Katie Ledecky nearly broke the 800m freestyle world record for the second time this spring, swimming the third-fastest time in history to open the Toyota U.S. Championships.
Ledecky was under her own world record pace through 650 meters. She ultimately clocked 8 minutes, 5.76 seconds, winning comfortably by 13.91 seconds in Indianapolis to qualify for the World Championships in Singapore in July and August.
The only faster times in history are Ledecky’s — 8:04.12 from May 3 and 8:04.79 from the 2016 Olympics. She owns the 11 best times in history globally and the top 29 times in American history, plus is unbeaten in the event for 15 years.
“The 800m was my last race in Fort Lauderdale (on May 3), and then having it the first race here, it kind of felt like I was just going right back into it,” she said on Peacock. “I kind of dove in, and it almost felt like muscle memory.”
SWIMMING: Broadcast Schedule | Results
Ledecky, 28, is in line to become the first American to swim at a seventh World Championships, according to Olympic historian Bill Mallon of the OlyMADMen. She can become the first swimmer to win a seventh world title in the same event.
Nationals continue Wednesday with finals at 7 p.m. ET, live on Peacock.
In other events Tuesday, Torri Huske took the women’s 100m free in 52.43, the fastest time ever in an American pool and the world’s best time this year. Huske earned silver at the Olympics in 52.29, her personal best.
Olympic champion and world record holder Bobby Finke won the 1500m free by 9.18 seconds. Finke hasn’t lost to an American in this event since the start of 2020.
In the men’s 100m free, Jack Alexy swam the second-fastest time in American history and world’s best time for 2025 in the prelims (46.99), then won the final in 47.17.
Luca Urlando captured the men’s 200m butterfly in 1:53.42, a time bettered by only one man globally in 2025: Urlando.
Back in April, Urlando swam 1:52.37 to become the second-fastest American all-time in the event behind Michael Phelps. He’s the world’s fastest man this year by 1.33 seconds.
Rising Stanford junior Caroline Bricker upset Olympic silver medalist Regan Smith in the women’s 200m fly, overtaking her 2:05.80 to 2:05.85.
Bricker lowered her personal best by 3.32 seconds over the prelims and final to supplant 2000 Olympic gold medalist Misty Hyman as the fifth-fastest American in history.
