Katie Ledecky posts third-fastest time in history to open swimming nationals

Katie Ledecky opened the Toyota U.S. Swimming Championships by winning the 800m freestyle in the third-best time in history, extending a 15-year win streak in her trademark event.

Ledecky clocked 8 minutes, 5.76 seconds in Indianapolis to qualify for the World Championships in Singapore in July and August. The only faster times are Ledecky’s 8:04.12 from earlier this spring and 8:04.79 from the 2016 Olympics.

She is in line to become the first U.S. swimmer to compete at a seventh World Championships, according to Olympic historian Bill Mallon.

Nationals continue Wednesday with finals at 7 p.m. ET, live on Peacock.

SWIMMING: Broadcast Schedule | Results

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.

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.

Jack Alexy overcame setbacks in the pool to become a U.S. swimming star in 2023.