It very well may be time to come up with some new descriptors for what Katie Ledecky is doing to the world record books. Smashed. Annihilated. Scorched. These no longer are sufficient for what she has accomplished in the pool the last two years, nor what she is likely to do in the next two or five or 10.
The 18-year-old from Bethesda, Maryland, broke her 10th career world record Saturday night, claiming her ninth consecutive world title in winning the women’s 800-meter freestyle final at the FINA World Shampionships in Kazan, Russia.
Ledecky finished in a time of 8 minutes 7.39 seconds, shaving more than three seconds off her own world record that she has now broken three times in three consecutive years and is nearly seven seconds clear of the next fastest performer in history.
New Zealand’s Lauren Boyle finished 10 seconds behind, in 8:17.65. Jazz Carlin of Britain was third in 8:18.15, edging Australia’s Jessica Ashwood by .26 seconds.
Ledecky had nearly a body-length lead on the field at the first wall and by the halfway point had built a two-body length advantage over the world record pace line streaking across the TV screen behind her. When the bell rang over her lane signaling a lap to go, she was three seconds under the pace.
“I didn’t realize how fast Katie was going, 8:07 is absolutely incredible,” said bronze medalist Carlin on Eurosport. “She’s getting faster every time she races. She’s younger than me. She’s quite a bit younger. So, obviously, yeah, it’s tough. But I think it’s definitely given us girls something to aim for. And it’s really moving the distance events along. And obviously she’s won the 200 now as well, so we all need to work on our speed as well.”
With the finish Ledecky became the first swimmer, male or female, to win titles in the 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyle events at a single world championships – and only the third swimmer to win four individual world titles in one year, joining Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte in doing so. She swam the anchor leg on the U.S.’s winning 4x200 free relay too, giving her five golds in seven days in Russia.
Like Phelps, Ledecky has now broken 10 world records between her first Olympic Games and second world championships. Phelps broke the world records in the 200 butterfly and 200 and 400 individual medleys three times apiece, plus the 100 butterfly mark once between 2001 and the 2003 world championships in Barcelona. Ledecky has broke the 1,500 free five times, the 800 free three times and the 400 free twice.
It was her 14th major international final and 14th consecutive victory as well.
