Janice R. Andrews
Paris — At the Paris Olympics, Katie Ledecky has created history once more by winning her ninth gold medal and shattering the record for the most golds won by a female American swimmer. In the 800-meter freestyle, the 27-year-old put on a fantastic display that helped her win first place and add yet another trophy to her already stellar career.
Historical Triumph
Ledecky achieved an incredible feat by winning the 800-meter freestyle. She placed first, ahead of Team USA’s Paige Madden and Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, who took home silver and bronze, respectively. With her victory, she tied Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina for the most gold medals ever won by a female Olympian. It was also her ninth gold medal overall.
Ledecky’s accomplishment cemented her place as the most successful American female swimmer in Olympic history, surpassing the previous mark held by swimmer Jenny Thompson. She also became one of just five athletes to have won four gold medals in the same individual event spanning several Olympics: Paul Elvstroem of Denmark, Al Oerter of the United States, Carl Lewis, Michael Phelps, and Mijain Lopez of Cuba.
A Week Full of Firsts
Ledecky earlier this week made history as the most decorated female Olympic swimmer ever when she placed first in the U.S. 4×200-meter freestyle relay on August 1 and took home a silver medal. Just behind Australia, Ledecky and her colleagues Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden, and Erin Gemmell helped earn second place. In the last 100 meters of the third leg, Ledecky put on an incredible show of brilliance, passing the Chinese relay squad and propelling squad USA from third to second place.
Olympic Medal Count
Ledecky has 14 Olympic medals total as of August 3, including 9 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze. She has won two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal at the Paris Games alone. In the 1500-meter freestyle on July 31, she beat Germany’s Isabel Gose and France’s Anastasiia Kirpichnikova by over 10 seconds, setting a new Olympic record with a time of 15:30.02. This was her second gold medal in Paris.
Ledecky also took up a bronze on July 27 in the 400-meter freestyle women’s competition, which some have termed the “race of the century.” She came in behind Summer McIntosh of Canada and Ariarne Titmus of Australia.
A Tradition of Excellence
At the age of just 15, Katie Ledecky made her Olympic debut in the 800-meter freestyle, taking home the gold medal. She has dominated the sport ever since, solidifying her status as one of the all-time great swimmers. Ledecky is modest and concentrates more on her performance than her medal total despite her many accomplishments.
Ledecky discussed her professional outlook with Stephanie Gosk in a June interview on TODAY. “When I started swimming, I never imagined that I would even make it to one Olympics, much less have the chance to compete in a fourth,” the swimmer remarked. “So, to me, that portion is astounding. However, I don’t really pay attention to medal totals or historical details. I pay close attention to every swim, and timings rather than locations.
See the Summer Olympics
Peacock is providing live streaming of the Paris Olympics so fans can witness all the excitement. The parent company of TODAY, NBCUniversal, is the owner of Peacock.
In addition to cementing Katie Ledecky’s reputation in the swimming community, her record-breaking accomplishments have served as an inspiration to many aspiring athletes worldwide. Her commitment, talent, and sportsmanship are still setting the bar high in the Olympic world.
