Ledecky cruises to 1,500m free win in Knoxville

Katie Ledecky launched the Olympic year with another dominant victory in the women’s 1,500m freestyle on Wednesday at the Pro Swim series meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Ledecky’s time of 15min, 38.81sec is the 17th-fastest in history. She owns all of the 16 faster times with the second-fastest performer ever, Denmark’s Lotte Friis, now holding the 18th-fastest time ever of 15:38.88.

Ledecky, who owns five world titles in the event and won Olympic gold in Tokyo when the 1,500m free was added to the Games’ program for women, touched 52.42sec ahead of Aly Breslin, who was second in their heat of the timed finals in 16:43.09.

Ashley Wall was second-fastest overall, winning her heat in 16:31.13.

Ledecky’s time was an improvement on the 15:46.38 she swam to win the title at the US Open in Greensboro, North Carolina, in November.

This week’s meet is another stop on the road to this year’s Paris Olympics, where Ledecky will be seeking to add to her stash of seven Olympic gold medals.

Bobby Finke, a double distance gold medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, won the men’s 1,500m in 15:04.43.

Austrian Felix Auboeck was second-fastest in 15:14.70.