Katie Ledecky makes Olympics history with ninth gold medal in swimming

Katie Ledecky has received her ninth Olympic gold medal to equal the all-time ladies’s report and defend her 800m freestyle title forward of Ariarne Titmus.

The 27-year-old American swimmer received the occasion for the fourth consecutive time on the Olympics to earn a share of the report held for 60 years by gymnast Larisa Latynina of the previous Soviet Union.

Ledecky turns into simply the second swimmer after Michael Phelps to win the identical race occasion 4 instances in a row on the Olympics, and is simply the sixth Olympian general to win a 4 consecutive golds in a person occasion.

“I feel on condition that Michael is the one one which’s ever performed that I feel that simply exhibits how tough that’s,” she mentioned.

“I feel particularly within the 800, it’s simply a whole lot of miles. Simply 12 months after 12 months making an attempt to place within the work to make it occur. I undoubtedly wouldn’t have pictured this in 2012.”

Ledecky received gold within the 800m freestyle for the primary time at London 2012 when she was aged 15. She retained her title in at Rio 2016 after which once more in Tokyo 5 years later.

In Paris, Ledecky grew to become probably the most profitable American girl in Olympics historical past and took residence her fourth medal of the Video games following gold within the 1500m free, silver within the ladies’s 4x200m relay and bronze within the 400m freestyle.

Ledecky prolonged her dominance within the 800m freestyle because the world report holder edged forward of Australian rival Titmus, who beat Ledecky within the 400m freestyle ultimate referred to as the “race of the century” final week,

Titmus held up Ledecky’s arm within the pool in recognition of her historic achievement whereas Staff USA Paige Madden joined her on the rostrum after successful bronze.

Ledecky may take the report outright on residence soil in 2028, when the Olympics shall be held in LA. Ledecky shall be 31 and will function at a fifth Video games.

Latynina, who represented the Soviet Union, holds the ladies’s report for probably the most Olympic medals and received a complete of 18 between 1956 and 1964.

Simone Biles received her third gold medal of Paris 2024 earlier on Saturday and seventh Olympic gold general. The American celebrity has two extra occasions and will be a part of Ledecky and Latynina on 9 gold medals by the top of the Video games.