At just 26 Katie Ledecky has passed Michael Phelps' all-time record for the most individual gold medals won at the World Championships.
Ledecky's July 29 800m freestyle win at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan is her 16th individual world title.
She is also the first swimmer to win a single event six times at worlds. The 26-year-old American has been undefeated in the event since her Olympic gold in 2012, which she won at 15.
Her time of 8:08.87 is the seventh-fastest time in history. (The fastest 29 times all belong to her.)
"I'm pleased with that swim. I wanted to be a little bit better, but I'll take it," she said after the event.
It's Ledecky's second gold of the week (adding to her earlier 1500m win). She also picked up silvers in the 400m free and the 4x200m free relay).
On the same day Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom tied Phelps' record for 20 career individual medals of any colour with her 50m butterfly gold (her fifth consecutive world title in that event). Around 20 minutes later she lowered her own world 50m free record to 23.61 in the semi-finals; she is the favourite to win that event tomorrow and surpass Phelps' record.
"That was amazing, I am very proud of this gold which is the fifth one, it is amazing," said 29-year-old Sjostrom. "I feel like I enjoy it more than ever at the moment."
"It's not the first time I do this. I actually did the same in Budapest when I was 17 — the final in the 50 fly and the semifinal of the 50 free. I actually enjoy doing back-to-back races, I feel better in the water, not rushing too much."
Perhaps the most inspiring finish of the meet was Ikee Rikako's seventh place placing behind Sjostrom's win in the 50m butterfly. The event marked Ikee's return to individual international racing following her recovery from leukemia.
