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Fans in Disbelief Over Katie Ledecky’s Performance in 1500m Race

Ledecky finished nearly 18 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor in the 1500m freestyle heat.

Image Credit: Getty ImagesWhen the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle made its debut at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Katie Ledecky won by more than a four-second margin. For nearly every other competitor, the 1,500-meter freestyle might be the single worst event in the Olympic program: a lung-busting, muscle-burning, 15-plus-minute torture test in which they hit the water knowing that they’re essentially swimming for second place. At the world championships last summer, when Ledecky won the event by 17 seconds, television cameras struggled to capture her and her competitors in the same shot over the final laps.

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