- Katie Ledecky is the most decorated female swimmer in history, and she has added to her Olympic medal count in Paris.
- Ledecky set an Olympic record in the 1500m freestyle event for her eighth gold medal, and 12th medal overall.
- Ledecky still has the 4×200m freestyle relay and the individual 800m freestyle left on her Olympic schedule.
Katie Ledecky of the United States has carved her name into history with her accomplishments. She went to her first Summer Olympics at London 2012, and the 27-year-old continues to rack up medals and accolades.
On Wednesday, Ledecky continued her dominance in the 1500m freestyle event, winning for the second straight Olympics, and she set an Olympic record along the way.
Ledecky Romps to Another 1500m Gold, Winning by Over 10 Seconds
Olympic betting sites had Ledecky as a massive betting favorite going into the event. As of Sunday, July 28, Ledecky was a huge -5000 favorite at Bovada. She didn’t disappoint as Ledecky stepped up to the starting blocks on Wednesday, July 31. However, she fired a warning shot to her rivals in the heats the day before.
Ledecky pulled out ahead of the pack from the very beginning in the final and didn’t flinch, touching the wall for the final time in 15 minutes, 30.02 seconds. She was followed by France’s Anastasiia Kirpichinikova, who finished in 15:40:35, just over 10 seconds behind the American. Germany’s Isabel Gose rounded out the podium in 15:41:46.
However, this race was all about Ledecky, who also won the gold medal at Tokyo 2020 with a time of 15:37:34. Therefore, she beat her Tokyo time by just over seven seconds in Paris. To go with her Olympic record, Ledecky also owns the world record, and as referenced above, the top 20 times in the 1500m race. She set that record at an event in Indianapolis in May 2018, posting a blistering time of 15:20:48. The swimming great doesn’t intend to slow down, as Ledecky has set her sights on competing at Los Angeles 2028.
"I've been consistent over these last few months and last few years in saying that I would love to compete in L.A. and that hasn't changed. That could change. I mean, you never know.
So, I really just take it year by year at this point and I really haven't thought much beyond this week in terms of what my fall is going to look like, what my next year is going to look like. But yeah, I don't feel like I'm close to being finished in the sport yet."
If anyone is going to overtake Ledecky in the 1500m freestyle, the longest race in swimming, they’ll have to start training as soon as Paris 2024 is over. Ledecky also has a bronze in the 400m freestyle from Paris 2024, and 12 overall. Her eight gold medals are tied for first among female swimmers, joining fellow American Jenny Thompson.
What is Next for Katie Ledecky in Paris?
Ledecky has two more events in which to add to her medal count. She’ll race on Thursday, August 1 in the women’s 4×200m freestyle relay. Then, Ledecky will hit the pool on Friday, August 2, for the 800m freestyle heats, and if she progresses (which she should), the finals take place on Saturday, August 3. Ledecky is the defending gold medalist in the 800m freestyle, and she is the favorite at to win again.
However, the Americans will have stiff competition in the 4×200 freestyle. Australia is a gigantic favorite in that race, led by Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus. O’Callaghan won gold in the individual 200x freestyle and set an Olympic record, which was owned by Titmus, who finished second. Titmus also beat Ledecky in the 400m freestyle, while Canada’s Summer McIntosh also finished ahead of the American.
