Katie Ledecky sets female record for most swimming worlds medals
Ledecky now has 21 world championship medals.
Read more
Katie Ledecky opened the world swimming championships in style, winning the 400-meter freestyle in a championship record time of 3 minutes, 58.15 seconds.
The American Olympic gold-medalist topped 15-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh, who took second, and fellow American Leah Smith, who earned bronze.
NEW RECORD! @katieledecky just broke the World Championships record in the women’s 400 freestyle, taking gold in a 3:58.15!! #FINABudapest2022 pic.twitter.com/Z7BThtYjOf
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) June 18, 2022
Australian rival Ariarne Titmus was absent from the competition, opting to skip the Budapest-hosted event. Titmus set the new 400-meter freestyle world record in May, clocking a blistering pace of 3:56.40 seconds to dethrone Ledecky.
The 400-meter victory in Budapest marks Ledecky’s 16th career world championships gold medal and her 12th individual world title, the second-most behind Michael Phelps’ 15 individual golds.
Ledecky will compete in two more individual events, swimming the 800-meter and 1,500-meter frees.
Ledecky now has 21 world championship medals.
Katie Grimes took silver at just 16 years old.
Swimming's world governing body's new policy takes effect Monday.
The 16-year-old's record time earned her third place at the world championships.