Like the title of her memoir insinuates, Katie Ledecky transforms into the greatest female underwater athlete in history when you Just Add Water.
The 27-year-old American made even more history, winning her fourth Olympic Gold Medal in the 800 meter freestyle on Saturday afternoon. “LegenDecky” became only the second swimmer to win the same event at four consecutive Olympic summer games, with Michael Phelps doing the same in the 200 meter individual medley.
After her victory, Ledecky pulled fellow American Paige Madden to the top step of the medal podium as the Star Spangled Banner played, as Madden, 25, earned her second medal of the Paris games.
If you go to Katie Ledecky’s Wikipedia page, the medal record under her shadow box on the right side of the screen collapses, and for good reason. Expanding the box runs her accomplishments past her “Early Life” section, and nearly to the end of her 2012 London Olympics paragraph. Ledecky finished the Paris games earning medals in all four events she took part in, including a pair of Gold Medals, and an Olympic record…lowering her own mark in the 1500 meter freestyle.
The 14 Olympic medals are the most by any female athlete in the modern history of the Olympic Games, winter or summer. The nine Gold Medals are most by any female athlete in Olympic history. Only Phelps has more Olympic medals with 23.
Defending her title in the 1500 is nothing new or historic for Ledecky. As the 1500 meter freestyle has only been at the Olympics since 2020 in London, Ledecky has lowered the World Record five times since breaking it in 2013. Her 15:36.52 mark at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona was six seconds faster than the previous mark. The record now stands at 15:20.48. Should you dare to look up the fastest times in history for the women’s 1500 meter freestyle, Ledecky holds the top 18 all to herself. When someone gets into the pool against Katie Ledecky in an effort to swim just shy of a mile (0.932), your hope is silver or bronze, and to be on the screen by the time she touches the wall for the final time.
Katie Ledecky earned her first bronze at any Olympic games when she lost the 400 meter freestyle to Australia’s Ariarne Titmus on July 27, the second day of the games, and first full day of swimming competition.
With all due respect to Simone Biles, Ledecky is more dominant in her sport than Biles is at hers. You might question the argument, but looking at just how much further ahead of the field Ledecky is in the pool at her fourth Olympiad is all the proof you need. She is setting world and Olympic records at age 27, and is undoubtedly favored to continue the trend when she goes for her fifth Olympic team in Los Angeles in 2028. That was Ledecky’s goal of reaching a summer games in her home nation, but certainly not as a farewell tour. You would have to see a combination of Ledecky not only becoming human, but the rest of the field taking major steps to even make the 800 and 1500 meters competitive over the next four years.
Also sharing in Ledecky’s grandeur was her training partner Bobby Finke. The 24-year-old Finke went wire-to-wire the day after Ledecky’s 1500 meter gold, and put up a world record of his on in the same race…with Ledecky in attendance. Finke also had his sisters in attendance for the first time at a World Championship or Olympic Games.
Katie Ledecky will return home early next week having been the talk of the pool in Paris. She indicated while being so dominant in past Olympic games, she wanted to take the second week of the games to enjoy the experience, in addition to walking with Team USA in the Closing Ceremony for the first time. You have to wonder if there is a certain medal that will be centered on her mantle from Paris, or if that will forever belong to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden earlier this year.
The 14 Olympic medals are the most by any female athlete in the modern history of the Olympic Games, winter or summer. The nine Gold Medals are most by any female athlete in Olympic history. Only Phelps has more Olympic medals with 23.
Defending her title in the 1500 is nothing new or historic for Ledecky. As the 1500 meter freestyle has only been at the Olympics since 2020 in London, Ledecky has lowered the World Record five times since breaking it in 2013. Her 15:36.52 mark at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona was six seconds faster than the previous mark. The record now stands at 15:20.48. Should you dare to look up the fastest times in history for the women’s 1500 meter freestyle, Ledecky holds the top 18 all to herself. When someone gets into the pool against Katie Ledecky in an effort to swim just shy of a mile (0.932), your hope is silver or bronze, and to be on the screen by the time she touches the wall for the final time.
Katie Ledecky earned her first bronze at any Olympic games when she lost the 400 meter freestyle to Australia’s Ariarne Titmus on July 27, the second day of the games, and first full day of swimming competition.
With all due respect to Simone Biles, Ledecky is more dominant in her sport than Biles is at hers. You might question the argument, but looking at just how much further ahead of the field Ledecky is in the pool at her fourth Olympiad is all the proof you need. She is setting world and Olympic records at age 27, and is undoubtedly favored to continue the trend when she goes for her fifth Olympic team in Los Angeles in 2028. That was Ledecky’s goal of reaching a summer games in her home nation, but certainly not as a farewell tour. You would have to see a combination of Ledecky not only becoming human, but the rest of the field taking major steps to even make the 800 and 1500 meters competitive over the next four years.
Also sharing in Ledecky’s grandeur was her training partner Bobby Finke. The 24-year-old Finke went wire-to-wire the day after Ledecky’s 1500 meter gold, and put up a world record of his on in the same race…with Ledecky in attendance. Finke also had his sisters in attendance for the first time at a World Championship or Olympic Games.
Katie Ledecky will return home early next week having been the talk of the pool in Paris. She indicated while being so dominant in past Olympic games, she wanted to take the second week of the games to enjoy the experience, in addition to walking with Team USA in the Closing Ceremony for the first time. You have to wonder if there is a certain medal that will be centered on her mantle from Paris, or if that will forever belong to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden earlier this year.
Her medal case may need its own collapsible box well before the Olympic trials for Los Angeles.
Just look at the clip that broke the internet of the young girl in the stands who Ledecky waved at after her 1,500 meter performance. Tell me that the Olympic Games are not the greatest collection of sports every two years, and that includes March Madness and the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
-JC24