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Few swimmers have completely stood above their peers like Katie Ledecky. She is perhaps the greatest freestyle swimmer of all time, holding countless records and routinely dominating competitions.
At the Phillips 66 USA National Swimming Championships 2022, Ledecky did not perform her best in one event, but still managed to beat her opponents by nearly 20 seconds.
All her records are impressive, and they showcase just how incredible Katie Ledecky really is. However, they do not always stand the test of time, as the champion has broken her own records multiple times.
This article will take a look at four of the best swimming records that Katie Ledecky currently holds.
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4 records held by Katie Ledecky that prove her prowess as a swimmer
4) 800M Freestyle World Record in 2013
In 2013, Katie Ledecky suited up for her second major competition. She had debuted at the 2012 London Olympics and took home a gold medal, and this was her opportunity to show that she was not a one-hit wonder.
She was successful in doing so. In the 800 meter freestyle event, Ledecky took home the gold and set an impressive world record in the process.
For most of the race, she was right at a world record pace, but as the announcers pointed out early on, she had another gear to break the record. She grabbed the gold by a little over a second, and the record was hers.
3) New 800M Freestyle World Record in 2016
The record at number four was set by the American swimmer when she was 16. In 2016, at the Rio Olympics, she broke her own record at 19 years of age. It was the third time that she set the record for the 800 meter event.
Her initial record was 8:13.86, which was very impressive. This time, however, she broke her record by nine seconds, with a time of 8:04.79. This record alone shows her marked improvement from 2013 to 2016.
2) Shattering the record at the 2016 Olympics
Setting records is quite difficult, but it is even harder to do so in the Olympic games. Not only does the competition consist of the crème de la crème of athletes, but the pressure to perform is unweilding. It is hard enough to win an event, let alone set a record.
But that is exactly what Ledecky did, swimming her way to a world record with a time of 3:56.46. She set multiple records during her second Olympic games, showcasing just how dominant she could be.
1) Ledecky's stunning total medals record
One record that the American swimmer holds has nothing to do with an individual race, and everything to do with her overall domination across her competing years.
In June, Katie Ledecky earned her 21st career World Swimming Championships medal. The medal broke the tie she had with another legendary swimmer, Natalie Coughlin.
Ledecky currently has the third highest number of medals in the world . She only trails behind Michael Phelps (33) and Ryan Lochte (27). She is only 25, so catching up to Ryan Lochte is a real possibility. Even Phelps' record does not seem unattainable, though it would be a challenge.
Katie Ledecky is the greatest female swimmer of all time, and perhaps the best freestyler, too. She has plenty of time left in her career and could easily go down as the GOAT of swimming.
