Katie Ledecky won her sixth world title in the 1500m freestyle.
Katie Ledecky extended her 15-year win streak in the 1500m freestyle and broke career medal ties with Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte at the World Swimming Championships on Tuesday.
Ledecky earned her sixth title in the 1500m free and 22nd world title overall.
She clocked 15 minutes, 26.44 seconds in Singapore, comfortably prevailing by 5.35 seconds over Italian Simona Quadarella.
"Each one has meaning, and I love every race that I've had at worlds over the years," Ledecky said on Peacock.
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It was actually Ledecky's closest 1500m free at an Olympics or worlds since her first title in 2013. Credit Quadarella, who became the second-fastest woman in history in the event by 7.09 seconds over Dane Lotte Friis' silver medal time from 2013.
Ledecky entered the race with the top 24 times in history. She swam the fifth-best time ever Tuesday but leaves with the top 11 times with Quadarella now slotting at No. 12.
Ledecky last lost a 1500m free at the 2010 Potomac Valley Championships in her native Maryland — as a 13-year-old to a 17-year-old Kaitlin Pawlowicz.
“(Ledecky) was leading and her cap came off," Pawlowicz said in 2016, according to Yahoo Sports.
Ledecky earned her 28th world medal of any color, breaking her tie with Ryan Lochte for second all-time behind Michael Phelps' 33.
She won a 21st individual medal, breaking her tie with Phelps for second all-time behind Swede Sarah Sjostrom's 23.
Ledecky has two events left at these worlds: the 4x200m free relay on Thursday and the 800m free, the most anticipated race of the meet due to a likely showdown with Canadian Summer McIntosh. That final is Saturday.
Also Tuesday, Australian Kaylee McKeown swam the second-fastest women's 100m backstroke in history — 57.16 seconds — to overtake American Regan Smith. Fellow American Katharine Berkoff took bronze in a repeat of the Paris Olympic podium.
Smith, the world record holder at 57.13, and McKeown combine to own the top 25 times in history.
Romanian David Popovici rallied past American Luke Hobson in the last 50 meters to win the 200m free in 1:43.53. Hobson took silver in 1:43.84, one year after earning bronze behind gold medalist Popovici at the Olympics.
Olympic 200m breaststroke gold medalist Kate Douglass gave the U.S. a third silver of the session. She finished runner-up to German Anna Elendt in the 100m breast.
Pieter Coetze of South Africa rallied from third at the 50 to take the men's 100m back in 51.85. Coetze matched the third-best time in history in relegating Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon of Italy to silver.
Worlds continue all week with preliminary heats at 10 p.m. ET and finals at 7 a.m., live on Peacock.
Wednesday's finals feature Olympic champion Bobby Finke in the men's 800m freestyle.
Category: General Sports
