Ledecky wins 800m thriller; US also win relay in world record
Singapore
American icon Katie Ledecky had to fight like rarely before to secure a seventh 800 metres freestyle world title in a thriller, and the American mixed 4x100m freestyle relay team stormed to gold in world record time on Saturday.
Ledecky had to give her all to secure a 23rd career world title as she was pushed to the limit by Australian Lani Pallister and Canadian star Summer McIntosh from the start to finish.
Ledecky edged Pallister by a mere .32 of a second as she clocked a championship record 8 minutes 5.62 seconds, missing her world record by just 1.5 seconds.
McIntosh, who briefly led with 100m to go, earned bronze in her first major 800m duel with Ledecky, 1.67 seconds back. McIntosh had earlier in Singapore won 400 freestyle, 200m medley and 200m butterfly gold.
'It was incredibly fast, they pushed me all the way,' nine-time Olympic champion Ledecky said.
In the concluding relay, Jack Alexy set the Americans on course, and Patrick Sammon, Kate Douglass and Torri Huske kept up the pace for gold in a world record 3:18.48 minutes.
The neutral athletes from Russia clocked a European record 3:19.68 for silver and France got the bronze.
Elsewhere, American Gretchen Walsh and Maxime Grousset of France completed 50m and 100m butterfly doubles, and Australia's Kaylee McKeown continued her backstroke dominance.
Walsh came home in 24.83 seconds over 50m to finish almost half a second ahead of Australian Alexandria Perkins, who trailed by .48.
The 100m silver medallist Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium got bronze.
'I am very proud, it was a great swim after such a rocky week,' said Walsh, referring to a virus that had hit the American and some other teams.
Grousset completed his double with victory in the 100m in 49.62 seconds. Swiss Noe Ponti was .21 back for silver and the bronze went to Canada's Ilya Kharun.
'I have more strength and power now, and it just flows,' Grousset said, underlining this again a little later as part of the bronze medal winning relay team.
Twice Olympic champion McKeown was on fire on the home straight en route to a third 200m backstroke world title in 2 minutes 3.33 seconds, just shy of her world record.
Regan Smith of the US trailed by .96 of a second for a fourth silver at the championships, and team-mate Claire Curzan took bronze.
Australia's Cameron McEvoy beat Briton Ben Proud for the 50 metres freestyle world title, one-year after also beating him for gold at the Paris Olympics.
McEvoy clocked 21.14 seconds in the Singapore pool as he held off Proud by 12 hundredths for a second worlds gold over the distance, the first coming in 2023. American Jack Alexy got bronze.
American Gretchen Walsh meanwhile added the 50m butterfly gold to that from the 100m in dominant fashion.
Walsh came home in 24.83 seconds to finish almost half a second ahead of Australian Alexandria Perkins, who trailed by .48. The 100m silver medallist Roos Vanotterdijk got bronze.
'I am very proud, it was a great swim after such a rocky week,' said Walsh, referring to a virus that had hit the American and some other teams.
Twice Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown was on fire on the home straight as the Australian got a third 200m backstroke world title in 2 minutes 3.33 seconds, just shy of her world record.
Regan Smith of the US trailed by .96 of a second for a fourth silver at the championships, and team-mate Claire Curzan took bronze.
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