Swimming sensation Katie Ledecky sets new marks in 800-meter freestyle, beating her own record from nine years ago.
Rewritten Article:
Katie Ledecky, the American swimming powerhouse, has shattered her own long-standing world record in the women's 800-meter freestyle. At the TYR Pro Series held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, she clocked an impressive time of 8:04.12. This beats her previous mark of 8:04.79 set during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by more than half a second.
Ever since her remarkable performance in Rio, no athlete had come within striking distance of the record, but Ledecky changed the game. With this achievement, she now holds ten of the fastest times ever swam in this event.
The historic event took place just two days after Ledecky outmaneuvered her longstanding rival, Summer McIntosh, in a thrilling 400-meter race. Ledecky, aged 28, is a four-time gold medalist in the 800-meter freestyle in the Olympics and boasts nine career golds, 14 total medals, and 21 world championship golds[3].
She previously expressed her intentions of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and said during an interview following her final race in Paris last summer, "I'll take it year by year and give it everything I've got for as long as I have left in me."
In addition to Ledecky's record-breaking performance, American swimmer Gretchen Walsh also reset her own world record over the weekend, not once, but twice. At the prelims, she swam 55.09 in the 100-meter butterfly, undercutting her previous record of 55.18. In the final, Walsh topped her performance with a blistering 54.60[4].
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References:
- USA Swimming
- SwimSwam
- Olympics
- Swimming World Magazine
- Katie Ledecky, a prominent figure in pro sports, not only broke her own 800-meter freestyle world record but also set a new one at the TYR Pro Series in Florida, timing 8:04.12.
- In the same meet, Ledecky, aged 28, swam past her fellow competitor Summer McIntosh in the 400-meter race, further solidifying her dominance in sports.
- Surpassing her own performance from the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, Ledecky now leads the pack with ten of the fastest times ever swam in the women's 800-meter freestyle.
