On Friday evening at the 2015 D.C. Metro Championships, Katie Ledecky swam a mind-blowing 4:26.58 in the 500 yard free. At only 17-years old, that makes her the fastest 500 yard freestyler in the history of women’s swimming by a long-shot.
Above, our friend Dave Bell shares a video of all 4 glorious minutes and 26 glorious seconds of Ledecky’s swim.
I am just trying to wrap my head around what I just saw. Phenomenal and thank you Katie is the only commentary worth stating. Her in the South we say “that girl is surly blessed”.
Incredible. At worlds she might lower the 400m WR to a faster time than the SCM 400m!
Haha. You are over excited.
I am a huge fan of Ledecky too, and has been watching her since early 2011, but no way she will swim 3:54.52 in 400 free LCM, because that means she will have to swim 1:57.3 back to back.
Unless Ledecky has been treated with genome-based medical treatment to allow her to operate like a superhuman, she will not swim 400 free LCM faster than 400 SCM WR
You can embarrass me and quote my statement if she does it.
What impresses me most is her ability to self-motivate in races where she’s so far out ahead. While it didn’t happen to me often, occasionally at low level meets I would be out ahead of the field (not by that much) and I often had trouble pushing it. I guess she’s gotten used to it now though!
Marvellous swim, but why was she clapping herself on the blocks at the start? Seemed a little premature!
Lots of swimmers do that on the block before they race – every time they race. Just a ritual.
Many athletes clap behind or on the blocks. They say it gets blood flow going to increase feel of the water. You also see athletes pound on their legs to achieve similar results.
Katie Ledecky American Record Splits
24.94, 51.74 (26.80), 1:18.70 (26.96), 1:45.77 (27.07), 2:12.96 (27.19), 2:39.80 (26.84), 3:06.63 (26.83), 3:33.76 (27.13), 4:00.63 (26.87), 4:26.58 (25.95).
Thanks. 😉
Thanks a lot for the video!
Amazing second part of the race by Katie. 😎
She was quiet in the first part, quieter than usual, and around 2.26 in the video we can see she changes gear. Her stroke rate increases throughout the race and she finished like a bullet in the last 100! 😯
Can someone post the official splits 50 by 50 please? Thanks.
I want to know how fast she went in her last 100. It looks amazing. 😎
Katie Ledecky American Record Splits
24.94, 51.74 (26.80), 1:18.70 (26.96), 1:45.77 (27.07), 2:12.96 (27.19), 2:39.80 (26.84), 3:06.63 (26.83), 3:33.76 (27.13), 4:00.63 (26.87), 4:26.58 (25.95).
Saw a video or listened to something where Bruce Gemmell said that she intentionally does the double breathing because it has helped her not take an extra stroke into her turns to catch an extra “normal” (non-double) breath.
Out of curiosity can someone find her 500 videos from the past 2 years at this meet? Would be interesting to watch how she’s developed, stroke progression, etc. Incredible swim, can’t wait to see what she does in the rest of the meet.
I have said this already, but she swims mid-distance races like much shorter races. She goes immediately into her catch without hyperextending or whatever you call what other mid-distance freestylers do. That at least is my impression and I believe it is something unique about her.
Unreal. Will we see her break 4:20 in college?