Katie Ledecky Wins 1500m Freestyle Gold, Extends World Dominance

Katie Ledecky won gold in the women's 1,500-meter freestyle at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, finishing with a time of 15:26.44, the fifth-fastest in history, maintaining her dominance in the event. She led from the start and held world-record pace through 1,250 meters before securing the win ahead of Simona Quadarella of Italy, who set a European record with silver, and Australia's Lani Pallister, who took bronze. This victory marked Ledecky's 22nd world championship gold and moved her within four gold medals of Michael Phelps's record of 26 world titles. Ledecky now holds 25 of the top 26 all-time times in the 1,500-meter freestyle and has a total of 42 Olympic and world medals, including nine Olympic golds. Despite some challenges faced by the U.S. team due to illness, Ledecky’s performance exemplified her status as the most decorated female swimmer in history. She expressed satisfaction with her swim and love for the race, which was where she first broke a world record in 2013.