Katie Ledecky and Gretchen Walsh set swimming world records in Florida

There were two world records set by American swimmers at the Tyr Pro Swim Meet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday. Katie Ledecky of District of Columbia, broke her own world record in the women’s 800 metre freestyle, and Gretchen Walsh of Nashville, Tennessee broke her own world record in the women’s 100 metre butterfly.

What are the new world record times?

Ledecky’s new world record time was 8:04.12. Her previous world record time was 8:04.79 at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Walsh’s new world record time was 54.6 seconds. It was actually the second time during the meet that Walsh set the world record. That is because she had a time of 55.09 in the heats. Prior to Saturday, Walsh’s previous world record time in the women’s 100 metre butterfly was 55.18 seconds, which was set in the semifinals of the 2024 United States Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Ledecky’s World Record Progression

This was the sixth time Ledecky has set the world record in the women’s 800 metres since 2013. She has been the only swimmer to break the world record in the women’s 800 metre freestyle over the last 12 years. Ledecky set the world record in the women’s 800 metre freestyle for the first time at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Spain (8:13.86). That was followed by a time of 8:11.00 at the 2014 Woodlands Senior Invitational Meet in Shenandoah, Texas, a time of 8:07.39 at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan. Russia, and a time of 8:06.68 at the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series in Austin, Texas.

Olympic gold medalists

Ledecky is the most successful female Olympic swimmer in history. She has won 14 Olympic medals, and nine Olympic gold medals. When it comes down to the women’s 800 metres, Ledecky has won the gold medal in the event at the last four Olympic Games. Walsh won the gold medal in the women’s 4×100 metre medley and 4×100 metre mixed medley at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. In the women’s 100 metre butterfly at last year’s Olympic Games, Walsh settled for silver as she was beaten by fellow American Torri Huske of Arlington, Virginia.