Watch Katie Ledecky Smash 1500 World Record – 15:20.48 (VIDEO)

2018 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES – INDIANAPOLIS

• May 16th-20th, 2018
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• 50m
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet

Originally reported by Karl Ortegon.

It didn’t take long. In the very first race of Katie Ledecky‘s professional career, she has broken her own world record in the 1500 free.

Taking a full five seconds off of her old mark and racing at the 2018 Pro Swim Series in Indy, Ledecky charged to a 15:20.48, finishing almost fifty seconds ahead of 2nd place’s Erica Sullivan (16:09.88). This is the first best time in long course in this event for Ledecky in three years– her previous best, which also stood as the previous world record, was a 15:25.48 from the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia. That’s a clean five full seconds off of the old mark.

Video courtesy of USA Swimming. 

SPLITS

In Budapest, Ledecky was a disappointing 8:12.68 — she split faster than that in her race today by almost a full second. Additionally, after (relatively speaking) cruising the 400, she never went above 31.0 again, showcasing her remarkable pacing abilities and immense grit.

This was Ledecky’s first official swim as a professional athlete after she announced in March she’d be foregoing her remaining two seasons of NCAA eligibility. Ledecky raced for the Stanford Cardinal the last two seasons, dominating the distance events in the collegiate world. That said, Ledecky was unable to produce best times last summer at the 2017 World Championships, and she started to fall off of her mark in yards this season, too.

In less than two months since the 2018 NCAAs, however, it’s as if she’s a teenager again, going big lifetime bests with every swim.

Ledecky is now a full eighteen (18) seconds faster than anyone else in history– the next best performer, ever, is Denmark’s Lotte Friis, who went a 15:38.88 in 2013. That time actually came during a tight race with Ledecky, who was then just 16, at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona. Ledecky won gold there with a 15:36.53, which was a WR at the time.

Ledecky, 21 years old, now holds the eight fastest times in this event in history.

TOP PERFORMANCES OF ALL TIME – WOMEN’S 1500 FREE

1. Katie Ledecky – 15:20.48 (2018)
2. Katie Ledecky – 15:25.48 (2015)
3. Katie Ledecky – 15:27.71 (2015)
4. Katie Ledecky – 15:28.36 (2014)
5. Katie Ledecky – 15:31.82 (2017)
6. Katie Ledecky – 15:34.23 (2014)
7. Katie Ledecky – 15:35.65 (2017)
8. Katie Ledecky – 15:36.53 (2013)

TOP PERFORMERS OF ALL TIME – WOMEN’S 1500 FREE

1. Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:20.48 (2018)
2. Lotte Friis (DEN) – 15:38.88 (2013)
3. Lauren Boyle (NZL) – 15:40.14 (2015)
4. Kate Ziegler (USA) – 15:42.54 (2007)
5. Alessia Filippi (ITA) – 15:44.93 (2009)
6. Boglarka Kapas (HUN) – 15:47.09 (2015)
7. Jazmin Carlin (GBR) – 15:47.26 (2013)
8. Mireia Belmonte (ESP) – 15:50.89 (2017)