Katie Ledecky gold medals: Swimmer passes Michael Phelps for most particular person world titles in historical past

Katie Ledecky has made historical past, once more.

The 26-year-old swimmer introduced dwelling her 22nd profession particular person gold medal with ease on the 2023 World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan on Saturday. She now has 16 World Championship gold medals on high of six Olympic golds.

She decisively gained the 800-meter freestyle occasion in Japan with a time of 8:08.87 — solely 4.08 seconds off from her actively standing world report of 8:04.79 that she set on the 2016 Summer time Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Together with her newest particular person World Championship win, Ledecky additionally boosted herself above Michael Phelps’ long-standing report: She now has 16 particular person golds on the world championship stage, in comparison with Phelps’ 15. She tied his profession mark earlier on the 2023 World Aquatic Championships when she took dwelling the 1500-meter freestyle occasion.

MORE: Katie Ledecky’s Olympics timeline

Mentioned Ledecky of the feat, per ESPN:

I am simply at all times attempting to consider new methods to enhance. I imply, I’ve already bought every little thing handing over my head proper now. I form of wished to be higher than I used to be tonight. I am fairly robust on myself, however I feel I’ve discovered the steadiness of being robust on myself but in addition having that grace.

Ledecky is simply six particular person gold medals away from beating Phelps’ general report of 28, as effectively. Here is what it’s good to know concerning the closely embellished, almost-mermaid:

What number of particular person golds does Katie Ledecky have?

In her 11-year profession, Ledecky has earned a complete of 22 particular person titles: six from Olympic Video games and 16 from World Championships.

Her most up-to-date was on the 2023 World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. She gained the 800-meter freestyle with a time of 8:08.87, beating runner-up Li Bingjie by 4.34 seconds. She additionally gained the 1500-meter freestyle with a time of 15.26.27, beating Italy’s Simona Quadarella (15:43.31).

She additionally completed second within the 400-meter freestyle, ending behind Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, who set the world report within the occasion with a time of three:55.38.

The highest three title leaders in girls’s aggressive swimming are all nonetheless energetic. Ledecky’s report is (not carefully) adopted by Hungary’s 34-year-old Katinka Hosszu, who has 12 complete. Sweden’s 29-year-old Sarah Sjostrom is third, with 11 complete titles.

MORE: How do the Olympic swimming GOATs stack up?

Katie Ledecky vs. Michael Phelps particular person gold medals

Ledecky is marked because the second all-time title-holder in aggressive swimming historical past, trailing retired icon Michael Phelps’ 28 individually earned golds. Although she has the sting in World Championship golds by one, Phelps has seven extra Olympic golds, giving him a 28-22 edge.

Here’s a listing of the place precisely every of their particular person golds have come from (excludes gold medals as a part of relay occasions):

Katie Ledecky

Olympic Video games

• 2012 London: 1
• 2016 Rio de Janeiro: 3
• 2020 Tokyo: 2

World Championships

• 2013 Barcelona: 3
• 2015 Kazan: 4
• 2017 Budapest: 3
• 2019 Gwangju: 1
• 2022 Budapest 3
• 2023 Fukuoka: 2

Michael Phelps

Olympic Video games

• 2004 Athens: 4
• 2008 Beijing: 5
• 2012 London: 2
• 2016 Rio: 2

World Championships

• 2001 Fukuoka: 1
• 2003 Barcelona: 3
• 2005 Montreal: 2
• 2007 Melbourne: 5
• 2009 Rome: 2
• 2011 Shanghai: 2

Katie Ledecky world information

Ledecky holds 4 present world information: The 800- and 1500-meter freestyle occasions, on each the lengthy and quick course. However her dominance extends past even that: She has set 16 completely different world report paces in these occasions and the 400-meter freestyle.

Here’s a breakdown of her present world information, together with the place she set them.

Lengthy course

Brief course

* Consisted of three separate meets in Berlin, Toronto and Indianapolis