2025 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale
- Wednesday, April 30 – Saturday, May 3, 2025
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Recaps
On the final night of the 2025 Pro Swim Series, 28-year-old Katie Ledecky—widely regarded as both the greatest freestyler in history and the greatest female swimmer of all time—saved her best swim of the week for last, breaking her own 800 freestyle world record. She lowered the mark from 8:04.79, set in 2016 when she was 19, to an astonishing 8:04.12.
This is Ledecky’s 16th career individual world record, and her first since nearly seven years ago—May 16, 2018, when she set the current 1500 free standard (15:20.48) at the Pro Swim Series meet in Indianapolis.
Ledecky’s improvement came primarily from both the first and final 50s. She opened the race with a blistering 27.59 over the first lap—nearly half a second faster than her previous record swim—and by the 150 mark, she was already more than a second ahead of her old pace. Through the middle of the race, Ledecky slightly fell off her previous splits, particularly between the 200 and 400 marks, where she logged slightly slower splits. However, she began to build significant momentum again after the 500 turn, with the crowd really starting to get engaged.
Her biggest margin of improvement came over the final 50, where she blasted a 28.46—more than half a second faster than the 28.99 she recorded to close her former record.
Ledecky’s 400 splits tonight were 4:01.78 and 4:02.34, compared to her previous world record halves of 4:01.98 and 4:02.81.
Fun fact: Ledecky’s final 400 split tonight of 4:02.34 would place her as the 19th-fastest performer of all time in the individual 400 free. She ranks 3rd all-time in the event with her 3:56.46 clocking from the Rio Olympics.
Additionally, Ledecky’s first 200 (1:58.38) and last 200 (1:59.85) add up to 3:58.22, which would situate her 4th all-time in the individual 400, behind only herself, Ariarne Titmus, and Summer McIntosh. That time is nearly three seconds faster than her bronze-medal swim in the individual event at the Paris Olympics, and she’s only been faster than that time in the individual event on three occasions.
See a full splits comparison between her new and old records below.
Splits Comparison:
| New World Record | Former World Record | |
| 50m | 27.59 | 28.03 |
| 100m | 29.98 (57.57) | 29.95 (57.98) |
| 150m | 30.01 (1:27.58) | 30.73 (1:28.71) |
| 200m | 30.80 (1:58.38) | 30.71 (1:59.42) |
| 250m | 30.67 (2:29.05) | 30.64 (2:30.06) |
| 300m | 31.03 (3:00.08) | 30.70 (3:00.76) |
| 350m | 30.70 (3:30.78) | 30.37 (3:31.13) |
| 400m | 31.00 (4:01.78) | 30.85 (4:01.98) |
| 450m | 30.47 (4:32.25) | 30.22 (4:32.20) |
| 500m | 30.74 (5:02.99) | 30.74 (5:02.94) |
| 550m | 30.50 (5:33.49) | 30.60 (5:33.54) |
| 600m | 30.78 (6:04.27) | 30.76 (6:04.30) |
| 650m | 30.43 (6:34.70) | 30.77 (6:35.07) |
| 700m | 30.67 (7:05.37) | 30.37 (7:05.44) |
| 750m | 30.29 (7:35.66) | 30.36 (7:35.80) |
| 800m | 28.46 (8:04.12) | 28.99 (8:04.79) |
Ledecky bumps McIntosh—the second-fastest performer of all time—out of the top ten performances in history and now owns 23 of the 25 fastest 800 swims ever recorded.
All-Time Top Performances, Women’s 800 LCM Freestyle:
- Katie Ledecky — 8:04.12 (2025)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:04.79 (2016)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:06.68 (2016)
- Katie Ledecky –8:07.07 (2023)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:07.27 (2018)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:07.39 (2015)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:08.04 (2022)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:08.87 (2023)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:09.13 (2018)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:09.27 (2022)
- Summer McIntosh — 8:09.86 (2025)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:10.32 (2016)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:10.70 (2019)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:10.91 (2016)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:11.00 (2014)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:11.04 (2024)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:11.08 (2018)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:11.21 (2015)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:11.35 (2014)
- Summer McIntosh — 8:11.39 (2024)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:11.50 (2017)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:11.70 (2018)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:11.83 (2022)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:11.98 (2018)
- Katie Ledecky — 8:12.03 (2022)
Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist and the four-time defending Olympic champion in the 800 freestyle, has also won the world title in the event six times, spanning from 2013 to 2023. She sat out the 2024 Worlds due to their proximity to the Paris Games.
Ledecky’s career has seen a massive resurgence since she left Stanford in the fall of 2021 to train with Anthony Nesty at the University of Florida. In a five-year span starting from after she set the 800 free World Record in 2016 to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she only broke the 8:10 barrier twice in the event. However, after moving to Florida, she has broken 8:10 a total of five times.
Her performance this week marks a remarkable return to top form—undoubtedly her best meet since the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Earlier in the competition, Ledecky logged her second-fastest times ever in both the 400 free (3:56.81) and the 1500 free (15:24.51). After a dominant, solo swim in the 1500, the 400 was a masterclass in race strategy, paced perfectly with McIntosh effectively acting as the rabbit.
Race Video:
Courtesy: USA Swimming
Wowzers! We are witnessing unprecedented greatness, let’s enjoy it while we can!
This is one of the many reasons LEDECKY deserved the presidential medal of freedom. She is so inspiring, even to a 47 year old man like me. I smile so much when I see her. Days like these just make my day.
I would categorize this swim as the most unexpected World Record in the W 800 FR since the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series in Austin, TX (17Jan 2016). Who breaks World Records in January?
she saw yalls comments about McIntosh and Titmus catching her and said watch this MFers
While I really like the commentator on the USA Swimming video, I NEED to hear the Rowdy commentary for this race.
that was great to watch!
her stroke this meet seems smoother than i remember.
after this weekend she’s gotta be the solid favourite in the 400 in Singapore over McIntosh, which I dont think anyone would have expected after paris
Ledecky saw Summer wanted to do 5 individual events, and she said not on my watch.
Seriously though, congrats to Katie. I never thought she’d get a Rio time ever again, glad to be wrong