AMERICAN swimmer Katie Ledecky clinched the gold medal in the 800m freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Saturday, equalling the record for the most Olympic golds won by a female athlete.
Ledecky clocked eight minutes 11.04 seconds, to claim her fourth consecutive Olympic gold in this event, a feat matched only by the legendary Michael Phelps among swimmers.
This victory brings Ledecky’s total Olympic gold count to nine, placing her level with former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. Her overall Olympic medal tally now stands at an impressive 14. Michael Phelps remains the most decorated Olympian in history with 28 medals, including 23 golds.
Reflecting on her historic achievement, Ledecky, 27, said, “The four-times record is the one that means the most to me,” she said. “August 3rd is the day I won in 2012, and I didn’t want August 3rd to be a day I didn’t like moving forwards. I put a lot of pressure on myself, so I’m happy I got the job done.”
Earlier in the day, Canadian Summer McIntosh continued her remarkable debut at the Games, winning her third gold medal in the women’s 200m individual medley. The 17-year-old’s meteoric rise has been one of the standout stories of Paris 2024.
