Ledecky Sets Record In 1500M Freestyle Heat, Wins Silver In 400M

BETHESDA, MD — After an unprecedented loss for Bethesda native Katie Ledecky in the 400 meter freestyle Sunday night, the swimmer took the pool by storm by setting an inaugural Olympic record in her 1,500 meter freestyle heat and winning her 200 meter freestyle heat Monday morning.

The 24-year-old swam the 1,500 meter freestyle in 15 minutes and 35.35 seconds and her 200 meter freestyle in 1 minute and 55.28 seconds on the morning of July 26, eastern time. She'll compete in the final for the 1,500 meter and 200 meter freestyle on Tuesday night. This is the first time women are competing in the 1,500 meter freestyle at the Olympics.

Ledecky earned the silver medal in the 400 meter freestyle swim, swimming it in 3 minutes and 57.36 seconds — her second-best time in the race. Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus won the gold with 3 minutes and 56.69 seconds in the race.

This is Ledecky's first individual Olympic loss. She set the world record for that race in the 2016 Rio Games, at 3 minutes 56.46 seconds.

“I wouldn’t be here without her,” Titmus said about Ledecky to reporters after the race. “She's set this amazing standard for distance freestyle for girls. And if I didn't have someone like her to chase, I definitely wouldn't be swimming the way I am.”

Ledecky was a six-time Olympic medalist going into the Tokyo Games, earning 5 gold medals and one silver — for the 4x100 meter freestyle relay — during her time as a 2012 and 2016 Olympian.

Leading into this year's Games, fans noted that if` Ledecky earned the gold in all five races she qualified for she would become the woman with the most gold medals in history. With the second-place finish in the 400 meter free, Ledecky could still tie with the current record holder, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who earned nine gold medals in the 1950s and 1960s. She'll have to return to the 2024 Olympic Games to break the record, however.

Ledecky has the chance to earn gold medals this year in the 200 meter freestyle, the 1,500 meter freestyle, the 800 meter freestyle, and on the 4x200 meter freestyle relay team. The Olympian shared her schedule on Twitter the day before her first race.

Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of eastern time. Find all of the Olympic sports and when to watch them on NBC.

Have a story idea, news tip, or question about something going on in your town? Email me at colleen.martin@patch.com. Follow me on Twitter @_ColleenMMartin for more Montgomery County news.

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