Katie Ledecky has officially earned the title of the GOAT in women’s swimming.
At 27 years old, she clinched her 13th Olympic medal during the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay, marking her as the only female swimmer to achieve this milestone.
Ledecky matched the records of Jenny Thompson, Emma McKeon, and Dara Torres with her gold medal performance in the 1500-meter on Wednesday.
Katie Ledecky of Team USA participates in the Women’s 400m Freestyle Heats on day one of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 27, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
This achievement was accompanied by a silver medal in the event, as Australia secured the gold, marking their fifth win in swimming at the Games.
Ledecky and Michael Phelps stand alone in Olympic history, being the only swimmers—regardless of gender—to earn at least 13 Olympic medals.
Competing as the third American in her relay, Ledecky entered the water with the U.S. down by 1.4 seconds but reduced that deficit to half a second during her leg. Ultimately, she finished with the U.S. just 0.33 seconds behind.
Erin Gemmell served as the anchor for Team USA, but Australia’s Ariarne Titmus proved to be a formidable opponent.
This is an ongoing story. Please check back for further updates.
