American swimming legend Katie Ledecky shattered her own 800m freestyle world record at the TYR Pro Series in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, clocking a stunning 8:04.12, bettering her previous mark of 8:04.79 set at the Rio Olympics in 2016. This is her first long-course world record since 2018 and the 15th of her career in a 50m pool.
The tactical swim saw Ledecky command the first 400m before briefly trailing at the 450m and 500m marks. Regaining control at 550m, she unleashed a powerful final stretch to eclipse her historic timing. The 27-year-old, who first made headlines with 800m Olympic gold at age 15 in London 2012, continues to redefine dominance in distance swimming.
Jillian Cox took second in 8:23.58, while Claire Weinstein followed with 8:26.06.
Ledecky’s performance capped a remarkable week, including her second-fastest 400m freestyle in nine years and the second-fastest 1500m freestyle ever.
Meanwhile, Gretchen Walsh electrified the crowd with two world records in one day in the 100m butterfly. First, she swam 55.09 in the prelims, narrowly breaking her own previous record of 55.18. Then, in the finals, she became the first woman ever to break 55 seconds, touching the wall at a groundbreaking 54.60 seconds.
Walsh, already a double Olympic gold medallist, has now firmly cemented her place among swimming’s greats with this unprecedented double.
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