Team USA | With Nine Olympic Gold Medals and 14 Total, Katie Ledecky Becomes The Most Decorated U.S. Female Olympian

NANTERRE, France — A dozen years in the past to the day, Katie Ledecky received her first Olympic gold medal. She was 15 years previous, not but a sophomore in highschool, and was thus far off the radar that night time that reporters weren’t even listening to the ladies’s 800, as an alternative interviewing Michael Phelps after what he known as on the time his last Olympic race.

After her win that night time, Ledecky was wide-eyed and dripping with pool water as she met with the press.

A lot has modified since then.

On the Olympic Video games Paris 2024, Ledecky received her ninth gold medal — additionally within the 800 freestyle — and extra deeply etched her identify into the Olympic annals. She is now essentially the most embellished feminine Olympian from america.

9 Olympic gold medals additionally ties her with Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina for many Olympic gold medals received by a girls. Latynina received 9 golds between 1956-1964.

In successful the 800 on the 2024 Video games, Ledecky additionally turned the seventh Olympian to win 4 consecutive gold medals in the identical occasion — and second swimmer after Phelps (who received the 200 IM in 4 consecutive Olympiads).

Not one to chase historical past, Ledecky admitted that one report will stick along with her.

“4 instances is the one which means essentially the most to me,” she admitted, explaining why she confirmed 4 fingers on the end.

“I knew that August 3 is the day I received in 2012, and I did not need August 3 to be a day that I did not like shifting ahead,” she added. “I felt like I put loads of strain on myself, however I am simply actually completely satisfied that I may get the job accomplished.”

“I understand how arduous it’s to defend an Olympic title, and to go 4 in a row is unreal,” stated Ariarne Titmus from Australia, who completed second to Ledecky within the 800. Earlier this week, Titmus defended her Olympic title within the 400-meter freestyle.

Ledecky needed to battle for this 800 win, although. Titmus hung robust, not giving Ledecky her regular comfy lead, pushing the American the entire race. Ledecky touched the wall in 8:11.04, effectively off her Olympic and world report set on the 2016 Rio Olympic Video games (8:04.79), however 1.24 seconds forward of Titmus.

“I knew that it was going to be a troublesome race, all the best way right down to the end,” stated Ledecky. “I felt assured coming into it. I simply needed to stick within the race and belief myself, belief my coaching, belief that I understand how to race that occasion. I used to be simply relieved that I obtained my hand on the wall.”