Katie Ledecky, the nine-time Olympic gold medallist, added another entry to her long list of achievements, clocking the fifth-fastest time in history in the women’s 1500m freestyle event at the Fort Lauderdale Open swimming meet on Wednesday (29 April).
The Team USA star came first with a time of 15:25.62, finishing more than a minute ahead of her closest competitor, 15-year-old Sydney Hardy, who was second in 16:42.76.
The 29-year-old Ledecky, who won two golds at Paris 2024, was on world-record pace through the first 500m before fading slightly off the blistering closing speed that powered her to the 15:20.48 mark in 2018.
Victory extended Ledecky’s 15-year win streak at the event, and also meant that she now holds the 13-fastest times in the event.
In May 2025, at the same pool, Ledecky broke her own 800m freestyle world record with a time of 8:04.12.
The Fort Lauderdale Open, which runs through Saturday, is headlined by Ledecky, alongside the world’s other top swimmers, including fellow North American Summer McIntosh of Canada, and Frenchman Léon Marchand.