Katie Ledecky Swims 15:24.51 in Ft. Lauderdale, #2 1500 Free Swim All-Time

2025 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale

• Wednesday, April 30 – Saturday, May 3, 2025
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Storylines to Watch
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Day One Timed Finals Live Recap

Katie Ledecky kicked off the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series with a bang, as she swum the second fastest 1500 freestyle in history to win the event by nearly 40 seconds over Jillian Cox, who set a new best time by more than three seconds in 16:04.13. She now holds the top 22 times in history in the event.

All-Time Top Performances, Women’s 1500-Meter Freestyle:

1. Katie Ledecky — 15:20.48 (2018)
2. Katie Ledecky — 15:24.41 (2025)
3. Katie Ledecky — 15:25.48 (2015)
4. Katie Ledecky — 15:26.27 (2023)
5. Katie Ledecky — 15:27.71 (2015)
6. Katie Ledecky — 15:28.36 (2014)
7. Katie Ledecky — 15:29.51 (2020)
8. Katie Ledecky — 15:29.64 (2023)
9. Katie Ledecky — 15:30.02 (2024)
10. Katie Ledecky — 15:30.15 (2022)
11. Katie Ledecky — 15:31.82 (2017)
12. Katie Ledecky — 15:34.23 (2014)
13. Katie Ledecky — 15:35.35 (2020)
14. Katie Ledecky — 15:35.65 (2017)
15. Katie Ledecky — 15:35.98 (2019)
16. Katie Ledecky — 15:36.53 (2013)
17. Katie Ledecky — 15:36.87 (2025)
18. Katie Ledecky — 15:37.34 (2021)
19. Katie Ledecky — 15:37.35 (2024)
20. Katie Ledecky — 15:37.99 (2023)
21. Katie Ledecky — 15:38.25 (2024)
22. Katie Ledecky — 15:38.81 (2024)

This was a full 5.5 seconds faster than her winning time in Paris last summer, and 12 seconds faster than she was back in February at the Southern Zone Sectionals.

Ledecky was right on world record pace for the first 500 metres, turning just o.5 off World record pace in 5:07.33. She stayed within around a second through the next third of the race, flipping at the 1000m mark just 1.2 seconds over record pace. She had been 8:12.76 at the 800m mark, a time only Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh have been faster than in an individual 800 race and good enough for bronze (behind herself and Titmus) in Paris last summer.

Her splits crept up from 30-highs to 31-lows through the next 300 metres, as the record slowly pulled away from her at a sun-soaked Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center. She dropped that back down through the next 150 metres, before closing in 29.69. Ledecky had closed like an absolute train back in 2018, splitting 5:05.65 which was her fastest 500 split of the race. She swam slightly differently this time around, going out almost the same in the first 500 but holding incredibly consistent pace in the next two 500’s with a pair of 5:08s.

Below you can see a splits comparison between tonight’s swim and her World record from 2018. She split remarkably closely over the first 100 tonight to that swim, but couldn’t quite live the rampant pace of the final 500 – much like the rest of the world.

Ledecky’s personal best and World Record also hails from a Pro Swim Series stop – the Indianapolis version back in May 2018. She won there by 49 seconds, and was never challenged here either. Two of her fastest four times ever have come within the past 24 months now, and three of her eight under 15:30, as she looks to be gearing up for some big swims this summer in Singapore.

Ledecky has been dominant on the international stage ever since the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona, winning every World and Olympic title since other than in 2019, where she withdrew through illness, and Doha 2024. Her fastest winning time at a major summer competition was back in Kazan in 2015 where she swam the previous #2 time in history, but had not been back under 15:30 in a final until 2023. She was 15:26.27 that summer in Fukuoka, although went out faster and dropped off her record pace more in the second 500 there than she did today.

She first broke the 15:30 mark at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships in 15:28.36, dropping eight seconds from her World Championships-winning time from the previous year. She has now been under 15:30 in six different seasons, over a period of 11 years. That is, she’s been at least nine seconds faster than the next-quickest woman in history at both age 17 and age 28, as well as multiple seasons in between.

Three of Ledecky’s fastest seven times have come at spring Pro Swim Series, in 2018, 2020 and now in 2025. Interestingly, they have come in three different locations – there is not a specific pool that she favours. In fact, only two of her top 10 swims have come in the same pool; #9 and #10, both done at Hungary’s Danube Arena, albeit five years apart.

Ledecky is also entered in the 200-400-800 freestyles at this meet, and with her having split 2:00.06, 4:04.75 and 8:12.76 here, we will be in line for some fast swims over the next three days.

Splits Comparison Vs. World Record

Cumulative Time Comparison vs. World Record