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At the 2024 Paris Games, few events had a clearer favorite than Katie Ledecky in the women’s 1500m freestyle. The long-distance swimming champion holds the 19 fastest times in the event’s history and won the 1500m at its debut in Tokyo. Known for dominating the race to the point where competitors often disappear from the frame, the only question was how much she would win by.
Ledecky clocked a time of 15:30.02, setting a new Olympic record and finishing ten seconds ahead of the next competitor. This victory marked her eighth career Olympic gold medal, tying her with swimming legend Jenny Thompson for the most Olympic golds won by an American woman. Additionally, Ledecky matched Thompson, Natalie Coughlin, and Dara Torres for the most total Olympic medals (12) by any U.S. woman in history.
After the race, Ledecky reflected on her achievement. "I try not to focus too much on history," she said. "I know the names and the people I’m alongside now. They were my idols when I first started swimming. It’s an honor to be mentioned with them, and I’m grateful for the inspiration they’ve given me. Many great swimmers have played a role in helping me reach this moment."
Complete Results
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In a surprising twist and a precursor to what was to follow, Coughlin was present to ceremoniously start the swim session with "les trois coups"—a traditional ritual marking the beginning of events at Paris 2024.
The race proceeded as expected, with Ledecky leading by 0.11 seconds over her own world record at the 500m mark. Since first setting the world record in 2013, she has broken it five more times.
At the 500m point, the battle for second place was particularly thrilling. France’s Anastasia Kirpichnikova, Italy’s Simona Quadarella, and Germany’s Isabel Gose were all closely contending for the position.
With 400 meters remaining, Ledecky had dropped six seconds behind her world-record pace but remained ahead of the Olympic-record pace. Demonstrating remarkable control, she consistently clocked lap times in the 31-second range. Meanwhile, Kirpichnikova maintained a secure second place, while Quadarella and Gose fought fiercely for the bronze.
As the bell for the final lap rang, Ledecky was far ahead, with only the possibility of setting a new Olympic record left to determine. The crowd erupted in cheers as she approached the finish line. Her time of 15:30.02 was her eighth-fastest career performance at this distance.
Ultimately, Kirpichnikova from France secured the silver, while Germany’s Gose took the bronze with a time of 15:41.16.
Sure, here’s a revised version:
Ledecky has already claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 400m freestyle. Her next chance to add to her collection will be in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay on Thursday. If she succeeds, it will mark her 13th career Olympic medal, making her the most decorated female U.S. Olympian ever, though still behind Michael Phelps, who has 28 medals overall.
Ledecky’s next individual opportunity for a medal will be in the women’s 800m freestyle. The preliminary heats are set for Friday, August 2nd, with the final scheduled for Saturday, August 3rd.