The first of three new Olympic swimming events got underway Monday with preliminary heats in the women's 1500m freestyle.
There was never a doubt who would set the initial mark.
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Katie Ledecky, racing her third event of the day after the 400 free final and the 200 free prelims, claimed the inaugural Olympic record in her strongest event in a time of 15:35.35. The next fastest swimmer, China's Wang Jianjiahe, arrived over six seconds behind.
Ledecky's American teammate, Erica Sullivan, qualified third in 15:46.67, a personal best by nearly five seconds.
The women's 1500 has been a fixture of world championship competition since 2001, though until Tokyo it was a glaring omission – along with the men's 800m – from the Olympic program.
For Ledecky, the world record holder and prohibitive gold medal favorite, the addition comes with a catch. In a testament to her versatility across distances, Ledecky will compete in both the 200 free final and the 1500 free final in the same night Tuesday.