Katie Ledecky was just 13 years old when she last faced defeat in 800m freestyle

Katie Ledecky has established herself as such a dominant force in the 800-meter freestyle category that the last time she faced defeat in the class was when she was just 13 years old.

Ledecky has consistently excelled in the 800m freestyle, establishing it as her specialty event. At the World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, she won her 16th world title by winning the 800m freestyle with a time of 8:08.87.

In doing so, the 26-year-old broke Michael Phelps' record for most individual world swimming titles.

Such is Ledecky's domination in the 800-meter freestyle that she was a 13-year-old when she last faced defeat in 2010 at the hands of Kaitlin Pawlowicz, then a national-level swimmer aged 17.

At the PVS LC Championship, a regional long-course meet catering to swimmers from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C, in July 2010, Pawlowicz took top honors with a time of 9:03.55, while Ledecky finished third place with a 9:15.89 effort.

Pawlowicz also beat Ledecky in the 1500-meter freestyle event at the same meet. She completed the race in 16:48.72 to secure first place, while Ledecky came in third with a time of 16:55.79. She later noted that Ledecky's cap had come off during the race, potentially hindering her performance.

“She was leading and her cap came off,” she recalled. (via Yahoo Sports)

Ledecky quickly bounced back from the results of the event in 2010. The following year, she earned a spot in her debut Olympic Games in London, where she won the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle while establishing a new Olympic record with a time of 8:14.63.

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Katie Ledecky's world record progression

Simona Quadarella (L), Katie Ledecky (C), and Bingjie Li at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.

Katie Ledecky has achieved remarkable success in the 800-meter freestyle, consistently pushing the boundaries and setting new records. At just 16 years old, she made her debut in 2013 by winning the World Championships in Barcelona with a world record time of 8 minutes, 13.86 seconds. This made her the first woman to break the 8:15 barrier.

Since then, Ledecky has bettered her world record six times, most recently in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics, where she swam an astonishing 8:04.79. This saw her not only smash her previous mark by nearly two seconds but also secure a second consecutive gold medal in the event.

Additionally, Ledecky has also set world records in the 400-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events, showcasing her versatility and dominance in the sport.