by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
14 May 2025,
A Week of Katie Ledecky Stats (Day Four): Distance Ace Has Made Sub-4:00 Her Home in 400 Freestyle
In recognition of Katie Ledecky lowering her world record in the 800-meter freestyle to 8:04.12, Swimming World continues its Week of Katie Ledecky Statistics. Each day for a week, we are running a short piece that highlights Ledecky-related stats, numbers that place additional context on her legendary career.
There’s no debate that the 800-meter freestyle and 1500 freestyle are recognized as Katie Ledecky’s premier events, with the 400 freestyle solidly slotted in the No. 3 position. Since capturing Olympic gold in the 400 freestyle at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Ledecky has been eclipsed in the discipline by Ariarne Titmus. The Australian ace has won the past two Olympic titles, with Ledecky earning silver and bronze in Tokyo and Paris.
Yet, Ledecky remains the most-decorated female in terms of sub-4:00 performances, a time that has been cracked by only five women in history – Federica Pellegrini, Ledecky, Titmus, Summer McIntosh and Erika Fairweather. Of the 56 all-time marks under four minutes, 31 belong to Ledecky. That total accounts for 55.35% of the historical sub-4:00 efforts. Next on the list is Titmus with 13 trips under four minutes, followed by McIntosh with nine.
Ledecky’s personal best in the 400 freestyle sits at 3:56.46, her winning time in the Olympic final in Rio. Earlier this month, she clocked the second-fastest time of her career, a 3:56.81 showing at the TYR Pro Series in Fort Lauderdale. Ledecky has been sub-4:00 at least once in 13 consecutive years, a streak that began in 2013.