Italy's Federica Pelligrini came from behind to hand American superstar Katie Ledecky an unprecedented defeat in the women's 200m freestyle final at the World Championships in Budapest, with Australia's Emma McKeon sharing the silver medal.
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In five years of swimming at the highest level, Katie Ledecky had never experienced what she did on Thursday (AEST) - looking up at another competitor on the medal stand.
The American star saw her perfect mark in individual races at major international meets come to an end when Pellegrini of Italy stunned the swimming world to beat the untouchable American.
Pellegrini came from behind to edge out Ledecky and Emma McKeon of Australia, who matched the American's time to claim her third silver medal of the meet after finishing second in the women's 4x100 freestyle relay and the women's 100m butterfly.
Women's 200m Freestyle
— FINA (@fina1908) July 26, 2017
🥇Federica Pellegrini 🇮🇹 1:54:73
🥈Katie Ledecky 🇺🇸 1:55.18
🥈 Emma Mckeon 🇦🇺 1:55.18#FINABudapest2017
Pellegrini's triumph marked the end of Ledecky's run of 13 consecutive individual gold medals at the World Championships or Olympics, dating to the 2012 London Games when she won gold in the 800-meter freestyle as a 15-year-old.
Ledecky's only previous loss in a major final of any kind came at the 2016 Rio Olympics, when she was part of the U.S. team that took silver behind Australia in the 4x100 freestyle relay — a distance she doesn't swim in individual competition.
While seeing Ledecky come up short in any race is a surprise, Pellegrini is no upstart.
The 28-year-old medaled in the 200 free at her seventh consecutive World Championships; she previously won gold in 2009 and 2011.
