Without question, Katie Ledecky is on pace to make history in the Olympic Games in Paris in the swimming pool. The superstar swimmer competed in the Women’s 400m freestyle in hopes of getting her third straight medal in her Olympic career. Ledecky won Silver in the 2020 Toyko Games as Australian Ariarne Titmus took the Gold. This time, the focus was all about Ledecky Vs. Titmus on Saturday.
Here, many had Titmus as the favorite in the event over Ledecky. In the end, Titmus would get the better of Ledecky once again as the Australian took home the Gold for the second straight Olympics. Summer McIntosh of Canada got the Silver, and Ledecky got the Bronze. For Titmus, she has yet to lose in the 400m freestyle since 2019 while getting the better of Ledecky once again.
Ledecky Edges Closer to History
Despite the Bronze finish, the Washington D.C. native climbed her way up towards history with her 11th career Olympic medal. It puts her one medal away from tying Natalie Coughlin, Dara Torres, and Jenny Thompson as the most decorated American female swimmer in Olympic history. She will look to add more Gold to her resume during the 33rd Olympiad.
11x Olympic medalist @katieledecky 👏#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/4H9yb6YXUT
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 27, 2024
Ledecky will compete in two of her better races, the 800m and the 1,500m freestyle, along with the 4×200 m relay. She has won three consecutive Gold medals in the 800m and two straight in the 1,500m while holding World Records in both events. There is a strong chance that she will take home two more Gold medals and another in the relay race. Time will tell as the decorated Olympian looks to bounce back for Team USA.
USA Women’s Team and a Record Performance
While Ledecky took home another medal, Team USA added another medal for swimming. Simone Manuel, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske won Silver in the Women’s 4×100 freestyle relay. What’s more, they set a new American record of 3:30.20 but fell short of Gold to Australia.
You’re looking at the fastest relay team in American history 🇺🇸@TeamUSA | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/UVmBZFucPb
— USA Swimming (@USASwimming) July 27, 2024
Overall, the USA won its unprecedented 24th medal in the event but hasn’t won Gold since the 2000 Games in Sydney. It’s important to note that Douglass, Walsh, and Huske earned their first Olympic medals in the event. As for Manuel, she competed on the relay team in the 2020 Games, getting a Bronze medal.
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