Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female freestyle ace in swimming history, clocked 15:23.21, the second-fastest 1500m free time ever, today in Austin as the 2026 Pro Swim Series got underway in Texas. 

Ledecky leads the long-haul league of excellence and perseverance:

2025 Review: Ledecky Leads The Long-Haul League of Excellence

The Queens Of Perseverance 2025: Katie Ledecky, Marrit Steenbergen, Simone Manuel and Simona Quadarella have been making big podiums for over 10 years, while Kaylee McKeown, Regan Smith, Walsh sisters Alex & Gretchen, Lani Pallister, Kathryn Berkoff & Anna Elendt ride the next wave

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

All three of the Olympic champion's best 1500m times have now been set at pro-swim events, in 2018, when she set the World record, 2026 and 2025:

Ledecky's Top 10

1. 5:20.48 - 2018 WR - Pro Series, Indianapolis
2. 15:23.21 - 2026 Pro Series, Austin
3. 15:24.51 - 2025  Pro Series, Fort Lauderdale
4. 15:25.48 - 2015 World Championships, Kazan
5. 15:26.27 - 2023 World Championships, Fukuoka
6. 15:26.44 - 2025 World Championships, Singapore
7. 15:27.71 - 2015 World Championships, Kazan
8. 15:28.36 - 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, Gold Coast
9. 15:29.51 - 2020 Pro Series, Des Moines
10. 15:29.64 - 2023 U.S. Championships

• RESULTS IN FULL

Ledecky is coached by Anthony Nesty at the Florida Gators in Gainesville. So is Bobby Finke, the other Olympic 1500m free champion and an SOS Courage Cup recipient for 2025:

SOS Courage Cups To Finke & Ellesmere Parents Group & Their Young Swimmers

Our Courage Cup is given to those who stand up for accuracy and truth in challenging situations often accompanied by a storm of shallow judgement aimed at the wrong target. For 2025, there’s a cup for an Olympic champ & another for a group that battled injustice

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Finke took the men's ace in Austin today, on 15:01.70, with Olympic 800m champion from Ireland, Daniel Wiffen, now based at CAL, on 15:04.98.

In other action, there were wins in finals for the following:

• Anna Elendt (GER, and Texas) 1:06.91, 100m breaststroke
• Van Mathias (USA, and ISC) 59.45, 100m breaststroke
• Regan Smith (USA, and Texas) 57.98, 100m backstroke
• Yohann Ndoye Brouard (FRA) ahead of teammate Mewen Tomac, 53.67 to 54.34, 100m backstroke

On This Day In History - When Lorraine & Sylvia Took The Pool By Storm

Timeline - The SOS Daily Trawl of World long-course records set this day throughout history

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

The Day That Marked The Start Of A Unique Run On Records for Aussie Lorraine In 1956

Lorraine Crapp, later Thurlow, ended 1956 and World-record holder in the 200m, 220y, 400m and 440y, 800m and 880y freestyle. Her record run in 1956 included a 4:50 that made her the first woman inside 5mins over 400m free - with an effort that saw four global standards fall in one race

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Scottish Swimming Welcomes Government funding for School Swimming

Duncan Scott and Scottish Swimming, through the federations "Save Our Pools" campaign, called on the national Government at Holyrood to make the legacy of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games a pledge to have every child leave primary school able to swim:

Scott Wants School Swimming For Every Scottish Child As ‘Lasting Legacy’ Of 2026 Home Commonwealths

“Swimming is a life skill. I didn’t learn to swim to be an Olympic champion. My parents sent me to swimming lessons to be safe in, on & around water. That’s crucial for every child. School swimming is the only way to ensure all children have access to water safety skills & knowledge” - Duncan Scott

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

The year got underway with new figures from a report by Integratis Consulting revealing that just 16% of participants in community learn to swim lessons in Scotland come from 'SIMD Quintile 1', considered to be the most deprived areas of the country. (see full report lower down in the Vortex in full)

Now, Scottish Swimming has welcomed a Scottish Government Budget announcement to support school swimming through a ‘learn to swim offer for primary school children’. 

In a statement, the swimming regulator noted:

This much needed and timely funding will benefit thousands of young people across Scotland, equipping children with the vital water safety knowledge and basic swimming  skills to keep them safer in, on and around water.

Graeme Marchbank, Chair of Scottish Swimming commented:

“The funding for school swimming will ensure fair and equal access for all children to essential water safety skills. With the cost of swimming lessons rising significantly in the last seven years, this funding will ensure all children, regardless of background, can learn basic swimming skills and gain the water safety knowledge they desperately need.” 

John Lunn, CEO of Scottish Swimming, said: 

“We have delivered successful pilot programmes of a National Primary School Swimming Framework, supported by sportscotland and Scottish Water, in 10 Local Authority areas, and having championed a Support School Swimming campaign for the last eighteen months, we are delighted that the Scottish Government has committed to support the phased national roll out of school swimming across Scotland. This funding will ensure all Primary 5 pupils gain fair and equal access to basic swimming skills. This is critical given that we are an island nation with over 11000 km of coastline and around 30,000 inland waters.”

Public and local authority support for school swimming has been significant. An opinion poll by JL Partners in 2024 found that 93% of the Scottish Population think all children should learn to swim and 91% think learning to swim is an important part of every child’s education.

A survey by Scottish Swimming also found that 100% of Local Authorities supported the development of a National Primary School Swimming Framework by Scottish Swimming.

Gordon Hunter, Aquatics Partnerships Manager at Scottish Swimming commented:

“With the funding in place, the work starts now in terms of extending the roll out of the National Primary School Framework across Scotland. This piloted and evaluated Framework has water safety at its core, ensuring that children learn the basic swimming skills and water safety knowledge to keep them safer in, on and around water. With flexible delivery models to suit different local authority requirements we are keen to work with partners to make progress on what is an essential programme for Scotland’s young people.”

ISL’s Final Stand In 2018 Legal Action Starts With Face Of Old FINA Taking The Stand

William Isaacson, for ISL, said World Aquatics violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by threatening to penalise swimmers if they joined the league. Christopher Yates, for World Aquatics, says ISL founder Konstantin Grigorishin “is looking for someone to blame for his failure.”

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

January 12

Lifetime-Achievement Carlile Cup To Aussie Leader & Performance Southern Star Bill Sweetenham

“Bill, like Forbes and Ursula, placed a huge importance on professional development and learning. He reflects this in his lifelong learning commitment ... but also in his willingness to share his knowledge and experience with other coaches” - Tim Ford, Carlile Foundation

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

January 11

Nancy Hogshead: Our SOS Fair Play Award Winner For 2025

Nancy Hogshead has long championed Sex-Based Women’s Rights In Sport as a leading light in the U.S. campaign to have Title IX applied as intended when it came into force half a century ago. Our small plaudit is underpinned by this: courage is at the core of the woman and her work

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

January 8

SOS Carlile Cup For Lifetime Achievement To Dr. Shane Gould

The Carlile Cup is State of Swimming’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which from this year we will extend to more than one recipient to reflect the key realms Forbes & Ursula Carlile were passionate about: coaching; athletes; lifetime learning; and governance. First up, a great pupil of theirs

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Also In The January 2026 Vortex:

• Ryan Lochte Sells 3 Olympic 4x200 Relay Golds for Almost $400,000
• The Peaty Family Feud - my chat with Jane Mulkerrins on the Times Radio Breakfast Show
• WADA Starts Year With Reminder to Athletes of the 2026 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods