Each of Katie Ledecky's six World 1500m freestyle titles have taken shape on different canvases of prevailing challenge, the latest painted with a palette of madcap world-record pace pressed by the first of two challengers.

If Lani Pallister pushed the American legend way ahead of her own World record line, it was all proving a challenge too fast, too soon for the Australian by the 500m mark as far any hope of ending Ledecky's bull run.

Not that the legend noticed: she'd covered 1,000m before her own WR line had caught her up. It seemed at that point as though she would be racing for the crown not the record but the next five splits flashed up the same, uncanny 0.43sec gap between Ledecky 2018 and Ledecky 2025.

All the while, Italy's Simona Quadarella was catching and passing Pallister and even breaking down the big deficit built between her and the Ledecky when USA Vs AUS had its 500m of fast-and-furious fun.

There was a price to pay, even for the queen of endurance. Her 15:20.48 swam ahead of her, but gold was in her grasp every stroke of the way to a sixth victory in 15:26:44.

Ledecky was still panting when Quadarella stopped the clock in a European record of 15:31.79, which finally surpassed the 15:38.88 in which Lotte Friis, of Denmark, had set the standard in a blistering battle back in 2013, when the American, a year after her first Olympic gold at 15 over 800m at London 2012, set the first World record of her career, 15:36.53.

Pallister may have struggled with Ledecky's pace after 500m but she kept rolling throughout and was rewarded with bronze in 15:41.18, China's Li Bingjie and French silver medallist from a home Games in Paris last year, Anastasia Kirpichnokova, the last two inside 16 mins, Moesha Johnson, Australia's second contender and double open water World champion in the first week of action out at Sentosa here in Singapore, and China's Yang Peiqi just over the mark:

Ledecky has never lost a 1500m freestyle race in the course of her international career. Asked about those 'different canvases of prevailing challenge', she replied:

“They're all stressful in some ways, relaxing in some ways. I just try to enjoy each one. I certainly feel very confident in my 1500, my ability to hold a pace. So I just wanted to lock into a fast pace from the start and hold on to it.”

On being under WR pace for part of the race, she noted:

“I kind of had a sense that I was probably out pretty fast, because Lani tends to take it out fast, and just having her right by my side for such a long portion really kept me on my toes and kept me moving forward. So I was hopeful that as I kind of extended, I was able to hold that pace. I wasn't quite sure where I was at. I was pretty confident I was in the 20s, just wasn't sure how low into the 20s I was when I touched the wall. So I'm happy with it.” 

Ledecky has the 800m to go here in Singapore: heats Friday, the final and a likely clash with Summer McIntosh, Canadian chaser of what would be a record high five of World titles at one championship, billed to be the the Saturday-Night-Alright-For-Fighting bout of the championships.

Much talk of the astonishing six crowns won by Ledecky, with Quadarella's two won in 2019 when Ledecky fell ill and had to withdraw, and last year when Doha staged an 'intercalated' Covid-contract catch-up championships that was bypassed by the majority of those who would end up win the Paris 2024 Olympic podium.

Nothing can take away from the stroking longevity in the epic tale of Ledecky's legend but neither the past nor the future stand a chance of surpassing some tallies built in the past four years as World Aquatics held a showcase event in every passing year for four editions, Singapore the last of the run.

The standard frequency of World titles has been every two years since 2001, before which there was a period when the gap was every four years (apart from 1973 and 1975). Basically, the current gen' has had a lot more chances o ole up the gold, silver and bronze.

Ledecky's bull run precedes the oddity of 2022-2025:

Ledecky addressed the 2025 race first:

“I just wanted to try to get out fast, but comfortable enough that I can build from there. Happy with the time, happy with the swim. I love this race. This race is the race where I broke my first WR in 2013, lots of great races and memories over the years. Happy to do it (again) in Singapore. Thanks to the crowd for coming out to support us swimmers tonight.”

“That was an awesome swim from Simona. Second-fastest performer ever. The distance races are really quick right now. Just good to see how much we can push the sport forward.”

“It's great to push the sport forward all together. Simona had the second fastest performer swim of all time tonight. Lani had a great one tonight and earlier this year. All the events in the distance freestyles are moving forward, both on the women's and men's side. So it's fun to be a part of.”

The last question she faced was 'is it lonely racing out there in a 1500'?

“No, it's not lonely at all. Lani was there for a good 400m or 500m of the front part of the race, and I knew that if I started hurting at any point, somebody was going to be right there to come charging at the end. I didn't really see Simona. I tried to just stay focused on my own race, holding my rhythm. I knew that if I could hold my rhythm, I could get my hand on the wall first.”

For her part, Quadarella said:

“I’m really happy and emotional about my race results, and I’m very proud that I managed to get so close to Katie. I tried to start quite slowly, check out the other girls, then try to push up and overtake Lani in the second half of the race.”

Asked how she felt on her 50 rattling home to a huge record, she said: “I was really happy, and tried to increase my speed as much as I could before the race ended.”

Pallister made an interesting observation that spoke to the 'extremity' of testing World record pace in white the way she pressed Ledecky to do. Asked about 'tactics' the Australian said:

“I only race Katie three more times in the 1500m before the LA Olympics, so for me I was just trying to stick with her for as long as I can and see how long I could hold on for. I was actually pretty worried that Li Bingjie was gonna come over the top of me like she did in the 400m. From like about 900 metres in it was just about holding on at that point.”

“I reckon my last 50m was like a 33, like I did not move. But you can’t wipe the smile off my face. I really had a lot of fun racing that, and any time I’m in the pool with Katie, Simona, and those girls, it’s really special. It’s back to training for that one and working on my back end for that one, but yeah, I’m really happy.”

That had it been like tying to keep up with Ledecky?

“I wanted to have a look at what time I was at because it felt like an 800m, not like a 1500m whatsoever. I think any time I get to be in a pool racing like that, it’s always a bit of fun. At least I held onto her for like 600 metres. It could’ve been less, it could’ve been more. It’s kind of funny that I didn’t throw up after that, but threw up after trials. As much as I wanted to kick my legs in that last 50m, I just couldn’t. It’s really fun being back in a world championship final, I didn’t race this in the Olympics last year, and I didn’t really know what it’d be like swimming a 1500m heat and final. I would’ve liked to have been under 15:40 again but that’s probably not gonna happen if you don’t have the back end to match it.”

Quadarella's magnificent swim means that Katie Ledecky now "only" has the fastest 11 swims over 1500m freestyle, but the legends continues to grow with every passing victory over 30 lengths, the best of them likely swamp this list for many more championships to come:

Ledecky's List

All-Time Top 30 Performances - Women's 1500m Freestyle ...