Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr<\/p>\n
Editorial coverage for the Pan Pacific Championships is proudly sponsored by Master Spas<\/a>! For complete coverage of the Pan Pacific Championships, check out our event landing page<\/a>. <\/i><\/p>\n GOLD COAST, Australia, August 24.<\/p>\n Katie Ledecky has entered that Michael Phelps realm, where she just toys with races to find different ways to break world records, and she did just that with a mind-bending 15:28.36 this evening in the women\u2019s metric mile.<\/p>\n When all is said and done, Ledecky keeps her focus on the most basic thing in swimming \u2013 setting a new lifetime best. \u00a0That\u2019s exactly how Phelps kept his train going throughout his epic Olympic runs \u2013 eye on the prize, set a lifetime best. \u00a0It just so happens that Ledecky is on that Phelps level now where every single lifetime best is a world record.<\/p>\n The big difference though, is that Ledecky is doing it in events that have not had all that much progression compared to some of the swims Phelps took part in. \u00a0Where Phelps would potentially cut half-a-second off a 200, Ledecky is moving 30 seconds ahead of the entire world with a ridiculously fast 15:28.36. \u00a0That\u2019s a nearly six-second drop from the world record she set at The Woodlands Senior Invitation earlier this summer, as she nearly took down the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle world records in a single meet here in the Gold Coast.<\/p>\n Incidentally, Ledecky also smashed the meet record of 15:55.01 set by Kate Ziegler in 2006. It also obliterated Ziegler’s Australian All-Comers record of 15:53.05 from 2007.<\/p>\n In sum this summer during a nine-week span, Ledecky has posted five different world-record setting performances. \u00a0She set both the 800 and 1500 free marks at The Woodlands Senior Invite, then downed the 400 free at U.S. Nationals. \u00a0Here in Australia, she took down the 400 and 1500 frees again as well.<\/p>\n The win gave Ledecky her fourth individual gold, to go along with her 200, 400 and 800 wins. \u00a0She is the first female every to accomplish that feat at Pan Pacs.<\/p>\n New Zealand\u2019s Lauren Boyle, who set the short course world record in the 1500 free earlier this summer but has the time under protest due to pool conditions, took silver in 15:55.69 to move ahead of Mireia Belmonte Garcia (15:57.29) for a very distant second behind Ledecky\u2019s brain-altering swim. Canada\u2019s Brittany MacLean checked in with a bronze-winning time of 15:57.15 for third in the world as well.<\/p>\n One of the most epic swims I have ever seen…1500 meters in 15 min and 28 sec by the amazing @katieledecky<\/a> breaking her WR by 6 seconds<\/p>\n \u2014 Rowdy Gaines (@RowdyGaines) August 24, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n