Katie Ledecky once again proved why she remains the gold standard of women’s distance swimming, delivering a historic performance at the US Pro Swim Series in Austin, Texas.
On January 15, 2026, the American great produced the fastest women’s 1500m freestyle time recorded since her own world record, reinforcing her dominance in an event she has owned for more than a decade.
Ledecky touched the wall in 15:23.21, a time that now stands as the second-fastest 1500m freestyle swim in history.
The only performance quicker than that came in 2018, when Ledecky herself set the world record at 15:20.48. At 28 years old, the nine-time Olympic gold medalist continues to operate at a level that separates her from the rest of the field.
Commanding win at the US Pro Swim Series
The Austin race was never in doubt. Katie Ledecky won by over a minute, underlining her authority from the opening laps.
Sixteen-year-old Brinkleigh Hansen finished second in 16:31.31, while Becca Mann completed the podium with a time of 16:35.09.
The margin of victory was a reminder that, even as younger swimmers emerge, Ledecky remains in a class of her own.
Her Austin swim also marked an improvement over the 15:24.51 she clocked at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale in April last year, indicating steady progression early in the season.
First Olympic-pool race since Singapore
The race carried additional weight as it was Katie Ledecky’s first competition in an Olympic-size pool since the World Championships in Singapore. Reflecting on the performance, Ledecky acknowledged she did not arrive with sky-high expectations.
"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.
That Singapore meet was another milestone in an already glittering career. Ledecky captured her sixth world title in the 1500m freestyle, taking her overall World Championship gold tally to 23, leaving her just three shy of Michael Phelps. Notably, both legends share identical counts of six silver medals and one bronze at the world level.
An event she has completely redefined
Katie Ledecky’s statistical dominance in the 1500m freestyle is unmatched. She owns 25 of the 26 fastest times ever recorded in the event.
The lone exception belongs to Italy’s Simona Quadarella, whose European record of 15:31.79 ranks 13th on the all-time list.
Since first breaking the world record in 2013 at the World Championships in Barcelona, Ledecky has gone on to reset it six times, transforming the 1500m into one of the most one-sided events in elite swimming.