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Olympic medalist Katie Ledecky was defeated by 17-year-old Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh at the Southern Zone South Sectional Championships.
The news took the internet by storm as Katie Ledecky was unbeaten in the 800m freestyle final since 2010, back when she was 13 years old. She showcased utmost dominance in the event for over a decade and also holds the world record in the event which stands at 8:04.79 recorded in 2016.
Fans were quick to send out their reactions on X (formerly Twitter). Many fans were ecstatic with Summer's performance whereas some of them appreciated Katie for her dominance.
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"That 400m WR is getting demolished sooner rather than later," wrote a fan.
"Will be interesting to see what else Summer can do this meet, will she have speed in the 50/100 free. Shes also clearly working on her weaknesses in the IM with a 200 breast and 100 back also in her scheduled," a fan chimed in.
In the process of defeating Katie Ledecky, Summer McIntosh clocked her personal best time of 8:11.39, bettering nine seconds from her previous personal record of 8:20.19 set last year. This performance would have led her to the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Commenting on her recent achievement, another fan wrote:
"Not only did Summer McIntosh become the first swimmer in 13 YEARS to beat Katie Ledecky in her best event, but she beat her by SIX SECONDS and became the #2 performer of all time. This girl is absolutely generational, everyone. And this Olympic year is going to be utter chaos." wrote Yanyan Li
Some fans appreciated Katie's dominance.
"I think what’s craziest about this swim is that we’re all losing our minds and it’s still 7 seconds away from the World Record," wrote Brandon Keith
"Katie Ledecky hadn't lost the 800 freestyle in 13 years and it took one of the best swimmers on the planet, Summer McIntosh, dropping an 8:11.39 (to become the second-fastest performer in history) to take her out.Might be THE most impressive winning streak in swimming history," another fan wrote.
Here are a few other reactions :
Katie Ledecky's Journey as a swimmer
Katie Ledecky started swimming at the age of six and set multiple records during her high school swimming career. She made her Olympic debut at the London Olympics and clinched the gold medal in the 800m freestyle event with a national record time of 8:14.63.
Post that, Katie became the most decorated female athlete at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 with five medals and two world records.
During the span of her illustrious career, she has broken sixteen world records. Currently, Katie Ledecky holds the world record in the 800m freestyle (8:04.79).
