Katie Ledecky wins by 12 seconds in trials finale, can tie Michael Phelps record at worlds

Katie Ledecky won the 1500m freestyle by 12.37 seconds to finish the U.S. swimming trials, going four-for-four in her first major meet since the Tokyo Olympics and a cross-country move.

“It didn’t feel like a thing of beauty,” Ledecky said on CNBC of the longest race on the program. “It was decent. Would have liked to have been a little bit faster, but I’ll take it at the end of the week.

“It’s the last race of the week. It’s the 1500m. It’s never going to feel good.”

She qualified for June’s world championships in Budapest in her four primary events — 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m frees — and is also expected to be on the 4x200m free relay. That was her lineup at the Tokyo Olympics, where she won two golds, two silvers and placed fifth in the 200m free.

Ledecky, who has the 12 fastest 1500m free times in history, clocked 15:38.99 in Greensboro, N.C., on Saturday night. Her world record is 15:20.48. The second-fastest woman in history went 15:38.88, nine years ago.

On Saturday, Katie Grimes was the distant runner-up to join Ledecky on the world team in the event.

Ledecky, a 25-year-old who last fall left Stanford to train at the University of Florida, won all of her events this week by at least a second.

U.S. SWIMMING TRIALS: Results | World Championships Roster

She is the fastest or tied for the fastest in the world this year in all four events, but it’s early and Australia hasn’t had its trials yet.

The best measuring stick for Ledecky is to compare her times this week with those from last year’s Olympic Trials. She was faster by more than a second in three of her four events this week. In the 200m free, she was four hundredths slower than her time from last year.

If Ledecky wins all four of her individual events at