Highlights: World Aquatic Championships – 800m Freestyle triumph of Katie Ledecky, her 24th world gold medal in a distinguished career, as portrayed in the video replay
In the thrilling climax of the 800m freestyle race at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Katie Ledecky emerged victorious, securing her fifth consecutive world title in this event. The American swimmer's winning time was 8:05.62.
The race between Ledecky and her young rival, Summer McIntosh, was described as incredibly fast and close. Despite McIntosh's impressive performances in the 400m freestyle, 200m individual medley, and 200m butterfly, she missed out on her fourth gold medal in the 800m freestyle. Ledecky, trusting her legs until the end, pulled ahead in the final 50 meters to secure her victory.
Ledecky's victory marked her seventh world title overall, adding to her impressive collection of swimming accolades. The 28-year-old swimmer has not lost an 800m freestyle race in international competition since 2012.
Meanwhile, McIntosh, aiming to match the record set by Michael Phelps in 2007, fell short. The Canadian swimmer had to settle for third place with a time of 8:07.29, while Lani Pallister set a new continental record with a time of 8:05.98.
Ledecky's dominance in distance freestyle swimming is evident, with multiple world titles and records to her name. She has surpassed Phelps in the number of individual gold medals won at the World Championships and continues to outperform emerging talents like McIntosh. As of 2025, Ledecky has broken 17 world records and has earned 30 total World Championship medals, including an unprecedented 18 individual world titles, the second-highest total of all time behind Phelps.
In the 800m freestyle, Ledecky holds the record for the most World Championship titles in a single event, having won seven gold medals in that event as of 2025. She is also the world record holder over the 800m distance in both long and short courses.
With this victory, Ledecky has now won 24 gold medals at the World Championships, further cementing her place as one of the greatest distance freestyle swimmers of all time.
Sports competitions always offer exciting moments, and the 800m freestyle race at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships was no exception. Katie Ledecky, a renowned sports figure, showcased her dominance in the event yet again, securing her seventh world title in sports, specifically in swimming.
