SINGAPORE — Katie Ledecky has ceded a tiny bit of ground in other events, but she’s still unbeatable in the 1500-meter freestyle.
She won it again Tuesday in the swimming world championships in Singapore, finishing in 15 minutes, 26.44 seconds. Simona Quadarella of Italy took silver in 15:31.79 – a European record – with bronze for Lani Pallister of Australia in 15:41.18 in a very quick-paced race.
“I was just trying to get out fast, but comfortable enough that I could go from there,” Ledecky said. “I’m happy with the time and happy with the swim.”
“I love this race,” she added. “It was the race I broke my first world record in 2013. Lots of great races over the years.”
Ledecky was ahead of her world-record pace through 1,250 meters, pushed early by Pallister. It was Ledecky’s second medal in these games after taking bronze in the 400 free behind Canadian Summer McIntosh.
The numbers speak to Ledecky’s dominance, the most decorated female swimmer in history who has been on top for more than a decade.
With Tuesday’s swim she now owns 25 the top 26 times in history in the 1,500. Her time Tuesday was the fifth fastest, not far off her world record of 15:20.48 set in 2018.
It was her 22nd gold medal in a world championships and her 28th overall. Add to that nine Olympic gold medals and 14 overall. If you’re not counting, that’s 42 Olympic and world medals – 31 gold.
Watching from the stands was new International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry. She was joined by former president Thomas Bach. Coventry was an Olympic gold-medal winner for Zimbabwe in 2004 and 2008 in the 200-meter backstroke.
The Americans had the top qualifying times going into four finals and won one gold and three silver medals with very close finishes in all three.
The United States team have been battling what officials called “acute gastroenteritis” picked up at a training camp in Thailand before arriving in Singapore.
American head coach Greg Meehan said much of team had turned the corner.
“We’re taking it a day at a time,” he said in an interview with American network NBC. “Obviously, this is not how we thought the first few days of this competition would go. But I’m really proud of our team, our medical staff working overtime. You don’t want your medical staff working overtime.”
“If you were in our team area you would never know that the overall majority of the team has gone through something over the last few days,” Meehan added, saying the team “vibe” was good.
McIntosh, who won two gold medals the first two days, did not race on Tuesday, Day 3 of the competition.
Paris Olympic champion David Popovici of Romania won the 200-meter freestyle, overtaking American Luke Hobson in the last 50 meters for the victory. Popovici swam 1:43.53 with Hobson across in 1:43.84. Tatsuya Murasa of Japan was third in 1:44.54.
“I think it was better than the Olympics to be honest,” Popovici said of the victory. “You know why? Because I trained a lot for the Olympics. But this coming for a more relaxed year, easygoing year after the Olympics. I don’t know. I feel very proud of myself.”
Kaylee McKeown of Australia took the women’s 100-meter backstroke, closing over the last 50 to beat American Regan Smith. McKeown finished in 57.16 – just .03 off the world record held by Smith. Smith finished in 57.35 with bronze for American Katharine Berkoff in 58.15.
McKeown is the two-time defending Olympic champion in this race and also in the 200 backstroke. She also beat Smith a year ago in Paris with Smith taking silver.
Pieter Coetze of South Africa represents a new wave of contenders with the 21 year old winning the men’s 100 backstroke in 51.85 seconds. Thomas Ceccon of Italy took silver in 51.90, with bronze for Yohann Ndoye-Brouard in 51.92. Ceccon is the world-record holder in 51.60.
In the last final of the night, Anna Elendt of Germany – swimming from Lane 1 – took the women’s 100-meter breaststroke in 1:05.19. American Kate Douglass took silver in 1:05.27, with bronze for Tang Qianting of China in 1:05.64.
