Swimming: Katie Ledecky shatters 1500m freestyle world record

16-year-old Katie Ledecky with her second gold medal of the Championships (Getty Images)

Katie Ledecky took six seconds off the 1500 metres freestyle world record as she claimed her second gold of the World Championships in Barcelona.

The 16-year-old American went stroke for stroke with the defending champion Lotte Friis, of Denmark, only for Ledecky to pull away going into the final 100m at the Palau Sant Jordi. Ledecky touched in 15 min 36.53sec to take a sledgehammer to her fellow American Kate Ziegler's time from 2007.

Plymouth-based Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte won the 100m breaststroke final 24 hours after breaking the world record. Meilutyte, who also won gold at London 2012, is coached by Jon Rudd at Plymouth Leander and he said afterwards: "Just really, really pleased. Yesterday was about the time, today was about the position. I am just glad she did the job."

Elsewhere, Missy Franklin of the US claimed her second gold, winning the 100m backstroke. Britain's Robbie Renwick was sixth in the 200m freestyle final.