Katie Ledecky passes Michael Phelps for many particular person golds at world championships

Gold medalist USA’s Katie Ledecky poses through the medals ceremony for the ladies’s 800m freestyle swimming occasion through the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka on July 29, 2023. (Picture by Philip FONG / AFP)

FUKUOKA, Japan — Right here’s why Katie Ledecky is without doubt one of the best freestyle swimmers within the historical past of the game: She isn’t fairly glad.

The 26-year-old American gained the 800-meter freestyle on Saturday on the world championships to turn into the primary swimmer to win six golds in the identical occasion at worlds. It was additionally her sixteenth particular person world title, breaking a tie with Michael Phelps for essentially the most golds at worlds.

She is also a seven-time Olympic gold medalist and the world document holder in each the 800 and 1,500.

However that successful time — 8 minutes, 8.87 seconds, which is the seventh-quickest she’d ever swum — wasn’t fairly adequate in her favourite occasion.

“I’m simply at all times attempting to consider new methods to enhance. I imply I’ve already obtained every part delivering my head proper now. I type of needed to be higher than I used to be tonight,” she stated, twirling her proper hand beside her proper ear, attempting to fire up concepts.

“I’m fairly robust on myself,” she stated. “However I believe I’ve discovered the steadiness of being robust on myself but in addition having that grace.”

The 800 was Ledecky’s second particular person gold following her win within the 1,500 free on Tuesday. She additionally took silver within the 400 free. Li Bingjie of China took silver in 8:13.31, and Ariarne Titmus of Australia obtained the bronze in 8:13.59.

“It’s enjoyable to depart a meet together with your favourite occasion, and I simply needed to depart all of it within the pool,” Ledecky stated.

It was solely the fourth gold for america within the seventh of eight days within the pool. In the meantime, Australia has been piling it on with 13 golds, matching its greatest on the worlds. Australia gained three extra golds on Saturday.

The People lead the general desk with 31 medals (16 silver), Australia has 20 and China 13.

Kaylee McKeown of Australia made historical past of her personal with gold within the ladies’s 200 backstroke. McKeown’s victory gave her a sweep of all three backstroke occasions after earlier wins within the 50 and 100. She turned the primary swimmer to brush all three backstrokes on the worlds.

All of it made up for her disqualification earlier within the 200 IM.

“You possibly can’t change the principles,” she stated. “I obtained dominated out. It’s simply the playing cards I used to be handled and I couldn’t do way more than that. So I simply needed to carry myself the very best I might and channel all my anger and switch an enormous detrimental right into a constructive.”

Regan Smith of america picked up the silver in 2:04.94, whereas Peng Xuwei of China obtained the bronze in 2:06.74.

Sarah Sjöström of Sweden continued her dominance with gold within the 50 butterfly. The 29-year-old gained in 24.77 seconds and has now gained the occasion 5 consecutive instances on the worlds. The win introduced Sjöström’s particular person medals on the worlds to twenty, equaling Phelps’ mark.

Sjöström additionally broke her personal document within the 50 free, going 23.61 in a semifinal warmth. Her outdated mark was 23.67 set in 2017.

“There will not be too many secrets and techniques,” Sjöström stated about her longevity. “Simply do the work day-after-day, go to observe, and keep humble.”

Zhang Yufei of China, who took gold within the 100 fly, claimed the silver in 25.05, whereas American Gretchen Walsh obtained the bronze in 25.46.

Japanese fan favourite Rikako Ikee completed seventh (25.78) within the 50 fly however was greeted warmly by the house crowd.

The 23-year-old Ikee gained six gold medals on the 2018 Asian Video games and was anticipated to be a favourite within the Tokyo Olympics. However she was identified with leukemia in February 2019. Her comeback continues to resonate with each the Japanese public and her fellow opponents.

Cameron McEvoy of Australia led all the way in which to seize the gold within the 50 free in 21.06. It was his first particular person gold within the worlds or Olympics.

American Jack Alexy collected his second silver of the worlds in 21.57 to go along with his silver within the 100 free. Benjamin Happy with Britian, final 12 months’s world champion, took the bronze in 21.58.

Caeleb Dressel gained the occasion on the Olympics however didn’t qualify for the U.S. workforce. McEvoy’s time was faster than Dressel’s successful time in Tokyo — 21.07.

Maxime Grousset of France gained gold within the 100 fly in 50.14. The 24-year-old took the early lead and held on. Josh Liendo of Canada earned the silver in 50.34, whereas American Dare Rose made the rostrum with the bronze (50.46).

Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania equaled the world document of 29.30 in her semifinal within the 50 breaststroke.

Australia gained the 4×100 combined freestyle relay in a world document of three:18.83. The People took silver in 3:20.82, with Britain getting the bronze in 3:21.68. The relay will not be an Olympic occasion.

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