Athletic triumph at World Aquatics Championships: Katie Ledecky clinches the 800m freestyle gold, surpassing rival Summer McIntosh
American swimmer Katie Ledecky claimed the gold medal in the women's 800m freestyle at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, setting a championship record in the process. The closely-contested race saw Ledecky overtake 18-year-old Summer McIntosh, who led for the majority of the race, and Australian Lani Pallister took the silver.
Ledecky's winning time of 8:05.62 was a championship record but fell just short of the world record, which remains faster. McIntosh posted a faster time of 8:05.07 during the championships earlier, but she did not win that race. In the final, Ledecky prevailed, extending her unbeaten streak in the 800m freestyle at major international competitions since her Olympic win in 2012.
The medal order and times were as follows: - Gold: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 8:05.62 (Championship Record) - Silver: Lani Pallister (Australia) – 8:05.98 - Bronze: Summer McIntosh (Canada) – 8:07.29
Ledecky's win marks her 23rd world title, bringing her closer to Michael Phelps' record of world championships titles. The victory in the 800m freestyle race also marks her second gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships.
During the race, Ledecky led for almost the entire distance, only briefly losing the lead to McIntosh with about 100m to go. However, Ledecky had enough energy left to hold off any late sprints from her rivals, demonstrating her dominance over longer distances. The race between Ledecky, McIntosh, and Pallister was extraordinarily close, with no more than a few strokes separating them throughout.
Summer McIntosh, who has already won three gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships - in the 200m butterfly, 400m freestyle, and 200m medley - finished third in the race, 1.31 seconds behind Ledecky. McIntosh had previously defeated Ledecky in the 400m freestyle earlier in the week. Lani Pallister finished second, just 0.36 seconds slower than Ledecky.
Meanwhile, Team USA set a new world record in the mixed 4x100-meter freestyle relay, with a time of 3:18.48. The previous world record was set by Australia in 2023.
Speaking after her victory, Ledecky expressed her enjoyment of the swimming experience and not feeling pressure at this point in her career. McIntosh has a chance to win a fourth gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships in the 400m individual medley on Sunday. The World Aquatics Championships was billed as a showdown between Ledecky and McIntosh, and the close race between the two did not disappoint.
Despite setting a championship record, Katie Ledecky's winning time fell short of the world record in the women's 800m freestyle at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. On the other hand, sports like the mixed 4x100-meter freestyle relay saw Team USA setting a new world record.
