{"id":265163,"date":"2017-07-10T12:00:08","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T19:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=265163"},"modified":"2017-07-10T16:11:39","modified_gmt":"2017-07-10T23:11:39","slug":"fina-world-championships-predictions-womens-1500-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/fina-world-championships-predictions-womens-1500-free\/","title":{"rendered":"FINA World Championships Predictions: Women’s 1500 Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

Katie Ledecky\u00a0<\/strong>owns the women’s 1500 free. She has recorded the six fastest times in history in the event, and she has swum 13 seconds faster than any other woman. No reason to expect anyone to challenge her dominance at this summer’s FINA World Championships.<\/p>\n

Ledecky is a threat to break a world record any time she touches the pool in a major international meet, but the mile record could come under particular fire as it was the only one of her three records she did not break (or have the opportunity to break) at the Rio Olympics.<\/p>\n

Perhaps she won’t “accidentally” break a world record in prelims, as she did at the 2015 Worlds, but her own global standard could definitely be taken down in the final.<\/p>\n

Read below to see what\u00a0Swimming World’s\u00a0<\/em>trio of experts think will happen in\u00a0Budapest.\u00a0David Rieder<\/strong>,\u00a0John Lohn<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Andy Ross<\/strong>\u00a0will each offer their predictions for\u00a0who will finish on the podium.<\/p>\n

Women’s\u00a01500 Free<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Current Records:<\/h3>\n

World Record:<\/strong>\u00a0Katie Ledecky, USA (2015) — 15:25.48
\nChampionship Record:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky, USA (2015) — 15:25.48
\nAmerican Record:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky (2015) — 15:25.48<\/p>\n

2015 World Champion:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky, USA — 15:25.48
\n2017 World No. 1:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky, USA — 15:35.65<\/p>\n

Swimming World Predictions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

David Rieder’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong>\u00a0Katie Ledecky, USA
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Boglarka Kapas, HUN
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Mireia Belmonte, ESP<\/p>\n

John Lohn’s Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong>\u00a0Katie Ledecky, USA
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Boglarka Kapas, HUN
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Leah Smith, USA<\/p>\n

Andy Ross’ Picks:<\/h3>\n

Gold:<\/strong>\u00a0Katie Ledecky, USA
\nSilver<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Boglarka Kapas, HUN
\nBronze:<\/strong>\u00a0Mireia Belmonte, ESP<\/p>\n

Previous\u00a0Events<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Day One:<\/h3>\n