NANTERRE, France — A dozen years ago to the day, Katie Ledecky won her first Olympic gold medal. She was 15 years old, not yet a sophomore in high school, and was so far off the radar that night that reporters were not even paying attention to the women’s 800, instead interviewing Michael Phelps after what he called at the time his final Olympic race.
After her win that night, Ledecky was wide-eyed and dripping with pool water as she met with the press.
So much has changed since then.
At the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Ledecky won her ninth gold medal — also in the 800 freestyle — and more deeply etched her name into the Olympic annals. She is now the most decorated female Olympian from the United States.
Nine Olympic gold medals also ties her with Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina for most Olympic gold medals won by a women. Latynina won nine golds between 1956-1964.
In winning the 800 at the 2024 Games, Ledecky also became the seventh Olympian to win four consecutive gold medals in the same event — and second swimmer after Phelps (who won the 200 IM in four consecutive Olympiads).
Not one to chase history, Ledecky admitted that one record will stick with her.
“Four times is the one that means the most to me,” she admitted, explaining why she showed four fingers at the finish.
“I knew that August 3 is the day I won in 2012, and I didn’t want August 3 to be a day that I didn’t like moving forward,” she added. “I felt like I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I’m just really happy that I could get the job done.”
“I know how hard it is to defend an Olympic title, and to go four in a row is unreal,” said Ariarne Titmus from Australia, who finished second to Ledecky in the 800. Earlier this week, Titmus defended her Olympic title in the 400-meter freestyle.
Ledecky had to fight for this 800 win, though. Titmus hung tough, not giving Ledecky her usual comfortable lead, pushing the American the whole race. Ledecky touched the wall in 8:11.04, well off her Olympic and world record set at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games (8:04.79), but 1.24 seconds ahead of Titmus.
“I knew that it was going to be a tough race, all the way down to the finish,” said Ledecky. “I felt confident coming into it. I just had to stick in the race and trust myself, trust my training, trust that I know how to race that event. I was just relieved that I got my hand on the wall.”
