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It was supposed to be a relatively short night as ten heats of the 1500 were contested between men and women. The small crowd consisted of mostly parents and fellow swimmers saw an unexpected world record by the legendary Katie Ledecky to start off the TYR Pro Swim Series at Indianapolis.
Women’s 1500 Free
It hasn’t happened since the 2016 Olympics. Katie Ledecky hadn’t broken a World Record since 2016 when she lit the world on fire in Rio with three individual gold medals and two world records. She has not been the same swimmer since she went to Stanford in the fall of 2016.
But in her first race as a professional swimmer, Ledecky broke the 1500 freestyle World Record that she set at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan with a 15:20.48 on a quiet Wednesday night at the TYR Indianapolis Pro Swim Series.
Ledecky took control early and was out under world record pace. How long could she hold on to that pace in an in-season meet? She built her way through the race and kept getting further and further under the record pace.
Ledecky broke her own world record that she set three years ago and is the sixth time she has broken the record in the event dating all the way back to 2013. It is also the largest margin the record has been broken since Ledecky took six seconds off at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships.
Photo Courtesy:
Leah Smith (16:22.37), Madelyn Donohoe (16:26.94) and Cassy Jernberg (16:27.24) also finished in the top eight.
Men’s 1500 Free
The men’s 1500 followed a very exhilarating women’s race as Zane Grothe continued his strong 2018 with a 15:05.31. Grothe was well ahead of the rest of the field and quietly put up the fastest time for an American this year. Grothe is looking like the premiere distance swimmer in the United States after the retirement of Olympic silver medalist Connor Jaeger.
Another rising star Logan Houck finished in second as the Sandpipers of Nevada swimmer swam a 15:17.42 for the runner-up spot. He was ahead of Michigan post grad PJ Ransford (15:24.69).
Marcelo Acosta (15:26.68), Ricardo Vargas (15:29.72), Brennan Gravley (15:32.50), Felix Auboeck (15:44.41) and TC Smith (15:46.79) rounded out the top eight.
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Wow… and a solid 3rd in the men’s event. Wow.
She’s truly the greatest ever
Who’s that amazing coach in the pic? So awesome Greg Meehan…must be amazing to work with such a talent Congrats! We Moragans are always cheering from afar and missing your fam!?
For sure, Moragans for Greg!
Just amazing. Go get ‘em Katie! Hope you are the first woman to break 15 min some day.
Simone…Resting B@.#ch Face again….hmmm..Where’s Gabby when you need some Team spirit….ohh…that’s right never mind….just saying….