Katie Ledecky secures her seventh consecutive world championship title in the 800-meter freestyle

Canadian contender Summer McIntosh briefly took the lead after 700 meters, but the American swimmer ultimately secured the victory.

Courtesy : AFP

Katie Ledecky tenaciously held onto her 800-meter freestyle title on Saturday at the world championships in Singapore, winning the event for the seventh consecutive time and successfully fending off Canada's Summer McIntosh, who led a group of promising young challengers. With this seventh world title, Ledecky ascended to the top of the rankings for the most victories in a single event, surpassing her own record of six wins in the 1500 freestyle and Sweden's Sarah Sjöström's six titles in the 50 butterfly. Ledecky remarked that she did not feel excessive pressure leading into this race, expressing satisfaction with her training throughout the year.

"This season has been truly remarkable, and I believe that regardless of the outcome tonight, I would have been very pleased with my season," she stated to reporters. "I think I managed to alleviate the pressure, which allowed me to enjoy the race and truly appreciate the moment." Ledecky set a fast pace early on, with McIntosh closely trailing her. The young Canadian momentarily took a lead of 0.14 seconds after 700 meters, causing Ledecky's dominance to seem uncertain. However, the seasoned athlete found an extra gear and swiftly reclaimed the lead, entering the final 50 meters with a 0.25-second advantage over McIntosh, a lead that the American extended as she finished with another victory.

McIntosh dropped to third place, trailing behind Australia's Lani Pallister. "That last 100 was quite stressful," Ledecky remarked. "Lani and Summer were right there with me." Ledecky finished with a time of 8:05.62, Pallister at 8:05.98, and McIntosh at 8:07.29. This was undoubtedly the closest victory for Ledecky among her seven world titles in the 800 free. A disheartened McIntosh expressed that she did not perform to her expectations, but she intends to move forward and focus on her upcoming race in the 400 individual medley. "This is just the beginning, and I am aware that I have ample time in my career to improve," she shared with CBC. McIntosh pledged to transform Saturday's disappointment into motivation for her future 800-meter races. "I truly aimed to swim my own race, and I fell short of that," McIntosh stated, while also congratulating Ledecky and referring to her as an "inspiration of mine." "I believe that my performance tonight actually fuels my desire to continue competing, to discover how much I can improve, as I know I can achieve much faster times than I did tonight."

The suburban Washington D.C. native, Ledecky, expressed her anticipation for some time off, moments with loved ones, and a few swims in the pool where she practiced as a child. "I am looking forward to that," she remarked. "It feels like home to me, especially when I am with the people I cherish, around the pool." The niece of New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky has been excelling in the 800 free at the Olympics, having secured gold in this event at the 2012 London games, the 2016 Rio games, the 2021 Tokyo games, and last summer near Paris. She is the only woman to have won the same individual event at four different Olympics across any sport. The only other swimmer to achieve such a remarkable four-peat is the American icon Michael Phelps, who won the 200 individual medley in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. At the age of 28, Ledecky was the oldest competitor in the field and managed to outpace her youngest and most formidable rival, the 18-year-old Toronto native McIntosh. Ledecky’s aura of invincibility in the 800 was challenged last year when the 17-year-old McIntosh triumphed over the American at the Southern Zone South Sectional Championships in Orlando, Florida, on February 8.

The Canadian prodigy chose not to compete in the 800 in France to focus on other events. She won gold in the 200 butterfly, 200 Individual Medley, and 400 Individual Medley, establishing herself as one of the breakout stars of last summer. Should McIntosh decide to compete in the 800 free in Los Angeles, Saturday’s race provided an enticing glimpse of what may lie ahead for 2028.