Editorial content for the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa is sponsored by Arena. For full Swimming World coverage, check out our coverage page.
Katie Ledecky didn’t break a world record tonight in the women’s 1500 free on night one of the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa, AZ. But she still swam fast enough to grab the win and the fifth fastest time in history in this event.
Ledecky’s time of 15:42.23 sits behind her three of her own swims, including her world record of 15:28.36, and Lotte Fris’ time from the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona, Spain of 15:38.88.
Top five swims all time in the women’s 1500 free:
1. Katie Ledecky USA 15:28.36 8/21/14
2. Katie Ledecky NCAP 15:34.23 6/19/14
3. Katie Ledecky USA 15:36.53 7/28/13
4. Lotte Friis DEN 15:38.88 7/28/13
5. Katie Ledecky NCAP 15:42.23 4/15/2015
Leading from start to finish, Ledecky built more than a 10 meter lead on second place finisher, Chilian Olympian Kristel Kobrich, at the 500 mark. The lead grew throughout the rest of the race with Kobrich finishing in 16:26.95.
13-year old Madelyn Donohoe of The Fish dropped six seconds off of her seed time to finish third in 16:44.01.
Tjasa Oder of Tuscan Ford finished fourth in 16:50.09 and Erin Earley of Hopkins Mariner Swim Team grabs fifth in 16:55.08.
Top 8 finishers:
1. Katie Ledecky, NCAP- 15:43.23
2. Kristel Kobrich, Chile- 16:26.95
3. Madelyn Donohoe, FISH- 16:44.01
4. Tjasa Oder, FORD- 16:50.09
5. Erin Earley, HMST- 16:55.08
6. Kirsten Jacobsen, BSC- 16:58.19
7. Valerie Gruest, GUA- 17.07.07
8. Michelle Owens, FISH – 17.12.31