-record 8:05.62 is a step closer to Michael Phelps’s world-title record.

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Swimming - World Aquatics Championships - Women 800m Freestyle Finals - World Aquatics Championships Arena, Singapore - August 2, 2025 Canada's Summer Mcintosh, Katie Ledecky of the U.S. and Australia's Lani Pallister in action during the final
Swimming - World Aquatics Championships - Women 800m Freestyle - World Aquatics Championships Arena, Singapore - August 1, 2025 Katie Ledecky of the U.S. in action during heat 3 REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Overview

  • Katie Ledecky won her seventh straight 800m freestyle world title at the Singapore Sports Hub, clocking 8:05.62 to set a new championship record.
  • Australia’s Lani Pallister claimed silver in 8:05.98, shaving five seconds off her personal best and underscoring growing global competition in distance events.
  • Canadian Summer McIntosh took bronze in 8:07.29, halting her pursuit of five individual golds at a single world championships and now targeting the 400m individual medley.
  • Ledecky’s victory is her 23rd world championship gold and 30th medal overall, positioning her within three titles of Michael Phelps’s career mark.
  • Dubbed the “race of the century” by pundits, the 800m final featured the three fastest women ever over the distance and was the marquee event of the meet’s penultimate day.