2022 Pro Swim Series – Westmont: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2022 PRO SWIM SERIES – WESTMONT

World record holder and reigning Olympic champion in the 1500 freestyle Katie Ledecky will open the 2022 Pro Swim Series – Westmont with one of her signature events. Ledecky is one of two entrants in the women’s 1500 freestyle along with 16-year-old Piper Wood Prince.

Ledecky holds the world record, American record, US Open record, and Pro Swim record at a 15:20.48 from back in 2018 in Indianapolis and will be contesting the event tonight in Westmont. Follow along to see if Ledecky can beat the 15:40.63 she swam just a few weeks ago and how Piper Wood Prince fares as she raced against the greatest.

On the men’s side, there’s also a small field with only 7 entrants. Zane Grothe leads the pack with an entry time of 15:10.29, while Alec Enyeart of Tsunami Swim Club is second in a 15:22.66.

Live Stream

Women’s 1500 Freestyle – Timed Final

Top 2:

  1. Katie Ledecky – 15:39.45
  2. Piper Wood Prince – 17:26.73

Katie Ledecky started off here with an opening 400 split of 4:10.77, which is slightly under her pace from a few weeks ago when she swam a 15:40.63 in Orlando. There, she flipped in 4:11.26 at the 400 mark. By the 800 meter mark, Ledecky was still under pace to improve upon her recent swim with an 8:21.76, compared to the 8:22.61 split from last month.

Ledecky continued to narrowly out-split her swim from last month, ending with a 15:39.45 to beat that 15:40.63 from Orlando. Ledecky also got within 2.5 seconds of the 15:37.34 she used to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics and got within 5 seconds of her 15:35.35 prelims swim in Tokyo.

This is Ledecky’s 15th-fastest swim in history and the 16th-best performance in history, considering Lotte Friis‘ 15:38.88 swim at the 2013 World Championships.

Her sole competitor in this heat, Piper Wood Prince, put up a solid swim of 17:26.73 to get within her 16:59.55 entry time. Prince’s PB in the event of 16:59.55 comes from last summer at the Speedo Summer Championships.

Men’s 1500 Freestyle – Timed Final

  • World Record: 14:31.02 – Sun Yang (2012)
  • American Record: 14:39.48 – Connor Jaegar (2016)
  • US Open Record: 14:45.54 – Peter Vanderkaay (2008)
  • Jr World Record: 14:46.09 – Franko Grgic (2014)
  • Pro Swim Series Record: 14:53.12 – 14:53.12 – Jordan Wilimovsky (2016)

Top 3:

  1. Marwan Elkamash – 15:18.45
  2. Alec Enyeart – 15:19.17
  3. Zane Grothe – 15:42.77

Marwan Elkamash and Alec Enyeart swam together for the entire race, passing the lead back and forth throughout. Ultimately it was Elkamash who was able to touch the wall first as he closed with a 27.66 to swim a 15:18.45.

Enyeart followed closely with a 15:19.17 following a final split of 28.55. That’s a new PB for Elkamash whose former time was a 15:26.40 from the African Open Championships in 2018. His most recent swim was at the 2021 African Championships in Ghana when he posted a 15:40.65.

Elkamash holds the Egyptian records in both the 200 (1:47.40) and 400 (3:46.36) freestyles and trailed Ahmed Akram‘s 1500 national record in this event of 14:53.66.

Enyeart, a University of Texas commit, came in just under his 15:22.66 PB with a 15:19.17. He swam his former best time at the Speedo Summer Championships in 2021 and recently swam a 15:37.21 in January 2022 at the Tennessee LC Invitational.

Zane Grothe rounded out the top 3 with a 15:42.77 to trail his entry time of 15:42.77 as well as his lifetime best of 14:48.40. Aryan Nehra followed in a 15:43.29, while Advait Page was 5th in a 16:02.58. 6th place went to Gavin Formon of Berkeley Aquatics (16:18.12) and Aiden Dunn rounded out the 7-man field in a 16:33.38.

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Fluidg
2 years ago

Ledecky swims 15:39 in a time trial.

PFA
2 years ago

There’s gonna come a time when Katie beats all of the guys at a pro swim series

SuperSwimmer 2000
2 years ago

Good!

bodybyfood
2 years ago

Wondering if Ledecky did the good sportsmanship thing and wait in her lane for the next minute and a half before her competitor finished before getting out.

newbieswimfan
Reply to  bodybyfood
2 years ago

Yep she did, even gave Piper a hi-five afterward! it’s on USA Swimming’s Instagram stories.

Swimpop
Reply to  bodybyfood
2 years ago

Is this really a question? I’d be shocked if it was not the case.

Joel
Reply to  bodybyfood
2 years ago

Isn’t it a DQ if she didn’t?

Swimdinger
2 years ago

Um, Zane… you just got Ledecky’d… again.

Zane
Reply to  Swimdinger
2 years ago

I’m ok with that

Anonymoose
Reply to  Swimdinger
2 years ago

Wouldn’t we all?

Lovetoswim
2 years ago

Piper is my hero. Way to step up to a challenge!

Yozhik
2 years ago

0.58sec is microscopic difference between results when a swimmer swims 1500m distance. But look how different it sounds:
15:38.87 is the time that nobody else in the World swam ever faster.
And 15:39.45 is just #15 performance. 😀

swimmer
Reply to  Yozhik
2 years ago

I do not follow. Her world record is 15:20

Troyy
Reply to  swimmer
2 years ago

You should try reading again. Yozhik wasn’t talking about the WR at all.

Caleb
2 years ago

7:50 / 7:49. I think her new approach will serve her well when we get to the big meets.

Bobo Gigi
Reply to  Caleb
2 years ago

Exactly! And if she can find back that lethal closing speed she had until 2016 then she could challenge Titmus in the 400 free and it will guarantee her the 800/1500 free golds in Paris.
I think she went to Florida mainly for that reason. She saw how Finke destroyed everybody in the last 50 in Tokyo and she wants to put that weapon again in her arsenal. I was very skeptical when she left Bruce Gemmell for Stanford but here I applaud her move to Florida. A new training approach will also help her stay mentally motivated until 2024.