{"id":441397,"date":"2020-07-29T13:46:46","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T20:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=441397"},"modified":"2020-07-30T12:34:18","modified_gmt":"2020-07-30T19:34:18","slug":"tokyo-vision-katie-ledecky-makes-inaugural-1500-freestyle-for-women-a-coronation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/tokyo-vision-katie-ledecky-makes-inaugural-1500-freestyle-for-women-a-coronation\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo Vision: Katie Ledecky Makes Inaugural 1500 Freestyle for Women a Coronation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tokyo Vision: Katie Ledecky Makes Inaugural 1500 Freestyle for Women a Coronation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Had the COVID-19 pandemic not shaken the world, the 2020 Olympic Games<\/a> in Tokyo would be unfolding right now, titles and podium finishes earned by the finest athletes from around the world. Instead, we are in a competition lull and hopeful that the Games will be held next summer, with COVID-19 neutralized.<\/p>\n

As we reach the nine days over which the swimming competition of a delayed Olympiad would have taken place, Swimming World is taking a glimpse at what might have unfolded this summer, had the Olympics not been postponed. Following the official schedule, we offer our virtual fields of eight finalists for each event and take a brief look at how the racing might have panned out until a few strokes away from decision and a result that will not be known until July\/August 2021.<\/p>\n

League of Olympic Legends: Katie Ledecky Tops 1500 Free Podium With Evans & Gould<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Event:<\/strong> Women\u2019s 1500 Freestyle
\nWorld Record:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky (2018) \u2013 15:20.48<\/p>\n

Historical Note #1:<\/strong> This year marks the first time the 1500 freestyle is being held at a women\u2019s event at the Olympic Games. With the addition of the 1500 freestyle for women and the 800 freestyle for men, the programs for each gender match.<\/p>\n

Historical Note #2:<\/strong> Katie Ledecky\u2019s<\/strong> world record of 15:20.48 is 18 seconds quicker than the No. 2 performer in history, Denmark\u2019s Lotte Friis<\/strong> (15:38.88). That world-record time would have captured the gold medal in the men\u2019s 1500 freestyle as recently as the 1972 Games in Munich.<\/p>\n

Virtual Vision<\/h3>\n

The Finalists (Listed Alphabetically)<\/strong><\/p>\n