American swimming legend Katie Ledecky delivered a breathtaking performance at the US Pro Swim Series in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, clocking the second-fastest women's 1500m freestyle time in history.
A Dominant Display in the Distance Event
The nine-time Olympic gold medallist was in a class of her own, cruising to victory in a time of 15 minutes 23.21 seconds. Her margin of victory was staggering, finishing more than a minute ahead of 16-year-old Brinkleigh Hansen, who touched the wall in 16:31.31. Becca Mann secured third place with a time of 16:35.09.
While the world record of 15:20.48, which she set in 2018, remained intact, Ledecky's powerful finish allowed her to better her own previous second-best mark. She eclipsed the time of 15:24.51 she had posted at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale just last April.
Ledecky's Unmatched Legacy
Now 28, the champion shows no signs of slowing down as she builds towards the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. This performance marked the tenth occasion she has broken the symbolic 15:30 barrier in the event, a feat no other woman has ever achieved. Her dominance is further underscored by her ownership of the top 12 times ever recorded and 24 of the top 25.
Since the 1500m freestyle was introduced for women at the Olympic Games, Ledecky has won both gold medals on offer, triumphing in Tokyo in 2021 and again at the recent Paris 2024 Games. She also secured her sixth world title in the event at last year's championships in Singapore.
Other Stars Shine in Austin
The action in Austin was not limited to Ledecky's heroics. In the men's 1500m freestyle, world record-holder and Ledecky's Florida training partner Bobby Finke took victory in 15:01.70. He was followed by Ireland's reigning 800m Olympic champion, Daniel Wiffen, in 15:04.98.
Olympic stars Summer McIntosh of Canada and France's Leon Marchand also impressed, leading the qualifiers into Thursday's finals of the 200m individual medley. McIntosh, a triple Paris gold medallist, topped the women's semi-finals in 2:09.27, while Marchand, who won four golds in Paris, led the men's field in 2:00.10.
Elsewhere, American world record-holder Regan Smith won the women's 100m backstroke in 57.98 seconds, and Germany's reigning world champion Anna Elendt claimed the women's 100m breaststroke title in 1:06.91.
