Katie Ledecky wins by 52 seconds in first race of Olympic year
Katie Ledecky began the Olympic year with continued domination of the longest swimming event, winning a 1500m freestyle by 52.42 seconds on Wednesday.
Ledecky clocked 15 minutes, 38.81 seconds at a Tyr Pro Series meet in Knoxville, Tennessee, the 17th-fastest time in history. Ledecky owns all 17 of the fastest times in history.
The field did not include any of the rest of the 10 fastest Americans from 2023.
Ledecky is undefeated in the 1500m free in her professional career, winning five world titles, plus gold in the event's Olympic debut in Tokyo. She won last year's world title by 17.04 seconds.
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USA Swimming records show her having lost a 1500m just once in her life — at the 2010 Potomac Valley Swimming Championships, when at age 13 she was runner-up to a 17-year-old.
The Knoxville meet continues Thursday with finals including the men's and women's 100m freestyles, live on Peacock at 6 p.m. ET.
Other meet headliners include fellow Olympic gold medalists Lydia Jacoby, Simone Manuel and Lilly King, plus Canadian Summer McIntosh, a four-time world champion.
American swimmers are preparing for June's Olympic Trials, where the top two in most events make the team for Paris.
