Ledecky Dominates 1,500-Meter Freestyle, Claims Another World Championship Gold

Katie Ledecky secured a gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Tuesday, achieving the fifth-fastest 1,500-meter freestyle time in history. Her winning time was 15:26.44, marking her 22nd world championship gold.

The American swimmer, who has also earned two Olympic gold medals in the event, has maintained an undefeated streak in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the world championships, winning all six races she has entered since 2013. She did not participate in the event in 2019 due to illness and skipped last year's championships to concentrate on the Olympics.

Ledecky, at 28 years old, has not lost a race at this distance since she was 13. She has also broken the world record six times, with the current record standing at 15:20.48, a time she set in 2018.

Tuesday's race was notably competitive for Ledecky. Simona Quadarella of Italy finished second with a time of 15:31.79, the twelfth-fastest time ever recorded. Previously, Ledecky held all of the top 24 times in the event's history.

In a post-race interview, Ledecky expressed satisfaction with her performance and the significance of the 1,500-meter freestyle to her. She also mentioned her strategy for the race.

Ledecky has one more individual event scheduled for this week. She previously won a bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle, where Summer McIntosh of Canada took gold. The two swimmers are set to compete again in the 800-meter freestyle later in the week.

With 28 total medals at the world championships, Ledecky ranks second all-time, behind Michael Phelps' 33. Across the Olympics and world championships, she has accumulated 42 medals, making her the most decorated female swimmer in history.