Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky wins 800m freestyle at US Nationals in dominant performance

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Katie Ledecky joined an elite club Tuesday night, earning her sixth trip to the world championships with a dominating victory in the 800-meter freestyle at the U.S. nationals.

Ledecky was under her own world-record pace for much of the race before settling for the victory in 8 minutes, 7.07 seconds — her third-fastest time in the grueling event, which she has dominated over her long career with the 30 fastest times in history.

She was clearly pleased with the performance, flashing a thumbs-up and a defiant shake of the head when she turned and spotted the time.

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Katie Ledecky swims on her way to winning the womens 800-meter freestyle at the U.S. nationals swim meet in Indianapolis, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Ledecky will head to Fukuoka, Japan, next month as only the sixth U.S. swimmer to make the world championships for the sixth time, joining Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin, Elizabeth Beisel and Nathan Adrian.

No one else was even close to Ledecky. When she touched the wall, the closest swimmer was more than a half-lap behind.

Seventeen-year-old Jillian Cox claimed the second spot on the worlds team in a major surprise. She finished in 8:20.28 — more than 13 seconds behind the winner.

Ledecky didn't seem the least bit surprised by the performance, which was her fastest showing since the world record of 8:04.79 she set at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

Next month in Fukuoka, Ledecky will attempt to become the first swimmer ever to win the same event at six world championships. She's already the first to claim five consecutive titles, having