Katie Ledecky breaks her own nine-year-old world record in 800-meter freestyle
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.
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.
WORLD RECORD for Katie Ledecky! 🇺🇸
The First Lady of Freestyle bests her time from the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 800m.
🎥: USASwimming | #TYRProSeries pic.twitter.com/OL3D6B1yZ4
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) May 3, 2025
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.
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She has said she's eyeing competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
'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.
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