2025 World Championships Previews: Katie Ledecky Continues 1500 Freestyle Reign in Singapore

2025 World Championships

• July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
• Singapore, Singapore
• World Aquatics Championships Arena
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Psych Sheet

By The Numbers– Women’s 1500 Freestyle

• World Record: 15:20.48– Katie Ledecky, United States (2018)
• World Junior Record: 15:28.36– Katie Ledecky, United States (2014)
• Championship Record: 15:25.48– Katie Ledecky, United States (2015)
• 2023 World Champion: Katie Ledecky (USA)- 15:26.27
• 2024 Olympic Champion: Katie Ledecky (USA)- 15:30.02

Returning Olympic Finalists

• Gold Medal- Katie Ledecky (USA), Silver Medal- Anastasia Kirpichnikova (FRA), Bronze Medal- Isabel Gose (GER), 4th- Simona Quadarella (ITA), 5th- Li Bingjie (CHN), 6th- Moesha Johnson 

While superstars from Canada, Australia, and China are nipping at her heels in the 400 and 800 frees, when it comes to the women’s 1500 freestyle, there is a clear favorite to win, especially with the year Katie Ledecky has had so far. The uncertainty comes in the rest of the field and how the seven athletes behind her will shake out.

How Fast Can She Go?

While athletes have crept up on distance superstar Katie Ledecky in other events over the last few years, the 1500 is an event where her dominance is unquestioned. Of the top 25 swims in history, Ledecky owns the top-23 and number 25.

Katie Ledecky (photo: Jack Spitser)

She has had an exceptional year so far, breaking the World Record in the 800 freestyle in May, and swimming closer to her best times in the 400 and 1500 freestyles than she has in more than five years.

At the same meet she broke the 800 record, Ledecky swam 15:24.51 in the 1500. This is the 2nd fastest time in history behind only her World Record from 2018. The question we are all asking for the World Championships next month is how fast can she go?

She sits almost 15 seconds ahead of the rest of the field, and will likely be in a race with herself. She could become the first woman ever to break 15:20, further cementing her legacy in the sport.

The Duo Down Under

Lani Pallister has been having an explosive season so far. After scratching the 1500 in Paris due to a positive COVID test, she is entering Worlds later this month with the 2nd fastest time in the world this year, and the 3rd fastest performer of all time.

Lani Pallister (Photo Credit: Delly Carr/Swimming Australia)

At the Australian Swimming Trials, she won the mile in 15:39.14, setting a new Australian record in the event. The only swimmers who have been faster than her are Lotte Friis at 15:38.88 and Ledecky. This swim makes her a very comfortable pick for the silver medal.

Moesha Johnson is Australia’s other swimmer, and she is a very strong finals contender thanks to the 15:58.53 she swam at the Stockholm Open in April. She is one of the returning Olympic finalists, having finished 6th in Paris at 16:02.70.

Johnson has a best time of 15:55.75 from June of 2022, but that doesn’t improve her medal chances significantly. She is also competing in the open water events before the pool, so that could impact her swim.

The Sub-16 Club

There are four other athletes who are coming in with seed times under 16 minutes. They are also the other four returning Olympic finalists, and all of them could contend for a medal.

France’s Anastasia Kirpichnikova was the silver medalist in Paris, and she is coming in seeded just behind Pallister at 15:40.35 from the Olympic final. At the French National Championships, she swam 15:55.27, which currently ranks 6th in the world, and she will likely be challenging Pallister for the silver.

Isabel Gose, the Olympic bronze medalist from Germany, is the 4th seed, less than a second back of Kirpichnikova with her 15:41.16 from Paris. She also sits in 4th in the world this year with the 15:52.34 she went at the German Swimming Championships in May.

Li Bingjie is the only one of these athletes who has been faster since the Games. In Paris, she finished 5th, more than 15 seconds behind 4th place in 16:01.03. At the Chinese National Championships in May, she swam 15:43.94 to earn her place as the 5th seed in the event.

Our final sub-16 seed goes to reigning World Champion, Italian swimmer Simona Quadarella. She won the event at the 2024 Worlds, and she is currently seeded 6th with the 15:44.05 she went in Paris. When we look at her best time, though, she comes in just behind Kirpichnikova at 15:40.89, which she swam en route to the silver medal at the 2019 World Championships. If she swims that time again, we could be looking at a very exciting race for silver.

“Youngsters”

After the old guard, there is a trio of “younger” athletes, who are beginning to challenge for higher finishes and finals swims.

American Jillian Cox turns 20 in eight days, and she is entering the meet as the 8th seed with the 16:04.13 she swam at the TYR Pro Series in Fort Lauderdale. She has seen huge improvement in the event in the last two years, dropping from 16:18.40 in 2023, and a large drop will significantly help her finals chances.

Jillian Cox (photo: Jack Spitser)

Russia’s Kseniia Misharina is only 16, but she is coming in less than a tenth behind Cox with the 16:04.21 she went at the Russian National Championships earlier this year. She has also dropped a significant amount of time in the last two years, going from 16:25.69 in July of 2023 to the 16:04 she swam in April. Her and Cox are so close, they could be racing from different prelims heats to secure the last lane in finals.

Vivien Jackl, a 16-year-old from Hungary, is the 10th seed at 16:06.37, which she swam at last summer’s European Championships. She has not had a strong year so far, with her fastest 1500 time sitting at 16:17.42 from last week’s European Junior Championships. She has the potential to be up with Cox and Misharina, but she hasn’t shown it yet this season.

The Picks

The 1500 freestyle remains the Katie Ledecky show, making her the clear choice for the gold medal.

After Ledecky, there are a host of athletes who could potentially bring home the silver, but Pallister has momentum behind her as she set her best time and the Australian record just last month.

Kirpichnikova, Quadarella, and Gose are all separated in their best times by less than a second, with Gose having the lead on season best times. Li is another really strong contender for that bronze medal, sitting almost nine seconds ahead when comparing in season times.

The last time those four raced one another, Kirpichnikova came out on top, earning her the slight edge for the bronze.

Dark Horse: Viktoria Mihalyvari-Farkas (Hungary)– Mihalyvari-Farkas is entered as the 16th seed in 16:11.71, which she swam at the Hungarian Championships in April. Her lifetime best stands at 16:02.15, which she swam at the 2022 European Championships, and if she swims around that time again, she could find her way into the finals. She went a best time (16:03) in short course meters in December, and her 16:11 was a best time since that 16:02, so there are positive signs for her.