2025 World Championships
- July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
- Singapore, Singapore
- World Aquatics Championships Arena
- LCM (50m)
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The women’s 1500m freestyle final on day three of the 2025 World Championships nearly saw a World Record, as American Olympic icon Katie Ledecky was under the pace for the majority of the race.
The 28-year-old ultimately touched the wall in a stellar 15:26.44 to remarkably capture her 22nd World Championships gold medal.
Behind her was 26-year-old Simona Quadarella who put together a monster race of her own en route to silver.
Quadarella stopped the clock at 15:31.79 for a huge personal best, also establishing a new European Record in the process.
Quadarella’s previous personal best entering this competition rested at the 15:40.89 put on the books at the 2019 World Championships to rank as the 6th-best performer in history.
Flash forward to this evening, however, and the Italian’s 15:31.79 marks her first-ever foray under the 15:40 barrier, erasing the former European Record of 15:38.88 Danish Olympian Lotte Friis turned in over a decade ago at the 2013 World Championships.
Quadarella is now the world’s #2 performer ever, sitting only behind Ledecky who owns the top 24 performances ever produced.
Top 5 Women’s LCM 1500 Freestyle Performers All-Time
- Katie Ledecky (USA) – 15:20.48, 2018
- Simona Quadarella (ITA) – 15:31.79, 2025
- Lotte Friis (DEN) – 15:38.88, 2013
- Lani Pallister (AUS) – 15:39.14, 2025
- Lauren Boyle (NZL) – 15:40.14, 2015
Quadarella is no stranger to an international podium, having earned 800m free bronze at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Last year in Doha, the Italian topped the 1500m freestyle podium (15:46.99) and 800m free podium (8:17.44). Prior to that, she won this 1500m free race at the 2019 World Championships. There in Gwangju, Ledecky dropped the 1500m free final due to illness.
If you take a close look at those splits, there seems to be a bit of a current in the pool: for all three of these medalists, most of their odd 50’s are faster than their succeeding even 50’s.
Simona Quadarella and Giorgio Paltrinieri photos are on the dictionary to explain the word “grinder”
They may not have the same top speed as other swimmers but they keep going and going and not slowing down and going again
What an awesome swim! Kudos to you Simona!
That 1500 in 2013 featured a fabulous race between Friis and Ledecky. The Americsn had to come from behind late in the race to win, If I’m not mustaken, both she and Friis broke the then world record.
They were both under Ziegler’s at the time record yes. It wasn’t exactly a come from behind as the lead did change hands a couple of times. It was a race where Lotte and Katie pushed each other. I’ve got these 2 links for it ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDNwXESEmRA&t=2375s and https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=DCjXcyyVmiw ) annoys me I haven’t found a better version.
The way this race started with Lani I was wondering if we were going to get a repeat. Instead we got something a bit more familiar with recent history but still special because Simona just didn’t fall off and swam a fantastic race! I was pulling for Lani to get… Read more »
No matter what, this will be the understated performance of the meet. First time I’ve seen someone that close behind Ledecky in a 1500 in recent memory, and second fastest performer all-time (7 seconds ahead of 3rd).
Agree, most impressive swim (for the person) of the night! Second, the Japanese breastroker going LTB at 34!!!!
isn’t that 800 split a new pb for her also
No, but she was very near to beat it (and also the Europen Record of Rebecca Adlington).
Totale 8.14.73
PB 8.14.55
ER 8.14.10
8:14.73 to the feet when her PB is 8:14.55!! Makes me wish she had psychic powers to have known and just turned on the jets straight for a hand-touch-turn on the 800m lap haha.
Great swim for her though regardless, puts her in a good position for bronze in the 800!
Correction, Ledecky doesn’t own the top 24 performances anymore! I think Quadarella has #12 now. Amazing performance