BUDAPEST — Katie Ledecky led the US to the women’s 4x200m freestyle title at the World Swimming Championships Thursday with a powerful anchor leg to win her fourth gold medal here.

Ledecky touched the wall at seven minutes, 43.39 seconds while Li Bingjie, who took silver for China, finished at 1.57 secs back and Adriane Titmus earned bronze for Australia at 5.12.

Leah Smith, Mallory Comerford and Melanie Margalis had gone stroke for stroke with China before Ledecky powered away on the final leg.

Victory marked a great night for the United States after Chase Kalisz earlier won the men’s 200m individual medley gold.

Then Caeleb Dressel and Nathan Adrian came first and second respectively in the men’s 100m freestyle final.

Ledecky swung the relay for the USA quartet when she dived in for the final leg.

She was on Li’s shoulder for the first 50 meters, but made her move at the first turn and ended up finishing a full length ahead of the Chinese.

Having been beaten into joint second by Federica Pellegrini in Wednesday’s 200m freestyle — Ledecky’s first defeat in 13 finals at world championships — the 20-year-old freestyle queen bounced back in style.

Ledecky has now won five medals at these championships after gold in the 400m freestyle, 1500m freestyle, the 4x100m, plus that 200m silver.

Another gold beckons for her Saturday night when she defends her 800m freestyle crown as the reigning world and Olympic champion.

Kalisz continued American dominance of the men’s 200m individual medley as the US enjoyed a memorable evening.

Kalisz’s win set the tone before rising US star Dressel snatched victory in the men’s 100m freestyle and the American quartet powered to gold in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte had dominated the 200m medley event since 2003 and the only American in the field delivered again as Kalisz posted one minute 55.56 seconds at the Duna Arena.

The 23-year-old produced a Phelps-like roar of celebration and double-arm splash to celebrate his gold medal.

Japanese Kosuke Hagino, the 2013 silver medallist, had cut loose on the backstroke before Kalisz took control on a swift breaststroke leg and freestyle finale.

Hagino touched for silver 0.05 seconds back.

There was a similar outcome in the 100m freestyle when Dressel took off his goggles and hit the water in euphoric style after taking gold in an American record time.

Dressel, 20, dominated the blue riband event from start to finish, clocking a highly impressive 47.17 seconds. Nathan Adrian secured an American one-two and Mehdy Metella of France took bronze.

China’s bid to win a hat trick of world titles in the women’s 50m backstroke was scuppered by a jubilant Etiene Medeiros of Brazil.

Medeiros posted a time of 27.14 seconds as she held off defending champion Fu Yuanhui of China by 0.01 seconds in a fingertip finish. Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus secured bronze.

Local favorite Katinka Hosszu of Hungary had briefly lifted the arena noise to deafening heights in the women’s 200m butterfly final.

Hosszu, 28, set the pace in the opening stages of a race won defiantly by Mireia Belmonte of Spain in two minutes 05.26 seconds. Franziska Hentke took silver with Hosszu landing bronze.

Spain’s Mireia Belmonte won the women’s 200m butterfly title to add to her Olympic gold medal.

Belmonte touched the wall in two minutes, 05.26 seconds with Germany’s Franziska Hentke taking silver at 0.13 back and Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu earning bronze at 0.63.

Having won world silver at home in Barcelona four years ago, Belmonte has gone one better a year after being crowned Olympic champion in Rio. — Agencies