The greatest female swimmer of all-time continued to amaze on the opening night of the Pro Swim Series stop in Fort Lauderdale.
Katie Ledecky was absolutely dominant, as she’s been throughout her career, in the women’s 1500 freestyle, producing a time of 15:24.51 to mark the 2nd-fastest swim in history.
Ledecky’s swim is her fastest in nearly seven years, having established the current world record of 15:20.48 on May 16, 2018.
Relative to her world record swim, Ledecky was slightly faster over the first 400 meters in Fort Lauderdale, then lost just over a second on her WR pace over the next 400. Where she really fell off record pace was the back half, but still, the performance was remarkable, especially considering that it’s more than five seconds faster than she went to win Olympic gold last summer (15:24.51).
Split Comparison
| WR – 2018 Indianapolis |
#2 All-Time – 2025 Ft. Lauderdale
|
| 28.09 (28.09) | 28.10 (28.10) |
| 58.50 (30.41) | 58.56 (30.46) |
| 1:29.26 (30.76) | 1:29.03 (30.47) |
| 2:00.25 (30.99) | 2:00.06 (31.03) |
| 2:31.11 (30.86) | 2:31.00 (30.94) |
| 3:02.50 (31.39) | 3:02.27 (31.27) |
| 3:33.71 (31.21) | 3:33.51 (31.24) |
| 4:04.88 (31.17) | 4:04.75 (31.24) |
| 4:35.86 (30.98) | 4:35.85 (31.10) |
| 5:06.82 (30.96) | 5:07.33 (31.48) |
| 5:37.52 (30.70) | 5:38.35 (31.02) |
| 6:08.29 (30.77) | 6:09.24 (30.89) |
| 6:39.11 (30.82) | 6:40.03 (30.79) |
| 7:09.79 (30.68) | 7:10.89 (30.86) |
| 7:40.56 (30.77) | 7:41.71 (30.82) |
| 8:11.41 (30.85) | 8:12.76 (31.05) |
| 8:42.23 (30.82) | 8:43.49 (30.73) |
| 9:13.05 (30.82) | 9:14.26 (30.77) |
| 9:43.73 (30.68) | 9:44.98 (30.72) |
| 10:14.45 (30.72) | 10:15.96 (30.98) |
| 10:45.27 (30.82) | 10:47.00 (31.04) |
| 11:16.07 (30.80) | 11:18.21 (31.21) |
| 11:46.79 (30.72) | 11:49.41 (31.20) |
| 12:17.61 (30.82) | 12:20.43 (31.02) |
| 12:48.29 (30.68) | 12:51.33 (30.90) |
| 13:19.10 (30.81) | 13:22.51 (31.18) |
| 13:49.94 (30.84) | 13:53.37 (30.86) |
| 14:20.49 (30.55) | 14:24.32 (30.95) |
| 14:51.04 (30.55) | 14:54.82 (30.50) |
| 15:20.48 (29.44) | 15:24.51 (29.69) |
RACE VIDEO
Courtesy of USA Swimming on YouTube
With this performance, the 28-year-old now owns the 22 fastest swims of all-time in the event, along with 24 of the top 25 and 27 of the top 30.
Top 30 All-Time Top Performances, Women’s 1500 Freestyle (LCM)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:20.48 (2018)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:24.51 (2025)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:25.48 (2015)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:26.27 (2023)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:27.71 (2015)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:28.36 (2014)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:29.51 (2020)
- Katie Ledecky(USA) — 15:29.64 (2023)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:30.02 (2024)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:30.15 (2022)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:31.82 (2017)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:34.23 (2014)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:35.35 (2020)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:35.65 (2017)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:35.98 (2019)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:36.53 (2013)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:36.87 (2025)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:37.34 (2021)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:37.35 (2024)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:37.99 (2023)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:38.25 (2024)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) — 15:38.81 (2024)
- Lotte Friis (DEN) – 15:38.88 (2013)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:38.97 (2018)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:38.99 (2022)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:39.73 (2024)
- Lauren Boyle (NZL) – 15:40.14 (2015)
- Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (FRA) – 15:40.35 (2024)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:40.50 (2021)
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:40.55 (2021)
Ledecky has gone undefeated in the 1500 free since winning the world title in the event in 2013, and is the odds-on favorite to reclaim her world title this summer in Singapore after sitting out of the 2024 World Championships in Doha.
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