Katie Ledecky of the United States looks up after winning the women's 800m final at the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, June 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) |
Ledecky clocked 8:08.04 to win the event
for the eighth consecutive time at a worlds or Olympic Games.
She finished more than 10 seconds ahead of
her rivals. Australia’s Kiah Melverton was 10.73 behind in second and Italy’s
Simona Quadarella 10.96 behind for third.
Ledecky was under four seconds off the
world record she set at the 2016 Olympics.
It’s her 19th gold at a worlds and her
fourth this week. She helped the United States win the 4x200 freestyle relay
final on Wednesday, two days after she won the 1,500 freestyle, which came two
days after she won the 400 freestyle on the first day of racing in Budapest.
Ledecky has the most medals for a female
swimmer in world championships history. Only Michael Phelps, who won 26, has
more.