2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
Another year, another article about Katie Ledecky‘s dominance in distance freestyle. What’s new?
In the finals of the women’s 1500 free at the 2023 World Championships, Ledecky clocked a time of 15:26.27, which was the third-fastest performance of all-time in the event. It was also her fastest performance since she broke the World Record in 2018. Now, she owns the 16 fastest performances ever in the event.
Ledecky won her Worlds race by a fully 17.04 seconds.
All-Time Top Performances, Women’s 1500-Meter Freestyle:
- Katie Ledecky — 15:20.48 (2018)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:25.48 (2015)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:26.27 (2023)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:27.71 (2015)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:28.36 (2014)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:29.51 (2020)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:29.64 (2023)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:30.15 (2022)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:31.82 (2017)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:34.23 (2014)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:35.35 (2020)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:35.65 (2017)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:35.98 (2019)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:36.53 (2013)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:37.34 (2020)
- Katie Ledecky — 15:37.99 (2023)
With her win, Ledecky also broke a myriad of swimming records. Her 1500 free gold was her 15th individual World Championships gold medal, and she is now tied with Michael Phelps as the swimmer with the most individual World Championships gold medals in history. In addition, she also won her 20th overall Worlds gold, making her the first female swimmer to win 20 Worlds golds.
Ledecky now has five World titles in two separate events, the 800 free (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022) and the 1500 free (2013, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023). She is the first swimmer to ever have five World titles in multiple events.
Ledecky’s Splits:
| 50m | 26.04 |
| 100m | 30.20 |
| 150m | 30.56 |
| 200m | 31.07 |
| 250m | 31.19 |
| 300m | 31.38 |
| 350m | 31.29 |
| 400m | 31.29 |
| 450m | 31.28 |
| 500m | 31.47 |
| 550m | 31.08 |
| 600m | 31.40 |
| 650m | 30.80 |
| 700m | 30.96 |
| 750m | 30.90 |
| 800m | 31.16 |
| 850m | 30.90 |
| 900m | 30.99 |
| 950m | 30.96 |
| 1000m | 30.88 |
| 1050m | 30.87 |
| 1100m | 31.32 |
| 1150m | 31.21 |
| 1200m | 31.17 |
| 1250m | 31.23 |
| 1300m | 31.13 |
| 1350m | 30.92 |
| 1400m | 31.04 |
| 1450m | 30.51 |
| 1500m | 29.17 |
| Total | 15:26.27 |
Does anyone have a picture of the race near the finish that includes the other swimmers for context? I tried to screenshot the NBC broadcast but no one else was in the lens the last 100.
No screen shots unfortunately. The commentator said Quadarella had recently turned at the last wall as Katie was finishing. She was 17 seconds behind–so probably 1/2-2/3 of the way up the pool.
Actually the race was pretty interesting: 5 swimmers under 15:50
I am glad to see her smashing the water with her fist again. Haven’t seen that for so long time.
She did it at trials this year as well after her 800 free.
The next level of her emotional satisfaction is throwing her swimming cap in the pool 😀
This body language at the end of the race or her tears are the only moments when we can look inside otherwise always politically correct and interview-positive but actually very emotional person.
Ledecky is the BOMB!!! Been seeing her a long time and she lives up to all the hype…FABULOUS
Taking the Nesty Plunge
Katie Ledecky
400 FR – under repair
800 FR – TBD
1500 FR – fixed
The general consensus is for every year a female swimmer was coached by Greg Meehan, it takes two years for the next coach to repair the damage.
Why do you have such a mean bone to pick with Greg? Doesn’t it get exhausting? Whether he’s to blame or not, the world would be so much better if you take that energy and put it to something more positive.
Since the turn of the decade, the Stanford women’s swimming program has been a debacle. The performance of the Stanford women’s swimming program at the Olympic Team Trials – Wave II was a disaster. Greg Meehan burning out Simone Manuel is inexcusable and unforgivable. The highest profile female swimmers in USA Swimming have recently departed the Stanford:
Ledecky, Katie
Manuel, Simone
Smith, Regan
A post graduate swimming contingent no longer exists. Greg Meehan was a such an inspiration that Brooke Forde decided not to pursue a career in swimming.
Claire Curzan has entered the transfer portal after one year at Stanford.
How Greg Meehan remains employed at Stanford University is a mystery.
I heard Meehan drove to his house and kicked his dog. That’s really the only explanation for this level of obsession lol
hasn’t Meehan say that he didn’t quite know what to do with Ledecky? I don’t blame him for not knowing exactly how to improve a swimmer who was a 5x Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in 3 individual events before starting college
Yet, Anthony Nesty has turned back the clock to the Bruce Gemmell era especially in the W 800 FR and W 1500 FR with the W 400 FR still pending.
Katie Ledecky came within a half second of even splitting a 1500 FR.
750 meters – 7:42.91
That’s remarkable.
https://www.worldaquatics.com/competitions/1/world-aquatics-championships-fukuoka-2023/results?discipline=SW&event=839240d6-8e22-447c-a042-a29ea0b048d9&unit=final&disciplines=
Those splits are just so consistent. Outside of the 1st 100 and last 50, every split was between 30.51 and 31.47, with no real slowing down whatsoever.
As someone who is very sprint inclined, it boggles my mind that someone is capable of maintaining a pace per 100 in a 1500 that is within 2 seconds of their 400 pace.
distance swimmers gonna distance
That’s how distance swimmers roll….
It’s crazy how stuff like that happens. Ledecky’s first 800 split still would have won gold in the 800 at most major meets in the last decade.
But also the first 200 splits of a 400 are insane. Ledecky, McIntosh and Titmus can all push out the first half of a 400 in a time that would almost final in the individual 200.
🐐🐐🐐