"This is the longest winning streak in history!" - Katie Ledecky makes history with sixth consecutive 800m freestyle world title

Katie Ledecky has achieved yet another significant milestone in her illustrious career. On July 29, 2023, at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Ledecky secured her sixth consecutive 800-meter freestyle world title.

Gold medallist Katie Ledecky of Team United States poses during the medal ceremony of the Women's 800m Freestyle Final

Ledecky, the current world record holder with a time of 8:04.79 in this event, finished with a time of 8:07.23, earning her the gold medal. She outswam her rival, Ariarne Titmus of Australia, by a margin of 1.54 seconds. Despite having previously defeated Ledecky in the 200m and 400m freestyle events during the meet, Titmus settled for silver with a time of 8:08.77. The bronze medal was awarded to Simona Quadarella of Italy, who finished with a time of 8:16.45.

The official Twitter account of Aquatic World expressed their jubilation at this remarkable achievement by Katie Ledecky, stating, "This is the longest winning streak in history!"

Ledecky's victory not only serves as a personal triumph but also stands as a historic accomplishment within the sport. She has become the first swimmer, cutting across gender, to win six consecutive world titles in an individual event. Additionally, Ledecky extended her unbeaten streak in the 800m freestyle to an impressive ten years, dating back to her initial Olympic gold medal win in London 2012.

Katie Ledecky showed off her silver medal and her team spirit on Instagram ahead of the 800m freestyle final

Silver medallists Erin Gemmell, Katie Ledecky, Bella Sims and Alex Shackell of Team United States pose during the medal ceremony for the Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final

Prior to her final race of the meet, she took a moment to acknowledge her silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay and express her admiration for her teammates on Instagram.

Ledecky shared a photo on her Instagram account featuring herself with her relay partners, Bella Sims, Claire Curzan and Katie Grimes, who were all teenagers making their debut at the world championship. In her caption, she praised her teammates and also acknowledged the strong performances of Leah Smith and Anna Peplowski. Ledecky mentioned that she was looking forward to the 800 free final the following day.

“Fun relay yesterday with these cool teens 😎🇺🇸🥈Proud of you three & @leahsmith19 and @anna_peplowski with 💪🏼💪🏼 swims too!!! 800 free final tomorrow."

During the relay, Ledecky delivered an impressive split time of 1:53.76, the fastest among all competitors. However, China ultimately claimed the gold medal and set a new world record with a time of 7:35.30. The United States finished in second place with a time of 7:36.73, while Australia secured the bronze with a time of 7:37.86.