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
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Recaps
After a stunning swim in the 1500 last night, act two of the Katie Ledecky: Greatest Hits show rolled out in Fort Lauderdale tonight. Locked in a tight battle with Summer Mcintosh, her heir-in-waiting, she obliterated the Canadian Olympic silver medallist in this event on the final 100 to take the win by well over a second in 3:56.81, the seventh-fastest time in history.
Top 10 Swims All-Time
- Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2023 – 3:55.38
- Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2024 – 3:55.44
- Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023 – 3:56.08
- Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2022 – 3:56.40
- Katie Ledecky (USA), 2016 – 3:56.46
- Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2021 – 3:56.69
- Katie Ledecky (USA), 2025 – 3:56.81
- Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2021 – 3:56.90
- Katie Ledecky (USA), 2021 – 3:57.36
- Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2024 – 3:57.49
McIntosh had sped out in the first 200, flipping in 1:56.17 to take a lead of nearly a second into the second half of the race, before Ledecky matched her on the third 100 as they both split just over 60 seconds. McIntosh was half a second under World Record pace as they flipped at the 300 mark but was long into that turn, and as they both surfaced on the final 100 Ledecky began to gain ground with every stroke.
The two flipped nearly dead-even with 50 to go, McIntosh with the slight edge, but Ledecky showed absolutely blistering pace to charge past the 18-year-old with a 29.50 final length, 1.65 faster than the Canadian.
This was Ledecky’s second-fastest swim ever, and her fastest since her dominant victory in Rio. She had only been under 3:58 twice since then, once in her epic battle with Ariarne Titmus in Tokyo and the other in 2018 – also at a Pro Swim Series, that time in Indianapolis.
She was actually under her own American Record pace with 50 to go, as she had closed in a frankly absurd 28.92 back in 2016. In fact, she split incredibly similarly to that swim throughout tonight.
Splits by 50
| Distance | Best Time – Rio 2016 Olympic Games | #2 Time – Tonight |
| 50m | 27.73 | 27.46 |
| 100m | 29.32 | 29.51 |
| 150m | 29.94 | 29.96 |
| 200m | 30.12 | 30.22 |
| 250m | 30.30 | 29.99 |
| 300m | 30.21 | 30.16 |
| 350m | 29.92 | 30.01 |
| 400m | 28.92 | 29.50 |
Cumulative Splits
| Distance | Best Time – Rio 2016 Olympic Games | #2 Time – Tonight |
| 50m | 27.73 | 27.46 |
| 100m | 57.05 | 56.97 |
| 150m | 1:26.99 | 1:26.93 |
| 200m | 1:57.11 | 1:57.15 |
| 250m | 2:27.41 | 2:27.14 |
| 300m | 2:57.62 | 2:57.30 |
| 350m | 3:27.54 | 3:27.31 |
| 400m | 3:56.46 | 3:56.81 |
McIntosh’s swim, despite a 1:01.83 final 100, slots in at #14 all time and is her second-fastest ever. Finishing behind the two front-runners in 4:01.26 was Claire Weinstein, who now becomes the #3 US women all-time.
She also jumps up four spots to become the #2 women in the 17-18 age group behind Ledecky. She was the only swimmer other than Ledecky to break 30 seconds on the final 50, nearly matching her colleague with a blazing split of 29.66
This meet has been absolutely resurgent for Ledecky, the 28-year-old swimming her second-fastest time in both events she has contested so far. After the show of consistency swimming out on her own in the 1500 yesterday, the 400 today was paced to perfection with McIntosh playing the part of the rabbit.
We could be in for something special in the 800 on Saturday, where her only two times under 8:07 came in 2016 – the last time she was anywhere near this quick in both the 400 and 1500.
I was thinking about what she might go after the 400 and I thought to myself “i don’t think she’ll go 3:57…”
…I guess I was right. GOAT.
If Ledecky was ever short on motivation to keep going (doesn’t seem that she was), this week is new wind in her sails through 2028. Absolute GOAT, we’re not worthy.
Wtf is she gonna go in the 800
I knew she was going to have a big night and she did
The LeBron of swimming.
Flatters LeBron. He’s not the best player in the NBA anymore, whereas KL is the best in the world in at least two events.
She flops in the water?
She flops on water?
holy moly
First of all, kudo’s to Katie for her strong swim, well done. It’ll be interesting to see how things play out at the World Championships as I suspect Summer will clean up the last 100 and will win handily, pulling away for a new World Record.
katie closed in a 28.92 for a 3.56.46 but titmus closed in a 28.87 for her wr of 3.55.38. that’s absurd. the wr is going to be hard to break