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5 photos of Katie Ledecky absolutely smoking the competition in a 1,500m freestyle heat

An underwater view shows US' Katie Ledecky competing in a heat of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by François-Xavier MARIT / AFP)
An underwater view shows US' Katie Ledecky competing in a heat of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by François-Xavier MARIT / AFP)

In case you were wondering if Katie Ledecky is still Katie Ledecky, the answer is YES.

Earlier this week, chatter started surfacing online about Ledecky possibly losing a step after she won a bronze medal in the women's 400-meter freestyle final. (Yeah, people really said that.)

Of course, there's something to consider here. That's not Ledecky's premier event. So, winning any sort of medal was just fine. Also, the longer events, like the 1,500-meter freestyle, are her bread and butter. As you might suspect, Ledecky absolutely smoked the competition in a 1,500 heat Tuesday to punch her ticket to the 1,500 final.

Here's 5 fantastic photos of Katie Ledecky practically swimming alone:

1.

An underwater view shows US' Katie Ledecky competing in a heat of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138696 ORIG FILE ID: 2163893582
An underwater view shows US' Katie Ledecky competing in a heat of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138696 ORIG FILE ID: 2163893582

2.

NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 30: Katie Ledecky of Team United States competes in the Women’s 1500m Freestyle Heats on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 30, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138696 ORIG FILE ID: 2164346139
NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 30: Katie Ledecky of Team United States competes in the Women’s 1500m Freestyle Heats on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 30, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138696 ORIG FILE ID: 2164346139

3.

Jul 30, 2024; Nanterre, France; Katie Ledecky (USA) in the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle preliminary heats during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Paris La Défense Arena. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Sports ORIG FILE ID: 20240730_MSG_xc2_1511.JPG
Jul 30, 2024; Nanterre, France; Katie Ledecky (USA) in the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle preliminary heats during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Paris La Défense Arena. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Sports ORIG FILE ID: 20240730_MSG_xc2_1511.JPG

4.

US' Katie Ledecky competes in a heat of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138696 ORIG FILE ID: 2163870366
US' Katie Ledecky competes in a heat of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138696 ORIG FILE ID: 2163870366

5.

US' Katie Ledecky reacts after competing in a heat of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138696 ORIG FILE ID: 2163870401
US' Katie Ledecky reacts after competing in a heat of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776138696 ORIG FILE ID: 2163870401

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 5 photos of Katie Ledecky absolutely smoking the competition in a 1,500m freestyle heat