Ledecky Denies McIntosh From Creating History! US Legend Nabs Gold In 800m Freestyle

Last Updated:August 02, 2025, 19:58 IST

Katie Ledecky won her seventh world title in the 800m freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, setting a record time of 8:05.62.

Katie Ledecky (X)

Katie Ledecky reclaimed her crown in dominant fashion on Saturday, outlasting a world-class field to win her seventh career world title in the 800m freestyle, as the United States swimming team hit back at its critics with a gold rush at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

Ledecky clocked a championship record time of 8:05.62, narrowly edging out Australia’s Lani Pallister (8:05.98) and Canada’s Summer McIntosh (8:07.29) in a thrilling three-way battle to the wall.

At 28, Ledecky remains the undisputed queen of the 800m freestyle, a race she has now won at every world championship since 2013, excluding 2019 when she withdrew due to illness.

McIntosh Denied Historic Fifth Gold

The race also marked the first defeat of the meet for 18-year-old McIntosh, the Canadian superstar who was bidding to equal Michael Phelps’ historic feat of winning five individual golds at a single world championship. She had already claimed three titles in Singapore, and a fourth-place finish in another event.

While McIntosh has emerged as one of the sport’s brightest stars, Saturday’s result was a reminder that Ledecky still sets the gold standard in distance swimming.

Ledecky’s victory was one of three gold medals for Team USA on a resurgent day, helping the squad climb to the top of the medals table with eight golds, surpassing Australia.

The turnaround came after intense scrutiny earlier in the week, including criticism from Olympic legends Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, over illness outbreaks and alleged mismanagement in the American camp.

Mixed Relay Gold and World Record

Capping off the day, the U.S. team shattered the world record in the 4x100m mixed freestyle relay, clocking 3:18.48 to beat Australia’s previous best of 3:18.83, set in 2023. The win marked a triumphant response to questions about team cohesion and performance.

(with AFP inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

Location :

First Published:

August 02, 2025, 19:58 IST

News sports Ledecky Denies McIntosh From Creating History! US Legend Nabs Gold In 800m Freestyle

Read More