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American Katie Ledecky, one of only two women with nine Olympic gold medals along with Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, achieved the second fastest time in history in the 1,500 meters freestyle yesterday by winning with authority on the opening day of the US Pro Swim Series in Austin, Texas.
Ledecky, 28, won in a time of 15 minutes 23 seconds 21 hundredths, more than a minute ahead of second-placed 16-year-old Brinkleigh Hansen, who touched the wall in 16:31.31.Becca Mann completed the podium with 16:35.09.
The world record holder for a decade was less than three seconds off her world record (15:20.48), set in 2018, but improved on the 15:24.51 she set in April last year during the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Three months later, she would hang her sixth world gold in this event at the championship held in Singapore, raising her personal collection to 23 titles, just three short of Michael Phelps. Interestingly, both also have six silvers and one bronze.
It was my first race in an Olympic pool since the World Championships in Singapore, but sometimes with low expectations I do my best
Ledecky won her first Olympic gold in the 800 meters at London 2012 at the age of 15 and is now aiming for Los Angeles 2028, a Games at which she would be 31 years old, an advanced age for a swimmer, but the results show that she is still in top form.
The American already has 25 of the 26 best times in history in the 1,500m freestyle, an event in which she has set six world records after breaking it for the first time in 2013 during the World Championships in Barcelona.
Only Italy's Simona Quadarella, who finished second in last year's World Championship final in Singapore with a European record (15:31.79), prevents her from having the top 25, ranking 13th
“It's a crazy start to the year for me, I think in January last year I did 15:42. I had very low expectations, because I didn't know how I would come back from Christmas training. It was my first long course race since the World Championships in Singapore, but sometimes with low expectations I do my best,” Ledecky told SwimSwam.