World Aquatics Championships: Katie Ledecky wins 7th 800m freestyle world title

SINGAPORE: American swimming legend Katie Ledecky captured her seventh world title in the women's 800-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships on Saturday, reaffirming her dominance in the event she has owned for more than a decade.

The 28-year-old shattered her own championship record with a winning time of 8 minutes and 5.62 seconds, holding off fierce challenges from Australia's Lani Pallister and Canada's Summer McIntosh in one of the most highly anticipated races of the meet.

"That's pretty incredible, three of us going under 8:10... incredibly fast," said Ledecky. "They pushed me all the way. I'm just really happy I could put that together."

Ledecky first won the 800m world title in 2013 in Barcelona, and has claimed gold in every edition since - except Doha 2024, which she skipped to prioritize Olympic preparation.

The American also won the 1,500m freestyle earlier this week in Singapore and now boasts a staggering 23 World Championship gold medals, alongside her nine Olympic golds - the most by any female swimmer in history. She also holds the world record in the 800m (8:04.12), set earlier this year. Agencies

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