logo
Katie Ledecky breaks her own nine-year-old world record in 800-meter freestyle

Katie Ledecky breaks her own nine-year-old world record in 800-meter freestyle

Yahoo04-05-2025

The world record in the women's 800-meter freestyle has been untouchable for nearly nine years since Katie Ledecky swam it in 8:04.79 at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. No one had come within two seconds of that time since.
That all changed Saturday. And Ledecky, naturally, was the one to do it.
Advertisement
The American swimming legend broke her own record in the event at the TYR Pro Series in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., finishing in 8:04.12 to beat her previous unmatchable time by over a half-second.
Ledecky, who has won gold in the 800-meter freestyle in four straight Olympics, now owns the 10 fastest times ever in the event.
The win comes two days after Ledecky bested rival Summer McIntosh in a thrilling 400-meter race, an event Ledecky has lost ground in since winning gold in Rio.
The 28-year-old Ledecky has nine career Olympic golds and 14 total medals to go along with 21 world championship golds.
She has said she's eyeing competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Advertisement
'I'll take it year by year and give it everything I've got for as long as I have left in me,' Ledecky said when asked about continuing her career following her final race in Paris last summer.
American Gretchen Walsh also reset her own world record on Saturday in the 100-meter butterfly — twice. She swam 55.09 in the prelims to lower her previous record of 55.18, then topped it with a 54.60 in the final.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Olympics, Global Sports, Women's Olympics
2025 The Athletic Media Company

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

LAFC close to loan deal: Dutch winger set to turn out at Club World Cup
LAFC close to loan deal: Dutch winger set to turn out at Club World Cup

Yahoo

time15 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

LAFC close to loan deal: Dutch winger set to turn out at Club World Cup

Javairo Dilrosun could be in action at the Club World Cup. According to VoetbalPrimeur, the latest rumours suggest Los Angeles FC have signed the Dutch forward on loan from Club America. 'Dilrosun is the first – and possibly only – signing during the special transfer window for one of the three MLS clubs participating in the World Cup,' GiveMeSport claim, with Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami keeping quiet. Advertisement 'Dilrosun will bolster Los Angeles FC's attack for the Club World Cup behind star player Denis Bouanga.' Details about the potential transfer of Dilrosun, who is under contract in Mexico until the summer of 2026, were not shared. LAFC are in a group with Chelsea, Flamengo and Espérance Sportive de Tunis at the Club World Cup. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is among the players under contract with the American team. Dilrosun was part of the youth academies of Ajax and Manchester City and eventually ended up at Hertha BSC in his career. Via Girondins de Bordeaux he moved to Feyenoord in 2022. The Rotterdammers sold Dilrosun to Club America at the beginning of 2024. In 2018, Dilrosun played one international match for the Dutch national team in the Nations League. GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield

‘Third-best season ever': Over 6.5 million skiers visited Utah's resorts during the season
‘Third-best season ever': Over 6.5 million skiers visited Utah's resorts during the season

Yahoo

time16 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

‘Third-best season ever': Over 6.5 million skiers visited Utah's resorts during the season

SALT LAKE CITY () — 'Greatest snow on Earth,' Utah's long-running slogan, is proving itself true after another successful season at Utah's ski resorts. According to Ski Utah, this last season was the third-best in state history. There are 15 ski resorts across Utah, and together they recorded 6,503,635 visitors during the 2024-25 season, which has just wrapped up. According to a press release from Ski Utah, this is the third-highest number of skier visits in state history. This season's skier visits were down 3.6% from last year, the press release says, but the more than 6.5 million visitors this year show a 3.3% increase over Utah's five-year average. Utah's economy benefits greatly from recreation at the ski resorts. Ski Utah's president and CEO, Nathan Rafferty, emphasized skiing's impact on Utah. EXCLUSIVE: Utah man who underwent 120 surgeries advocates for rare disease awareness in Washington, D.C. 'To hit our third-best season ever and generate $2.51 billion for Utah's economy is a major win,' Rafferty is quoted in the release. 'The ski industry in Utah supports approximately 25,000 jobs, and with the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on the horizon, the eyes of the world will be on us once again. We're excited about the opportunities ahead and grateful to all who helped make this season a success.' Ski Utah says that ski resorts are already hard at work to prepare for the upcoming 2034 Winter Olympics. In the next two years alone, 13 new lifts are expected to finish construction and open, and many resorts are planning upgrades to their mountain areas. 'Utah's future as a global winter destination remains as promising as ever,' Ski Utah concluded. Arizona man drowns along San Juan River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Charges for trespassing on border military zones 'not going away' Former Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon Hall dies at 98 Two women charged with felonies after late-night assault in Logan, charges say Death penalty expert weighs in on Menzies competency ruling and appeal Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Can schools like St. Bonaventure and FIU thrive in college athletics without the big bucks?
Can schools like St. Bonaventure and FIU thrive in college athletics without the big bucks?

