2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
- Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
- Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
- Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
- Full aquatics schedule
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- Entry Lists
- Live Results
- Day 3 Prelims Heat Sheet
Wang Jianjiahe swam her way to a new Asian and Chinese records in the women’s 1500 freestyle during prelims at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Jianjiahe delivered a 15:41.49 from heat 5 which is 4 seconds better than the 15:45.59 Asian and Chinese record that she swam back in December 2020.
Jianjiahe’s swim was the second-fastest swim both in her heat and overall in the prelims, trailing only world record holder Katie Ledecky who was a 15:35.35 to record the first-ever Olympic record in the event.
This national and continental record for Jianjiahe marks the 19th fastest women’s 1500 freestyle performance in history and makes the 5th fastest performer of all time.
Women’s 1500 Freestyle All-time Performers
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:20.48
- Lotte Friis (DEN) – 15:38.88
- Lauren Boyle (NZL) – 15:40.14
- Simona Quadarella (ITA) – 15:40.89
- Wang Jianjihe (CHN) – 15:41.49
- Kate Ziegler (USA) – 15:42.54
- Alessia Filippi (ITA) – 15:44.93
- Erica Sullivan (USA) – 15:46.67
This swim from Jianjiahe marks the 4th time that she has swum under 15:50 in the event, having first done so in 2019 with a 15:46.69, followed by her 15:45.59 Asian record in 2020 and a 15:49.11 at Chinese Olympic Trials back in May 2021.
Jianjiahe is now the fastest Asian woman in the history of the event, ahead Li Bingjie who sits in the #2 position with a 15:52.87 from 2017. Bingjie was also present in the women’s 1500 free prelims but wound up placing 10th overall with a 15:59.92 for 10th and won’t advance to the finals.
As second seed, Jianjiahe has a shot a collecting her first Olympic medal in final but will need to hold off the likes of Erica Sullivan, 2019 World Champion Simona Quadarella, Russia’s Anastasia Kirpichnikova who set a new Russian record of 15:50.22, German record holder Sarah Kohler, and the Australian duo of Maddy Gough and Kiah Melverton.
Tokyo 2020 Women’s 1500 Freestyle Prelims – Top 8
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:35.35
- Wang Jianjiahe (CHN) – 15:41.49
- Erica Sullivan (USA) – 15:46.67
- Simona Quadarella (ITA) – 15:47.34
- Anastasia Kirpichnikova (RUS) – 15:50.22
- Sarah Kohler (GER) – 15:52.67
- Maddy Gough (AUS) – 15:56.81
- Kiah Melverton (AUS) – 15:58.96
While this is her first Olympic appearance, Jianjiahe has already collected a number of medals for China internationally including 2019 World Championships bronze in the 1500, 2018 Short Course World Championships gold in the 800, and silver in the 400 free, along with a gold medal sweep in the 400, 800, and 1500 at the 2018 Asian Games.
This little mention is for Wang & her Asian record..You may want to say something nice about it ,if not her .
Katie has her own thread.
15:41 at preliminary phase of competition sounds alarming. We still don’t have any information how 1:53 ( and that is what I would like to see in 200 final race) will affect Ledecky’s abilities in 1500m final event. Today we saw under 15:40, Good. But it was after 1:55.28 race and there was twice as long time interval between 200 and 1500 races then it will be in finals.
On the other hand Wang’s race today hasn’t looked as the simple exercise. Given a high density of under 16min in-season results the chances were high that the preliminary race won’t be easy. That simple under 16min result may not be enough to get to the final. The way she… Read more »