Katie Ledecky dominates in the 1500 meters swimming at the Olympics in Tokyo
31 july 2024 в 07:37
When the women’s 1500-meter freestyle race made its debut at the Olympics in Tokyo three years ago, Katie Ledecky won with a more than four-second lead.
This time, on Tuesday, the 27-year-old athlete finished almost 18 seconds ahead of her closest competitor, more than half the distance ahead of Italy’s Simona Quadarella. The swimming star from the USA set such an overwhelming pace that at one point she was alone on the television screen, looking as if she was swimming by herself in the Olympic pool.
Ledecky finished with a time of 15:47:43, almost 20 seconds ahead of China’s Li Bingjie, who finished at 16:05:26. The final of the 1500-meter freestyle on Wednesday will likely be a more competitive race, considering that three other swimmers showed times of less than 16 minutes in their individual heats.
For almost every other participant, the 1500-meter freestyle race can be the toughest event in the Olympic program: a test of endurance, burning lungs and muscles for over 15 minutes, where they realize they are essentially swimming for second place.
«You can’t even be upset», - said 19-year-old American distance swimmer Gillian Cox, who competed against Ledecky. «You're a body length behind in the first 50 meters. It’s just amazing».
Aurora Roghair, who finished fifth in the US trials, swam with Ledecky in a competition in early 2020. Ledecky then showed the fifth fastest time in the history of the race, overtaking Roghair by the 1100-meter mark.
«I didn’t know that was possible in a long distance», - said Roghair. «But it was normal. It was Katie Ledecky».
The last time Ledecky lost in the 1500-meter freestyle race was at regional swimming competitions in Maryland 14 years ago. Since then, she has set the world record in this event six times; won five world championships and the Olympic race in 2021; and shown the 19 fastest times in history.
At last year’s world championships, when Ledecky won the event with a 17-second lead, cameras struggled to capture her and her competitors in the same frame in the final laps. Ledecky will be the clear favorite to take home her eighth gold medal and tie the women’s swimming record of 12 medals overall in the final on Wednesday at 15:13 Eastern Time.
Ledecky’s only medal so far in Paris is a bronze in the 400-meter freestyle
This time, on Tuesday, the 27-year-old athlete finished almost 18 seconds ahead of her closest competitor, more than half the distance ahead of Italy’s Simona Quadarella. The swimming star from the USA set such an overwhelming pace that at one point she was alone on the television screen, looking as if she was swimming by herself in the Olympic pool.
Ledecky finished with a time of 15:47:43, almost 20 seconds ahead of China’s Li Bingjie, who finished at 16:05:26. The final of the 1500-meter freestyle on Wednesday will likely be a more competitive race, considering that three other swimmers showed times of less than 16 minutes in their individual heats.
For almost every other participant, the 1500-meter freestyle race can be the toughest event in the Olympic program: a test of endurance, burning lungs and muscles for over 15 minutes, where they realize they are essentially swimming for second place.
«You can’t even be upset», - said 19-year-old American distance swimmer Gillian Cox, who competed against Ledecky. «You're a body length behind in the first 50 meters. It’s just amazing».
Aurora Roghair, who finished fifth in the US trials, swam with Ledecky in a competition in early 2020. Ledecky then showed the fifth fastest time in the history of the race, overtaking Roghair by the 1100-meter mark.
«I didn’t know that was possible in a long distance», - said Roghair. «But it was normal. It was Katie Ledecky».
The last time Ledecky lost in the 1500-meter freestyle race was at regional swimming competitions in Maryland 14 years ago. Since then, she has set the world record in this event six times; won five world championships and the Olympic race in 2021; and shown the 19 fastest times in history.
At last year’s world championships, when Ledecky won the event with a 17-second lead, cameras struggled to capture her and her competitors in the same frame in the final laps. Ledecky will be the clear favorite to take home her eighth gold medal and tie the women’s swimming record of 12 medals overall in the final on Wednesday at 15:13 Eastern Time.
Ledecky’s only medal so far in Paris is a bronze in the 400-meter freestyle
© Artemenko Olga
