US swimmer Katie Ledecky breaks world record in 1,500-meter freestyle at FINA Swimming World Cup
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No rest for the record breaker! American swimmer Katie Ledecky breaks the 1500m world record by nearly 10 SECONDS at the Swimming World Cup – then immediately says she’s ‘back to work’ for her next event!
- The ten-time Olympic medalist finished the event on the short course in 15:08.24
- That’s almost 10 seconds shorter than the previous record of 15:18.01 in 2019
- The Stanford swimmer finished 40 seconds ahead of Beatriz Dizotti. as number two
- Ledecky was also only second short of breaking the 800m world record at 7:59′
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American swimmer Katie Ledecky set a world record in the 1500m freestyle on Saturday night in what, unbelievably, was her first competitive event of the season at this week’s FINA Swimming World Cup.
The ten-time Olympic medalist, who won her first gold medal as a 15-year-old during her international debut at the 2012 London Olympics, finished in 15:08.24, nearly 10 seconds faster than the previous record held by Germany’s Sarah Wellbrock (15: 18.01) in 2019.
“I knew that record was within reach, just based on some of the things I did in training, especially my distance stuff (like it) felt really good this fall,” said Ledecky from the Pan Am Sports Center in Toronto. “So I felt trapped in the pace.”
Katie Ledecky set a world record after winning the women’s 1500m race in Toronto on Saturday
Ledecky’s record broke the previous record set by Germany’s Sarah Wellbrock (15:18.01) in 2019
The former Stanford swimmer was in a league of her own from the start, wiping out her opponents as she finished 40 seconds ahead of second place Beatriz Dizotti of Brazil.
After touching the wall and taking off her cap and glasses, she appeared to have been in agony, but that didn’t stop the crowd from applauding her.
“Honestly, most of that emotion was just because it hurt a lot, so when something hurts that much, you want to see such a great result,” Ledecky later told FINA’s website.
‘World record. Back to work. Coming soon Indy,” tweeted the most decorated swimmer in history (18 world championship gold medals).
The ten-time Olympic medalist hit the wall 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Beatriz Dizotti
Ledecky (pictured in June) was only second short of breaking the 800m world record at 7:59′
Ledecky swam at such a fast pace that she nearly broke the 800m world record halfway through the race with a split of 8:00.58, just a second shorter than 7.59.00.
The shattering of the record for the event in the 1,500-meter freestyle also set a new precedent for the 25-year-old DC resident, as she had never set a new precedent in a 25-meter pool. All of her previous achievements came in a 50-meter pool, the standard Olympic size.
“I didn’t have it as a set goal (to break the world record),” Ledecky confessed after her breathtaking performance, according to FINA.
“I really didn’t know what to expect from this meeting, my first meeting of the season, taking most of August off, getting back into training rhythm, I didn’t have any kind of super preparation for this meeting, just wanted to join in and race with international swimmers because it was a competition on North American soil.’
Canada’s Laila Oravsky finished third on the podium, completing Saturday’s race with a time of 16:16.86, more than a minute behind Ledecky. The third and final leg of the 2022 FINA Swimming World Cup will be held on Thursday in Indianapolis for an action-packed three-day 25-meter swim event through Saturday, November 5.