San Francisco Chronicle​

timean hour ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Can schools like St. Bonaventure and FIU thrive in college athletics without the big bucks?

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — As schools prepare to begin sharing millions with their athletes, there is no avoiding the reality that if you're not a Power Four school, you're at a disadvantage. With major conferences running the show, St. Bonaventure and Florida International don't even have a seat at the table. FIU and St. Bonaventure aren't necessarily worried about a head-to-head fight over top players with deeper-pocketed schools. The priority has become survival and finding a balance between athletics ambition and financial sustainability. Adrian Wojnarowski spoke candidly about the challenges he faced during his inaugural season as the general manager of the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team. Solidifying a recruiting class that would improve the team and embrace the school culture was not easy. After July 1, when lucrative paychecks will pretty much become mandatory for blue-chip prospects, it's not going to get any easier. With some 2,000 undergraduate students, the Bonnies are outnumbered in resources and revenue when competing even against other Atlantic 10 teams like VCU, Dayton, and Saint Louis. Wojnarowski, ESPN's former lead NBA reporter, thinks he has identified a formula for locating the ideal prospect. To him, St. Bonaventure is a landing spot for international players adjusting to a new culture and college life, transfers who may have fallen short at a high major and need development, or those looking to move up to a mid-major. He admits the school upstate New York could be a pit stop on a player's journey. 'I want them to see that our environment, our coaching staff, our small school, especially for international players coming over, what I really try to sell is your adjustment to American college life," he said at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and Affiliates Convention this week. 'I think for a lot of kids, it's easier in a school with 1,900 students than a school with 19,000. And you'll come to have two great years with us, and then you'll probably end up at schools with 19,000 or 29,000,' he said. "And so you're selling, for us, we're your first step on the way to somewhere else, or the other one to me is we're the place to come when you've got to get the basketball right.' If the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money. 'Fundraising is hard, creating new revenue streams is hard, but the one thing that I try to stay away from with us is not saying, 'Oh, we didn't get him because they offered more money,' and using that as a crutch all the time. I really examine when we lost a player,' Wojnarowski said. 'Are we being honest with ourselves in saying that we did everything outside the economics to make our case to this person?' FIU has more than 40,000 undergraduates, but the athletic department is using a similar philosophy, pinpointing advantages and opportunities to come from the settlement instead of the negatives. Similar to St. Bonaventure, FIU doesn't expect to come close to the $20.5 million revenue-sharing cap available over the next year. For a competitive edge, unlocking new revenue streams is fundamental. 'To compete, from a revenue standpoint, you have to think outside the box of your conventional fundraising and targeting donors,' senior associate athletic director Joseph Corey said. 'That's why you're looking at concerts being held at different venues, different festivals to generate extra revenue to bring in, different revenue streams, and not just fundraising going after the same donors. You've got to go beyond that in order to be able to compete.' Being based in Miami has its perks. Proximity to celebrities is one of them. In August, FIU secured a 10-year partnership with Pitbull, the singer and rapper who coins himself 'Mr. 305.' 'We did the partnership with Pitbull – Pitbull Stadium. He's on tour, but part of the deal was that he would be collaborating with us and doing events for us from a fundraising standpoint," Corey said. "You've got to think outside the box. Especially in a city like Miami, it's about the experience too.' Schools unlocking creative revenue streams is something that can be expected. FIU competes in Conference USA alongside teams like Liberty, Louisiana Tech, UTEP, Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State. The football team went 3-5 in 2024, finishing sixth in the conference. The men's basketball team finished last with a 3-15 conference record. It's hard to sell donors on losing teams. 'Let's call it what it is, FIU's not going to be able to keep up with the Alabama's of the world, the Georgia's, Michigan, or Texas, but what can we do? We can be the best in our conference. That is our goal,' Corey said. 'Let's be the best in our conference and really compete there because once you're at the top of your conference, that means more revenue in other areas. Everyone wants to donate to a winner.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store