Katie Ledecky Wins 7th Consecutive World Title: ‘The Fastest I’ve Ever Been’

Katie Ledecky remains a dominant force in competitive swimming.

The Olympic swimmer, 28, won her seventh consecutive world title at the world championships in Singapore on Saturday, Aug. 2, in the 800-meter freestyle, besting other top swimmers including Australia’s Lani Pallister and Canada’s Summer McIntosh, 18.

Ledecky took an early lead at the start of the race with McIntosh following closely behind before the Canadian swimmer overtook her after the 700m mark, according to NBC News, CBS News and The Guardian. However, the Olympian was able to overtake McIntosh in the final 50m and finished with a .25-second lead over the swimmer at 8:05.62.

“I was really happy, obviously,” Ledecky said after the win, per The Guardian. “It’s the fastest I’ve ever been at a world [championship]. It’s been a great season, and coming into tonight, I knew I was going to be happy with it no matter the outcome. That really took the pressure off and allowed me to enjoy the race and appreciate the moment.”

The American swimmer admitted to NBC News that it had been “stressful” going up against Pallister, 23, and McIntosh as they were “right there” the whole time, but she fought until the end. 

“[My competitors] pushed me all the way,” she said, per The Guardian. “That’s pretty incredible, three of us going under 8:10. I just kept telling myself to trust my legs, because I’ve gotten a bit better at kicking. Just running home at the end.”

She also won gold in the 1,500m and bronze in the 400m races earlier in the week at the world championships, according to the outlet.

Her latest win puts her at 23 career world titles — just three short of Michael Phelps’ 26 career world titles, per the outlet. Her 800-meter freestyle win is also her 30th world championship medal overall.

As for what she plans to do after the world championships in Singapore, Ledecky told NBC News that she plans to spend her time off with loved ones and to take a dip in the pool that she swam in when she was younger in Washington D.C. 

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“I’m looking forward to that,” she told the outlet. “It’s home to me but I’m with the people that I love, around the pool.”

Ledecky has dominated the 800-meter freestyle, winning Olympic gold in the event in 2012, 2016, 2021 and again in 2024. At last year’s Olympics, she even earned the title of the most decorated female American Olympian, with 13 medals.

She continues to set new records in the sport as well. In May, she broke her own world record for the women’s 800-meter freestyle during the TYR Pro Swim Series, finishing .67 seconds ahead of the record she set at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She also holds the top 10 performances of all time in the event.