Ledecky was less than three seconds from her world record, set almost eight years ago. Alex Slitz / Getty Images

Katie Ledecky's historic domination of the women's 1,500-meter freestyle isn't showing any signs of slowing.

The 28-year-old American swimming star on Wednesday posted the second-fastest time ever in the event, racing in a preliminary heat at a TYR Pro Series meet in Austin, Texas, in her 2026 debut.

Ledecky finished in 15 minutes, 23.21 seconds, less than three seconds off her world record of 15:20.48, set in May 2018. Ledecky touched the wall to finish her race just a few seconds ahead of the swimmers in the adjacent lanes -- all of whom still had a lap to go.

Ledecky now owns the top 12 times in the event, and 25 of the 26 best.

The last time Ledecky raced the 1,500 was at last year's world championships, when she won her sixth world title. Ledecky, who normally cruises to victory in this distance, had a tougher time of it that day, thanks to a brilliant swim from Italy's Simona Quadarella, whose silver-medal time of 15:31.79 is the one non-Ledecky spot in the event's all-time top 26.

Her streak of perfection in the distance has entered its 16th year. She hasn't lost a race over 1,500 meters since July 2010, when she was 13 years old. Her winning streak includes two gold medals at the Olympics, which didn't add the women's 1,500 race to the program until the 2021 Tokyo Games.

Once dominant across everything from the 200- to the 1,500-meter freestyle, Ledecky has lost ground in the shorter races over the years. The 200-meter Olympic gold medalist in 2016, she rarely competes internationally at that distance. She's been passed at the top in the 400 too, taking Olympic gold in 2016, silver in 2020 and bronze in 2024.

Her grip on the 800 has been challenged as well, most recently in a thrilling race at last year's world championships. Billed as a duel with rising Canadian star Summer McIntosh, Ledecky was trailing the 18-year-old at the 700-meter mark before surging ahead in the final 100. McIntosh faded, and it was Australia's Lani Pallister who mounted the closest challenge to Ledecky. Yet the American hit the wall first, just 0.36 seconds ahead of Pallister.

There has been no challenge in the 1,500, though. She has posted three of her top five times in the past three years. Ledecky posted a time of 15:24.51 last April at a TYR Pro Series event in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which was then the second-best time ever. Now, it's been bumped to third.

Ledecky's result on Wednesday is a loud message that she is still a clear gold-medal favorite in her signature event as the build-up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles begins.

Katie Ledecky posts second-fastest 1,500m freestyle time ever in first race of year