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Katie Ledecky Becomes First Swimmer To Win Five Straight World Titles In An Event

2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

After a decade of dominance in the 800 free, Katie Ledecky shows no signs of slowing down. She obliterated the field in this event at the 2022 World Championships, putting up a time of 8:08.04 to win by 10.73 seconds. With this victory, she becomes the first swimmer to ever win five straight world titles in the same event. In addition, she also continues her 800 free win streak for the tenth straight year, having not lost the event at a major international meet since 2012 (not counting 2020, where there wasn’t a major international meet).

The other two athletes to have won five world titles in the same event are Katinka Hosszu in the 400 IM and Michael Phelps in the 200 fly, although neither of them completed the feat at five consecutive championships.

This win also marks the third time that Ledecky has completed the 400/800/1500 free triple at a World Championships meet. The other athletes who have pulled off this feat, Grant Hackett, Sun Yang, and Hannah Stockbauer, have only done it once.

With eight combined Olympic and world titles in the 800 free, Ledecky ties Phelps as the swimmer with the most Olympic and world titles in one event, with Phelps having eight in the 200 fly.

Winners Of The Women’s 800 Free Since 2012 (Olympics, World Championships, Pan Pacs):

Ledecky’s time of 8:08.27 is also the fifth-fastest performance in the history of the 800 free, just trailing behind four of her other performances. In addition, it is also the fastest she has been since 2018, when she went 8:07.27 at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis. Her final 50 time of 28.88 in her race today is the third-fastest she’s been on the last lap, having closed in 28.41 at the 2015 World Championships and 28.84 at the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series.

In both the women’s 1500 free and 800 free, Ledecky was significantly faster than she was at the Tokyo Olympic games last year. In the 1500 earlier this week, she won in a time of 15:30.15, over seven seconds faster than her Olympic winning time of 15:37.34.

The 25-year-old American now holds 27 of the fastest times ever in the event, not counting the opening 800s of her 1500 free performances.

Top 28 Performances In The Women’s 800 Free:

  1. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:04.79 (2016)
  2. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:06.68 (2016)
  3. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:07.27 (2018)
  4. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:07.39 (2015)
  5. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:08.04 (2022)
  6. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:09.13 (2018)
  7. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:09.27 (2022)
  8. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:10.32 (2016)
  9. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:10.70 (2019)
  10. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:10.91 (2016)
  11. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:11.00 (2014)
  12. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:11.08 (2018)
  13. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:11.21 (2015)
  14. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:11.35 (2015)
  15. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:11.50 (2017)
  16. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:11.70 (2018)
  17. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:11.83 (2022)
  18. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:11.98 (2018)
  19. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:12.57 (2021)
  20. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:12.68 (2017)
  21. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:12.81 (2021)
  22. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:12.86 (2016)
  23. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:13.02 (2015)
  24. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:12.20 (2016)
  25. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:13.25 (2015)
  26. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:13.58 (2019)
  27. Katie Ledecky, USA – 8:13.64 (2021)
  28. Ariarne Titmus, AUS – 8:13.83 (2021)

Ledecky’s victory in the 800 free was her 19th World Championships gold medal. She surpasses Ryan Lochte as the swimmer with the second-most World titles, and only trails Phelps, who has 26. On Wednesday, she passed Natalie Coughlin to become the most decorated woman in World Championship history in terms of overall medals.

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Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

2022 FINA World Aquatics Championships
Katie Ledecky
All-Time Performances
W 400 FR – 7th
W 800 FR – 5th
W 1500 FR – 6th

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

This was mentioned years ago, guess which record Katie Ledecky wants the most?

Georgia Rambler
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

No waterslap at end, she thought she would be faster and likiely will be in her favorite race. Tho I wouldn’t discount the 400 yet, she wanted to win but wasn’t going for the record. So much for those who have said her best swim at this stage of her career is the first race of the meet.

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Georgia Rambler
2 years ago

Nope!

Karie Ledecky wants the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay world record.

Earthling
2 years ago

Who are these aliens downvoting Katie Ledecky compliments

SCCOACH
Reply to  Earthling
2 years ago

Aussies

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  SCCOACH
2 years ago

Sour grapes galore!

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Earthling
2 years ago

This should stoke the flames:

https://youtu.be/pIdBCnxRsHQ?t=4

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Earthling
2 years ago

For ol’ times sake:

https://youtu.be/4QLRLeOeq3w?t=17

Sportinindc
2 years ago

Thanks for sharing the last 50s split times from today and prior years. She’s fire.

Gheko
2 years ago

Amazing performance from Katie, definitely the 🐐❤🐐

Sherry Smit
2 years ago

That was an incredible performance, and if she continues with this type of trajectory, she could break the WR come Paris. 8:08 isn’t far off of 8:04 at all!

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Sherry Smit
2 years ago

I’ll take another Top 10 All-Time Performance and another gold medal.

Awsi Dooger
Reply to  Sherry Smit
2 years ago

Two years older and you’re asking her to average more than two tenths faster per every length of the pool among 16. Not likely. If you follow each length while watching the clock it becomes very obvious how difficult it is to consistently make up that kind of time. I think if she’s going lower than this it needs to be while attacking the race during a pro series meet or similar, when she’s absolutely fresh, and not toward the end of a long meet while also racing an 800 heat.

She could also try to kick and sprint all out the final 150 or 200 instead of final 100 alone.

Regardless, she’s had two remarkable performances this year.… Read more »

Yanyan Li
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

I don’t think it’s that women’s distance is “bad” or not competitive, it’s just that Ledecky is so good to the point where she makes other swimmers look slow when they actually aren’t by overall standards. Think about it. If she didn’t exist, the narrative in women’s distance swimming in 2019-2021 would be about a battle between Titmus, Quaderella, Wang Jianjiahe, etc who have all been in 8:14-8:15 range, and are fighting to break the old Adlington world record (which Titmus ended up getting under in Tokyo).

We see women’s distance swimming without Ledecky in the equation the same way we see men’s distance swimming right now, where there’s three to four guys fighting it out for gold but all… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Yanyan Li
Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Yanyan Li
2 years ago

Here! Here!

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Sherry Smit
2 years ago

As a footnote, let’s hope Katie Grimes doesn’t lay another egg at the 2023 International Team Trials in the women’s 800 meter freestyle.

USA needs Katie squared in the women’s 800 meter freestyle for calendar year 2023.

Yozhik
2 years ago

The USAswimming decided to extend their list of best performances at W800FR from standard 25 entries to 28 to show probably where the best “not Ledecky” result is.
Despite her remarkable first race (8:14.63, “… somebody who become very famous very suddenly “ ) will soon approach the #50 ranking in best performances list it is still my most watched race of her. And I thankful to her that 10(!) years later we are still in great anticipation of something spectacular whenever she jumps in the water at start signal.

Last edited 2 years ago by Yozhik
Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Yozhik
2 years ago

Scroll down to your heart’s content:

https://www.fina.org/swimming/rankings?gender=F&distance=800&stroke=FREESTYLE&poolConfiguration=LCM&year=all&startDate=&endDate=&timesMode=ALL_TIMES&regionId=all&countryId=

Note: Duplicate entry with the time posted 8:11.70

P.S. For some reason FINA has not ratified the performance (8:11.83) dated 2/10/2022 at the 2022 FL SZ South Sectionals Championships.

Robbos
2 years ago

Katie is a freak in the nicest possible sense!!!! She earns respect!!!!

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Robbos
2 years ago

Tell that to to your brethren.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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