Ledecky, trailing McIntosh at the 700-meter mark, surged ahead on the final lap, fending off a hard-charging Pallister as McIntosh faded in the closing meters. With the win, Ledecky remained undefeated in the 800-meter freestyle finals event on the world stage dating back to 2012.

Ledecky won with a time of 8:05.62, both a world championships record and the fourth fastest time in the history of the 800m free. Pallister wasn't far behind (8:05.98), with McIntosh claiming bronze (8:07.29).