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Just One Win Away, Michael Phelps’ World Championships Record Under Threat by Katie Ledecky

Published 04/09/2023, 11:15 AM EDT

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The 20th edition of the World Aquatics Championships is all set to take place in Fukuoka, Japan, this year. Scheduled from 14-30 July, the preparations for the championships have already begun, where swimmers from all over the world will eye for the title. One particular 26-year-old decorated American swimmer will have an extra reason to win the championships. She might just end up leveling the great Michael Phelps this year.

Katie Ledecky is one of the greatest American female swimmers of all time, and she is just one short of Michael Phelps’s total number of individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships. At just 26 years old, Ledecky is already among the stars.

Inching closer to Michael Phelps, can Ledecky do it?

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In a recent tweet by Swimming Stats, it said, “These are the swimmers who have won the most individual titles at World Aquatics Championships since its first edition in 1973 (pool events only). Will Katie Ledecky surpass Michael Phelps this year in Fukuoka?” Attached alongside were two pictures that showed the list of swimmers with the most individual medal count at the event.

While undoubtedly Phelps ranked the highest with 15 gold medals at the top, Ledecky is on his heels with 14 gold medals. The female swimmer will pull every stop at the championships this July to level her medal tally to that of Phelps’s. The tally also mentions that Phelps’s competing years have been from 2001-2011 at the World Aquatics Championships, whereas Ledecky had only started competing in 2013.

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To call Katie Ledecky the most decorated American female swimmer is like calling water wet. Her other stats such as 7 Olympic gold medals out of which 6 are individual, 19 world championship gold medals, and 22 overall gold medals at the World Championships, simply put her ahead of the rest.

READ MORE – “Not Gonna Feel Like a Million Bucks…”: Michael Phelps Gave a Crucial Advice to a Young Fan About Working Hard

Her 19 World Championships are the most by any in the history of female swimmers. While swimming fans are on the fence, about whether Ledecky will level Phelps this year or not, she has previously once done so.

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Katie Ledecky still has many glory-filled years to come

Ledecky announced her arrival on the big stage at the 2012 London Olympics by winning the gold medal at age 15. Three years later in 2015, she swam the women’s 400m freestyle in prelims at 4:02:67. She clocked the same time it took Michael Phelps to compete in the same prelims for the men’s division. This stunned the audience

via Getty

The world then knew that a swimming prodigy has arrived and that she would soon go on to conquer the swimming world as one of the all-time greats. Ledecky still holds the world record in 800m and 1500m freestyle, and with many years of glory to follow, she is already one of the greatest Olympians of all time.

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Written by:

Tanmay Roy

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Tanmay Roy is a sports writer at EssentiallySports specializing in his coverage of the Olympics and other major American sporting events. His passion for sports was ignited by the early achievements of Michael Phelps, Pete Sampras, and John McEnroe. As a writer for EssentiallySports, Tanmay's articles have been recognized as Editor's Picks, showcasing his ability to craft engaging and thought-provoking stories.
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Edited by:

Anupama Ghosh