Katie Ledecky of Team USA clinched another Olympic gold medal on Wednesday in the women’s 1500-meter freestyle race, further bolstering her legacy as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) in swimming.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ledecky broke the Olympic record for the women’s 1500m freestyle, surpassing her own previous record. This win marks another milestone in her illustrious career.
Ledecky’s Olympic journey began at the 2012 London Olympics, followed by the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Paris represents her fourth Olympic appearance. In this span, she has accrued an impressive 12 Olympic medals, including eight golds. Her medal tally is as follows:
2012 London:
– Gold medal, 800m freestyle
2016 Rio:
– Gold medal, 200m freestyle
– Gold medal, 400m freestyle
– Gold medal, 800m freestyle
– Gold medal, 4x200m freestyle relay
– Silver medal, 4x100m freestyle relay
2020 Tokyo:
– Gold medal, 800m freestyle
– Gold medal, 1500m freestyle
– Silver medal, 400m freestyle
– Silver medal, 4x200m freestyle relay
2024 Paris:
– Bronze medal, 400m freestyle
– Gold medal, 1500m freestyle
Ledecky’s next event, the 4x200m freestyle relay, could earn her another medal, potentially making her the most-decorated U.S. woman in Olympic history. She is currently tied with Jenny Thompson for the most gold medals from a female Olympic swimmer.
Ledecky is one medal shy of the record for the most medals by a U.S. female swimmer. Winning another medal would elevate her to the ranks of Thompson, Dana Torres, and Natalie Coughlin.
Michael Phelps remains the record-holder for most Olympic medals with 23 golds. Ledecky, however, holds world records in two events and has frequently broken her own records.
In the women’s 1500m freestyle, Ledecky owns the 20 fastest times in history. She also holds the world record in the 800m freestyle. Ledecky has been unbeaten in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events in world championships and the Olympics, though she has been challenged in shorter events by swimmers like Australia’s Ariarne Titmus.
For her remarkable achievements, Ledecky was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden, the highest civilian honor in the U.S. She joins notable figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Yeoh, and Al Gore in receiving this distinction.
Interestingly, Ledecky has swum over 37 million meters in her lifetime, equating to around 23,000 miles, almost the circumference of the Earth or about one-tenth of the way to the moon.