Dominates the Women's 1500m Freestyle
At the 2024 Paris Games, Katie Ledecky was the clear favorite in the women's 1500m freestyle. She holds the 19 fastest times in the event's history. Ledecky won the 1500m in its debut in Tokyo. The question wasn't if she'd win, but by how much.
Breaks Olympic Record
Ledecky finished with a time of 15:30.02. This set a new Olympic record. She was ten seconds faster than the next finisher. This win gave her the eighth career Olympic gold medal.
Ties Jenny Thompson’s Record
Ledecky tied swimming great Jenny Thompson for the most Olympic gold medals by an American woman. She also tied Natalie Coughlin and Dara Torres for the most medals by any U.S. woman in history, with 12.
Reflects on Her Achievement
After the race, Ledecky reflected on her accomplishment. "I try not to think about history very much," she said. "I know those names, those people I'm up with. They're people I looked up to when I first started swimming. So it's an honor to be named among them."
Exciting Race for Second Place
At the 500m mark, Ledecky was .11 seconds ahead of her own world record. However, by the 500m point, the race for second was thrilling. France’s Anastasia Kirpichnikova, Italy’s Simona Quadarella, and Germany’s Isabel Gose were in a tight race for silver and bronze.
Ledecky’s Dominance
With 400m remaining, Ledecky was six seconds behind her world-record pace but still ahead of the Olympic-record pace. She consistently averaged lap times in the 31-second range. Kirpichnikova held a comfortable second place, while Quadarella and Gose battled for bronze.
Final Results
Ledecky finished strong, setting the Olympic record with a time of 15:30.02, her eighth-fastest time at this distance. Kirpichnikova secured the silver, and Gose claimed the bronze with a time of 15:41.16.
Upcoming Events
Ledecky already won bronze in the women’s 400m freestyle. Her next chance for a medal is in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay on Thursday. If she wins, it would be her 13th career Olympic medal, making her the most decorated female U.S. Olympian in history. Only Michael Phelps, with 28 medals, has more.
Next Individual Event
Ledecky's next individual medal opportunity is in the women’s 800m freestyle. The preliminary heats are on Friday, August 2nd, with the final set for Saturday, August 3rd.