Watch Katie Ledecky break her 1500 World Record – Video Highlights

Swimming Video is courtesy of Universal Sports Network, a SwimSwam partner.

***Video can only been seen by United States viewers.

As reported by SwimSwam:

Katie Ledecky dominates distance freestyler, breaking her own World Record by 0.65 tonight. In a stunning display of power and technical expertise, it was hard to believe it was a prelim performance.

In a very smooth and calculated swim Ledecky’s cumulative splits were as follows:

• 100m 59.09
• 200m 2.01.83
• 300m 3.04.01
• 400m 4.06.41
• 500m 5.08.95
• 600m 6.11.18
• 700m 7.13.42
• 800m 8.15.29
• 900m 9.17.76
• 1000m 10.19.55
• 1100m 11.21.84
• 1200m 12.23.58
• 1300m 13.25.50
• 1400m 14.27.51
• 1500m 15.27.71

Ledecky split the 500’s in roughly:

• 5:09
• 5:10
• 5:08

Ledecky is now ideally placed to swim to win the Final as she will also contest the 200m Semi-Final one race after the 1500m.

Moving through to the Final in 2nd placed was Denmark’s Lotte Friis and in 3rd place was Jessica Ashwood (Australia). The Australian broke her national record on her way to the finals posting a lifetime best of 15.56.52.

1500M FREESTYLE RECAP REPORT

2013 World Champion: Katie Ledecky, USA – 15:36.53
World Record: 15:28.36 – Katie Ledecky, USA – 2014
Championship Record: 15:36.53 – Katie Ledecky, USA – 2013

She may have missed her World Record when she won the 400 free relay last night, but USA’s Katie Ledecky was better than ever this morning in the prelims of the women’s 1500 free. She looked smooth the whole way through in a historic prelims swim to set a new world record.

Ledecky was leagues ahead of the rest of the field, dropping a 29.47 final 50 to set the new World Record at 15:27.71. She’ll have a chance to lower that even more in the final.

Behind her in that heat, Australia’s Jessica Ashwood swam a sub-16 minute time to qualify 3rd for the final in 15:56.52. Denmark’s Lotte Friis was also under 16 minutes. She ran away with heat 2 to qualify 2nd in 15:54.23.
Friis was over 7 seconds ahead of Chile’s Kristel Kobrich (time) who qualified 4th place. Kobrich came in just before New Zealand’s Lauren Boyle (16:02.84), who will also challenge for a medal tonight.

Boglarka Kapas (16:06.25), Sharon Van Rouwendaal (16:09.12), and Aurora Ponsele (16:12.01) closed out the qualifying spots for finals. Van Rouwendaal will be a contender for a 2nd medal in this race after picking up silver in the 400 free yesterday.

Top 8: Ledecky, USA; Friis, DEN; Ashwood, AUS; Kobrich, CHI; Boyle, NZL; Kapas, HUN; Van Rouwendaal, NED; Ponsele, ITA