"World title number 16" - Katie Ledecky Breaks Michael Phelps' Record for Most Career Individual Swimming World Titles

Katie Ledecky made history on Saturday, July 29, 2023, surpassing Michael Phelps' record for most career individual swimming world titles. Ledecky won the 800-meter freestyle at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, to claim her 16th individual world title.

Ledecky had been tied with Phelps, both having won 15 individual world titles, since her triumph in the 1500-meter freestyle earlier in the championships. Phelps, who retired following the Rio 2016 Olympics, had accumulated a total of 15 individual world titles and 26 gold medals over the course of his illustrious career.

Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships: Swimming - Day 1 Bronze medallist Daiya Seto of Team Japan is congratulated by Michael Phelps

Ledecky claimed the gold medal in the 800 meter freestyle, her signature event, with a dominant performance. She clocked 8:07.23, beating her rival, Ariarne Titmus of Australia, by 1.54 seconds. Titmus, who had beaten Ledecky in the 200m and 400m freestyle events earlier in the meet, settled for silver in 8:08.77. The bronze medal went to Simona Quadarella of Italy in 8:16.45.

On Twitter, NBC Olympics & Paralympics wrote,

"WORLD TITLE NUMBER 16 FOR KATIE LEDECKY! She has broken her tie with Micheal Phelps for the most career individual swimming world titles."

Notably, Ledecky's performance in the 1500-meter freestyle event marked her third-best time in history, solidifying her position as the record holder for the top 16 times in this discipline. Furthermore, Ledecky boasts an impressive collection of 26 world championship medals, including 21 golds, which stands as a remarkable achievement for any female athlete.

"Thank to all for the Support" - Katie Ledecky Celebrates a Gold Win on Instagram

Katie Ledecky of Team United Statea competes in the Women's 800m Freestyle Heats

Katie Ledecky celebrated her historic gold medal win in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships on Instagram. In her post, Ledecky shared a photo of herself with a smile on her face after the race, captioning it

"Mile Smile,😁 post-race edition🥇"

She expressed her gratitude to her fans for their support and emphasized how privileged she felt to represent the United States.

"Thanks to all for the support. Go USA!"

Ledecky also assured her followers that there were more medals to come, highlighting the success of her team.

"Big night for the team, and more to come!"

Additionally, she shared pictures of herself with Simona Quadarella's silver medal and Li Bingjie's bronze medal.