Katie Ledecky swims into history with 800 freestyle victory at the Paris Olympics
1 of 19 | Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, United States’ Katie Ledecky and United States’ Paige Madden celebrate at the podium for women’s 800-meter freestyle the at the Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
By PAUL NEWBERRY Updated 4:50 PM CDT, August 3, 2024
Biles, Sha’Carri Richardson and Katie Ledecky all win medals.
NANTERRE, France (AP) — Every year on August 3, Katie Ledecky is reminded of her first Olympic gold medal.
She was just 15 years old, a reserved high schooler who had surprisingly made the U.S. swim team for the London Games. Then she went out and shocked the world, beating everyone in the 800-meter freestyle.
Twelve years to the day, Ledecky did it again.
Not a stunner, but one for the ages.
Gold medal No. 9.
Ledecky capped another stellar Olympics by becoming only the second swimmer to win an event at four straight Summer Games, holding off Ariarne Titmus, the “Terminator,” to win the 800 free Saturday night.
It was Ledecky’s second gold medal in Paris and the ninth of her remarkable career, which marked another milestone.
She became only the sixth Olympian to reach that figure, joining swimmer Mark Spitz, track star Carl Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi in a tie for second place.
The only athlete to win more golds: swimmer Michael Phelps with 23.
Ledecky was very aware of the significance of the date.
“Every August 3rd, the video (of her first Olympic gold) gets posted somewhere and you kind of reminisce,” she said. “So, when I saw it was August 3rd, I was like, ‘Oh boy, I’ve got to get the job done.’”
That she did, going faster than her winning time in Tokyo to finish in 8 minutes, 11.04 seconds. Titmus was right on her shoulder nearly the entire race, but Ledecky pulled away in the final 100.
Titmus, who beat Ledecky in the 400 freestyle, settled for silver at 8:12.29. The bronze went to another American, Paige Madden at 8:13.00. Phelps had been the only swimmer to win the same event at four straight Olympics, taking gold in the 200 individual medley at Athens, Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.
Now he’s got company.
Titmus added some perspective to Ledecky’s consistency over the last dozen years, noting where she was when the American won that first gold in London.
By TIME Photo Department November 26, 2024 7:00 AM EST
Every year the TIME photo department sits down to curate the strongest images that crossed our path over the previous 12 months. And every year, sitting with the images, we find ourselves mulling the ways this collection feels heavier than the last, how the year produced images unlike what we’ve seen before.
But this year something else, a tautness, runs through the collection – the tension of conflict, the anxiety over outcome, anticipation of excitement or in possibility. Somehow, these photographers are able to capture that coiled feeling and hold it within the four walls of a frame. Be it by impeccable timing or intentional framing, they have created a time capsule that feels as if it’s about to be opened.
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