Katie Ledecky demolishes the field to win first women’s 1500 Olympic gold medal

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In June of 2017, the women’s 1500m freestyle was officially confirmed as an Olympic event to begin in Tokyo, bringing the long-awaited gender equality into distance swimming.

Even then, even with an extra year of waiting, there was no doubt as to the identity of the first Olympic champion. The only question? with you.

Previous conclusion: Katie Ledecky. Margin: 4.13sec

After 500 meters, her advance was approximately two and a half seconds. In a kilometer, approximately four. By then it was over, if it really wasn’t.

Each pass is just like the one before it. grace and dominance.

Regardless, Ledecky’s winning time, 15:37.34, was a full “Happy Birthday” clip from her own world record of 15:20:48 set at a Pro Series meet in 2018. For once, the number was The Olympic standard is more important.

“I just wanted to get the job done tonight,” Ledecky said after the history-making race. “Just thinking about all the amazing swimmers in the US who didn’t get the chance to swim in this event.”

She slammed the water in celebration as the race ended, but not for her own feat. Teammate Erica Sullivan, to the delight of Ledecky, took the silver in 15:41.41.

The 20-year-old Sullivan, a longtime open water specialist who has excelled in the pool for the past two years, is now 20 seconds off the personal record of 16:01.71 she competed in at the US Olympic swimming trials in June.

Sullivan was out of the medal picture by six swimming lengths, but kept Ledecky in sight to pass Germany’s Sarah Koehler (bronze) and China’s Wang Jianjiahi.

“There was a point when I saw Katie in front of me and she was the only one,” Sullivan said. “It really gave me that energy, having someone you’ve been looking for for years and seeing them a few feet away in front of you, and using that to get home.”

Ledecky’s victory was her first at the Tokyo Olympics, as she entered with her sights set on a four-medium and free-distance sweep. She competed in the hour-long 200m freestyle final and changed before that in a grueling one-session duo, finishing fifth. She finished second to Australia’s Ariarn Titmus in the 400m freestyle the day before.

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