Katie Ledecky continued her dominant stretch in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, delivering her fastest 400-meter freestyle in nearly a decade. Just a day after logging the second-fastest 1500-meter time ever recorded, the Olympic icon clocked in at 3:56.81 during the Tyr Pro Series—her best time in the event since 2016.
In a dramatic finish, Ledecky closed the gap on Canadian star Summer McIntosh in the final lap, pulling ahead to win. The performance marks a new American record and stands as the seventh-fastest 400-meter freestyle time in history. It’s also Ledecky’s second-best showing in the event, only trailing her 3:56.46 gold medal swim at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“I don’t know if I ever thought I was going to be 3:56 again,” Ledecky said in an interview with Peacock.
This race served as a bit of redemption for Ledecky, who took bronze in the same event at last year’s Paris Olympics. In that race, McIntosh earned silver while Australia’s Ariarne Titmus claimed gold with a 3:57.49. Ledecky’s time on Thursday would have taken the gold in Paris, though different conditions make direct comparisons tricky.
Titmus, the current world record holder, is expected to skip most major competitions this year, potentially setting the stage for an epic Ledecky-McIntosh showdown at the world championships in Singapore.
Ledecky’s schedule remains packed—she’s entered in Friday’s 200-meter freestyle and 400-meter individual medley, with the 800-meter freestyle still ahead.
