Katie Ledecky Smashes 1500 Free World Record on First Night of TYR Indianapolis Pro Swim Series

katie ledecky
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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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.

World Record Progression:

  • 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky, USA, 2018
  • 15:25.48, Ledecky, USA, August 2015
  • 15:27.71 (h), Ledecky, USA, August 2015
  • 15:28.36, Ledecky, USA, August 2014
  • 15:34.23, Ledecky, USA, June 2014
  • 15:36.54, Ledecky, USA, 2013
  • 15:42.54, Kate Ziegler, USA, 2007

Ledecky also now owns the eight fastest times ever in the event. She is now 28 seconds ahead of the second fastest performer ever, Lotte Friis of Denmark (15:38.88).

Top 10 Performances:

  1. Katie Ledecky15:20.48, USA, 2018
  2. Ledecky, 15:25.48, USA, 2015
  3. Ledecky, 15:27.71, USA, 2015
  4. Ledecky, 15:28.36, USA, 2014
  5. Ledecky, 15:31.82, USA, 2017
  6. Ledecky, 15:34.23, USA, 2014
  7. Ledecky, 15:35.65, USA, 2017
  8. Ledecky, 15:36.53, USA, 2013
  9. Lotte Friis, 15:38.88, DEN, 2013
  10. Lauren Boyle, 15:40.14, NZL, 2013

Top 10 Performers:

  1. Katie Ledecky15:20.48, USA, 2018
  2. Lotte Friis, 15:38.88, DEN, 2013
  3. Lauren Boyle, 15:40.14, NZL, 2013
  4. Kate Ziegler, 15:42.54, USA, 2007
  5. Alessia Filippi, 15:44.93, ITA, 2009
  6. Boglarka Kapas, 15:47.09, HUN, 2015
  7. Jazz Carlin, 15:47.26, GBR, 2013
  8. Mireia Belmonte, 15:50.89, ESP, 2017
  9. Janet Evans, 15:52.10, USA, 1988
  10. Jessica Ashwood, 15:52.17, AUS, 2015

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23 Comments
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Mike
Mike
6 years ago

What was the old record?

Dennis Boyd
Dennis Boyd
6 years ago

18 seconds

Taylor Brien
6 years ago
Reply to  Dennis Boyd

Whoops. Thanks for pointing that out! It’s been fixed.

Sebastian Franck
Sebastian Franck
6 years ago
Reply to  Taylor Brien

Has not

Joe Johnson
6 years ago

5 seconds faster? Holy crap

Pat Kennedy
6 years ago

Yet another amazing swim by the incredible Katie Ledecky!!!!

Kerry Hendrickson Pepper

#amazing

Vladimir Alvarez Florez

She is amazing swimmer

Alexander Gallant
Alexander Gallant
6 years ago

Katie you bad girl. Keep on stroking you a beautiful to watch.

Michael Maloney
Michael Maloney
6 years ago

Where are ALL the TROLLS now…the ones who said she was DONE.. SHATTERING WORLD RECORDS………….yes that’s what we thought…..Congrats Katie….on turning PRO..lol

Elizabeth Young-Krueger

She is amazing!

Thomas Inwood
6 years ago

Wow – just wow

Cissy Garcia
6 years ago

Susan Garcia

Bobby
Bobby
6 years ago

“Not been the same swimmer since she went to Stanford.” Yeah right…she’s better!!! (Not to mention the 11 American Records and 15 NCAA records, 8 NCAA titles, and two team championships in two years of college swimming).

Ang Peng Siong
6 years ago

First women to go under 15 minutes?

Aron Parker
6 years ago
Reply to  Ang Peng Siong

Her last 100m was under a minute. .

Jeri Sutton
6 years ago

Katie is simply amazing

Lilliam Maldonado
6 years ago

God Bless her!

Jaden Harris
6 years ago

Aiden Smith

Heather Malzahn Roff
6 years ago

Murron Roff

Susan Dally
6 years ago

She is my inspiration to get back into swimming and relive my glory days from HS

Nick Leer
6 years ago

Taylor Leer

Jj Jiva
Jj Jiva
6 years ago

Her last 400 was 4:04.32!!! Wow!!!

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