Katie Ledecky Lowers Pan Pac Record With 5th Fastest 800 Free Ever

2018 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Katie Ledecky broke her second Pan Pacific Championship Record of the competition in just her second swim on Thursday evening in Tokyo, winning the 800 free in a time of 8:09.13 that lowers her 8:11.35 from four years ago on the Gold Coast.

Ledecky was out aggressively, under world record pace through the 300m mark, before falling behind it slightly at the 350 and trailing it the rest of the way. She set the world record of 8:04.79 at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

The swim of 8:09.13 stands up as the 5th fastest in history, and Ledecky now owns the 20 fastest performances in history. Her season-best of 8:07.27, set at the Indianapolis Pro Swim, ranks 3rd all-time.

Rebecca Adlington’s 8:14.10 from the 2008 Olympic Games is still the first swim to break up the Ledecky reign.

Fastest All-Time Performances
1 Katie Ledecky 8:04.79
2 Katie Ledecky 8:06.68
3 Katie Ledecky 8:07.27
4 Katie Ledecky 8:07.39
5 Katie Ledecky 8:09.13
6 Katie Ledecky 8:10.32
7 Katie Ledecky 8:10.91
8 Katie Ledecky 8:11.08
9 Katie Ledecky 8:11.00
10 Katie Ledecky 8:11.21

In the race for silver, Australian Ariarne Titmus just barely held Ledecky’s American teammate Leah Smith, as Titmus set a new Oceanian Record in 8:17.07. Smith set a personal best by .01 to win the bronze in 8:17.21.

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Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
5 years ago

Six years after the 2012 London Olympics, not one female swimmer has topped the time of 8:14.63 in the women’s 800 meter freestyle aside from Katie Ledecky herself.

Yozhik
5 years ago

Whenever Katie Ledecky swims under 8:10 it is indeed a great swim even by Katie’s standards. But special attention deserves her splits in this race: 4:02 – 4:07. She’s never splitted this way in major competitions swimming under Gemmell’s guidance. And only in her first race in London immature then 15 years old girl swam something similar 4:04 – 4:10
Don’t even know what to think about this. Is it a new approach that Ledecky will apply in her races for now on putting max efforts at the start and relying less on speed endurance. Let’s see what she does in 400.

gigglewater
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Beside she didn’t even split, she was once again slower than her mid season times.
I hope we have a way to ask her these and see if she would answer political again.

Yozhik
Reply to  gigglewater
5 years ago

Yes, I have this concern as well. At least she was faster with the second half compare to her swim in Irvine. I am more and more inclined to think that her performance in the Spring this season wasn’t just a result of having “best training block ever” but she was specially prepared for this statement-show before going on the market. So this meet won’t be better than those two ones back in spring.
P.S. Don’t ever expect some revelations from Katie in her interviews. She isn’t that type of person .

gigglewater
Reply to  Yozhik
5 years ago

Slower than mid season may have to do with her take her races out so fast(that she couldn’t even split it) strategy or she missed her taper, again.
She did express her disappointing after the 200 here:
https://www.usaswimming.org/news-landing-page/2018/08/09/ledecky-dominates-800-wins-bronze-in-200-on-first-night-of-pan-pacs

Well Katie, to keep that 200 crown, you have a really long way to go.
And what you did this season, were not enough to achieve it.(for example: skipping the 200 in NCAA)

Yozhik
Reply to  gigglewater
5 years ago

Don’t jump into conclusion and wait for her tomorrow splits in relay. If it is 1:54.0 then she is fine in 200 and it is not “long way to go” as you think.
Have you noticed that Americans are slower in finals (2am PT) than in prelims (6 pm PT). Could it be that one week of acclimatization isn’t enough?

Baker_king-Worrell-Manuel
Reply to  gigglewater
5 years ago

2016 Arena Pro Swim Series (World Record)
17 January 2016
Women’s 800 m freestyle
400 m split – 4:03.22

2016 Rio Olympics (World Record)
12 August 2016
Women’s 800 m freestyle
400 m split – 4:01.98

Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
Reply to  gigglewater
5 years ago

2016 Arena Pro Swim Series (World Record)
17 January 2016
Women’s 800 meter freestyle
400 m split – 4:03.22

https://swimswam.com/katie-ledecky-takes-down-own-world-record-in-800-free-austin/

Miss M
5 years ago

Great swim by KL.

0.14 is very close over 800m, but more than “just barely” for Arnie over Leah Smith. Credit to the young Australian for a new Oceanic record and PB.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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