August 1, 2021
Katie Ledecky made waves on Saturday at the Tokyo Olympics, claiming gold in the 800-meter freestyle event. This victory marks her eleventh consecutive win in this distance over the past 11 years.
In her final race of the Games, Ledecky clocked in at 8:12.57, securing her sixth individual gold medal and the tenth overall Olympic medal of her illustrious career. Remarkably, she holds the top 22 fastest times ever recorded in the 800-meter freestyle—an astonishing feat for any swimmer. Ledecky previously triumphed in this event at the 2012 London Games and the 2016 Rio Games, and she is also the reigning world record holder.
“Thank you, Tokyo, and THANK YOU ALL for the tremendous support this week and over the years to get to this point…2 Golds, 2 Silvers, and countless memories coming back to the States!!!” Ledecky shared on Instagram. Alongside her 800m gold, she secured victory in the women’s 1500m freestyle and earned two silver medals in the 400m and 4x200m events.
With her six individual gold medals, Ledecky has set the record for the most by any female U.S. Olympian, falling just short of Michael Phelps’ 13 golds from his five Olympic appearances. Her latest achievement also marks a remarkable three-peat in the 800m free, making her only the fourth swimmer in history to claim gold in an individual event at three consecutive Olympics.
In an exciting announcement, Ledecky revealed that she plans to compete again in future Olympic Games. “That was not my last swim—I’m at least going to ’24,” she stated on NBC. “Maybe ’28, we’ll see. But I knew [the 800] was going to be my last swim here. You never take anything for granted; you don’t know if you’re going to be back at the next Olympics, so just try to soak it all in.” By the time the 2024 Paris Games roll around, Ledecky will be 27 years old.
Throughout the Tokyo Games, Ledecky faced off against Australia’s Ariadne Smith, with each swimmer securing two wins against the other. Their fierce rivalry was a highlight of the competition, pushing each athlete to elevate their performance.
What’s particularly impressive is that Ledecky was the only swimmer to compete in both the sprint (200m) and the long-distance (1500m) events, a duality that few athletes can master. She accomplished this with remarkable poise. “It’s awesome,” Ledecky said on NBC. “I just wanted to finish on a really good note, and I’m just so happy.”
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In summary, Katie Ledecky’s extraordinary achievements at the Tokyo Olympics have solidified her status as one of the greatest swimmers of all time. With plans for future competitions, fans can look forward to witnessing more of her remarkable journey.