World Aquatics Championships 2025: Katie Ledecky beats Summer McIntosh in 800m freestyle 'race of the century'
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The race, dubbed "the biggest race of this century, men or women, from outside of the Olympic format" by NBC swimming analyst Rowdy Gaines this week, lived up to the hype as Ledecky and McIntosh, slotted into lanes 3 and 4, battled to a dramatic finish. Ledecky pulled away in the final 50 meters to win while Lani Pallister finished second. McIntosh was third.
Both Ledecky, 28, and McIntosh, 18, cruised to the finals after winning their individual qualifying heats on Friday.
Ledecky has won a total of 14 Olympic medals in her career, including nine golds. McIntosh put herself on the map during last summer's Paris Olympics by taking home three golds and a silver.
The 800m freestyle has been Ledecky's race, with the Maryland native winning gold in the event at each of the past four Olympics, the only woman to achieve that feat. She also owns six consecutive world titles in the 800m going back to the 2013 event.
McIntosh had been trying to join Michael Phelps as the only swimmers to ever win five gold medals in a single world championships. Ledecky's win in the 800m free ended that.
McIntosh has bested Ledecky in the 800m freestyle before. In February 2024, the Canadian was six seconds faster than Ledecky at the Southern Zone South Sectional Championships in Orlando, Florida. It was Ledecky's first defeat in the event since 2010.
It's been a fruitful week already for both swimmers. Ledecky claimed gold in the 1,500m freestyle and a bronze in the 400m freestyle. That 400m finish was behind McIntosh, who claimed gold in the event, along with the 200 IM and 200 fly.
Both Ledecky and McIntosh have been chasing records set by Michael Phelps, who won five individual gold medals at the 2007 World Championships.
In other events, Gretchen Walsh became the first American woman to ever win gold at the world championships in the 50m butterfly. Regan Smith and Claire Curzan took silver and bronze, respectively, in the women's 200m backstroke. Jack Alexy's bronze in the men's 50 freestyle was his third medal of the 2025 world championships.
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