Katie Ledecky Breaks World Record at Tyr Pro Series in Florida

Fort Lauderdale, Florida — Katie Ledecky broke her own world record in the 800-meter freestyle on May 3, 2025, during the Tyr Pro Swim Series meet. Ledecky clocked an impressive 8 minutes and 4.12 seconds, marking her first world record in a 50-meter pool in seven years.

Ledecky, 27, was under world record pace at the halfway mark but faced challenges at 450 and 500 meters. Nevertheless, she surged ahead at 550 meters and managed to finish strong, breaking her previous record of 8:04.79 set during the 2016 Rio Olympics by 67 hundredths of a second.

Before this record, Ledecky’s last world record in a 50-meter pool came in May 2018 in the 1500-meter freestyle event. She has set 15 world records in 50-meter pools and six in the 800-meter freestyle, with her first being in 2013.

Ledecky holds the top 10 fastest times in history for the 800m free, with Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh following her with a personal best of 8:09.86. Ledecky had a winning streak of over 50 meets in the 800m free until February 2024, when McIntosh broke her long-standing record.

Beginning her Olympic journey in 2012 at age 15, Ledecky has won gold medals in the 800m free at all four Olympic Games since then. She has the chance to make history again at the 2028 Olympics, potentially becoming the second athlete ever to win gold in the same individual event five times, following Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez.

Earlier in the competition in Fort Lauderdale, Ledecky also achieved her second-fastest times in both the 400m and 1500m freestyle events, showcasing her incredible form this season. “It’s almost like, if the season was over now, I’d be happy,” Ledecky remarked. “Just kind of swimming with no expectations. I think that’ll be important for the rest of the season as well coming off of this.”

Gretchen Walsh also set a world record on the same day, lowering her mark in the 100-meter butterfly during both preliminary heats and finals. Looking ahead, the U.S. Championships will be held from June 3-7 in Indianapolis, where the team for the World Championships in Singapore will be determined.