With eight of her nine Olympic gold medals coming from individual events, Katie Ledecky is considered one of the greatest middle-distance swimmers of all time.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won three medals (two gold, one silver and one bronze) to become the most decorated Olympic swimmer and the most decorated American athlete in Olympic history with 14 medals.
London 2012 Olympic Games:
Katie Ledecky reacts after winning gold in the women’s 800m freestyle final at the London 2012 Olympic Games. | Photo credit: Getty Images
Katie Ledecky reacts after winning gold in the women’s 800m freestyle final at the London 2012 Olympic Games. | Photo credit: Getty Images
At age 15, she was the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic swimming team. In the 800m freestyle final, Ledecky stunned the crowd and critics by winning gold, followed by silver medalist Mireia Belmonte of Spain more than four seconds later. The American clocked 8:14.63, the second-fastest effort ever and a new American record. At the 750 meter mark, Ledecky was 3.42 seconds ahead of Belmonte and 0.31 seconds under the world record. To his great disappointment, Ledecky had just missed the world record by 0.53 seconds.
Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games:
Ledecky became the only individual to triumph in four separate freestyle distances during a single Olympic competition. | Photo credit: Getty Images
Ledecky became the only individual to triumph in four separate freestyle distances during a single Olympic competition. | Photo credit: Getty Images
Ledecky won gold medals in four events: 200 m, 400 m, 800 m freestyle and 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, securing his position in history as the only person to triumph in four separate distances freestyle swimming within a single Olympic competition.
Showing dominance, Ledecky won four gold medals and one silver in the 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay. Additionally, she set world records in the 400m and 800m freestyle events (with times of 3:56.46 and 8:4.79, respectively). Notably, her performance in the 800m freestyle final allowed Ledecky to gain almost two seconds from the previous record, finishing more than 11 seconds ahead of her closest rival.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games:
Ledecky scored victories in the 800 m and 1,500 m freestyle events, marking the latter’s inaugural inclusion in the women’s Olympic program. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Ledecky scored victories in the 800 m and 1,500 m freestyle events, marking the latter’s inaugural inclusion in the women’s Olympic program. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Ledecky scored victories in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle events, marking the latter’s inaugural inclusion in the women’s Olympic program. Nonetheless, her streak hit a setback in the 400m freestyle, where she suffered her first defeat in an individual race at the Games, taking silver. Additionally, she won a silver medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay.
Although she lost her 400m title to Australian Ariarne Titmus, Ledecky reclaimed her 800m freestyle crown and etched her name as the first Olympic victor in the women’s 1,500m freestyle. Along with another silver medal in the relay in Tokyo, she became the most decorated American female athlete in consecutive Olympics and the most decorated individual swimmer in history.
Paris 2024 Olympics:
Katie Ledecky of the United States poses with her gold medal after winning the women’s 1,500 meter freestyle final at the 2024 Summer Olympics. | Photo credit: AP
Katie Ledecky of the United States poses with her gold medal after winning the women’s 1,500 meter freestyle final at the 2024 Summer Olympics. | Photo credit: AP
Katie Ledecky became the most decorated Olympic swimmer of all time, but the American great had to settle for silver as Australia won gold in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay at the Paris Games.
Before that, Ledecky blitzed the field to retain his 1,500-meter freestyle title, winning a record eighth gold medal in the sport.
World record holder Ledecky blew away the peloton during the grueling 30-lap race at La Défense Arena, touching the wall in an Olympic record on 30/15/02, more than 10 seconds ahead of French silver medalist Anastasiia Kirpishnikova.
However, in the 400m freestyle event, she could only settle for bronze as Ariarne Titmus, the Australian star known as the ‘Terminator’, handed Ledecky a second consecutive Olympic defeat in an event won by the American in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
She won her record 14th medal in her favorite event, the 800m freestyle ahead of Ariarne Titmus and compatriot Paige Madden. With this, she became the only swimmer to win four gold medals in a single event in consecutive Olympic Games and the second swimmer after Michael Phelps to achieve this feat.
