Summer McIntosh ends Katie Ledecky's 13-year reign in 800 meter freestyle

2025-04-20 13:30:52 source: category:reviews

Katie Ledecky's 13-year dominance in an 800-meter freestyle final came to an end when Canada's Summer McIntosh beat her on Thursday in the finals of the Southern Zone South Sectional Championships in Orlando, Florida.

The 17-year-old McIntosh finished the swim in eight minutes, 11.39 seconds, almost six seconds faster than Ledecky, setting the Canadian record.

Ledecky, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist and holder of 16 world records, hadn't lost in an 800 final since 2010, but she still holds the world record at 8:04.79 and has won this event in each of the last three Olympic games.

Her last 800-meter loss came to Leah Smith, who she beat Ledecky in a preliminary heat of the 800 free at the 2019 World Championships.

Ledecky is also the six-time reigning world champion in the event, but neither swimmer will appear at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, Qatar which starts Feb. 11.

McIntosh also ended Ledecky's streak last month at the U.S. Open championships in Greensboro, North Carolina when she bested her in the 400-meter freestyle. It had been 11 years since Ledecky had lost that event while swimming in an American pool.

McIntosh won that race in a meet record of 3 minutes, 59.42 seconds, nearly three seconds faster than Ledecky.

More:reviews

Recommend

RFK Jr. grilled again about moving to California while listing New York address on ballot petition

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. insisted he plans to return to live in New York, as the in

Pilot dead after small plane crashes in eastern Wisconsin

KOSSUTH TOWNSHIP, Wis. (AP) — A pilot died Thursday after his small plane crashed in a wooded area i

AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean

Oct. 20-26, 2023Mexicans kick off their Day of the Dead celebrations with a Catrina parade along the