Katie Ledecky shows sheer dominance as she sets a new Olympic record in the women’s 1500M freestyle at Paris while leaving her opponents in the dust
Ledecky now has 12 Olympic medals, matching Jenny Thompson's total.
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Katie Ledecky shows the gold medal after competing in the swimming 1500m Freestyle Women Final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Via Imago)
Katie Ledecky earned her 12th overall Olympic medal as the 27-year-old dominated in the 1500m freestyle race on Wednesday. Ledecky now holds the record for the fastest finish in the race as she managed to complete it in 15:30:02, a new record. The margin of difference between her and second place Anastasiia Kirpichnikova was a jaw-dropping 10 seconds.
With this victory, Katie Ledecky also became the first female swimmer to win gold medals at four different Olympics. She has now cemented herself as an icon of American swimming. Her victory is more impressive after one takes into account the fact that she broke her previous Olympic record at the race.
I was just really happy with the time, honestly. My three swims prior to this, I kept feeling that the time was a lot slower than it felt. That was the first one that felt like it showed in the time. I'm really happy.Katie Ledecky said post the race
An exuberant Ledecky was satisfied with her performance. She managed to put up her best performance when it counted.
Katie Ledecky previously set the 1500m freestyle record at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Over the years, Katie Ledecky has established herself as the Queen when it comes to the 1500m freestyle. But to understand her greatness, one must truly watch the race for themselves. The margin by which she beat the competition is nothing short of ridiculous. Take this into consideration, the moment Ledecky finished her race, none of the other swimmers were to be seen in the broadcast frame.
Ledecky was so far ahead that NBC was compelled to shift to the All-22 cam just so that all the other participants were able to remain in the frame. In the 1500m freestyle, the question had always been ‘How dominant would Ledecky be this time?’ And she showed fans the answer to that question is, ‘more than ever.’
With her eighth career Olympic gold she stands right up there alongside American legend Jenny Thompson, who has a total of 12 medals. Ledecky has a shot to dethrone Thompson’s gold tally as the 4x200m relay is scheduled to take place on Thursday and there is the 800m freestyle event during the weekend. Another Olympic medal would make Ledecky a certified legend and elevate her into a class of her own.
No other swimmer was even in the frame when Katie Ledecky finished ?
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 31, 2024
Absolute DOMINANCE as she breaks the women's 1500m freestyle Olympic record ? pic.twitter.com/YcoQS2AlzB
NBC has moved to the All-22 cam so Katie Ledecky's competition can stay in the frame. pic.twitter.com/W79iuNkZfc
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) July 31, 2024
She would hold the record for having the most Olympic meals by a female swimmer from any country. She is not losing sleep over her legacy
I try not to think about history very much. 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 honour to be named among them. I'm grateful for them inspiring me. There are so many great swimmers that have helped me get to this moment.Katie Ledecky stated via The Guardian
Her greatness continues to grow and when she does decide to walk away, Ledecky’s legacy will be nearly impossible to achieve for a long time.
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Sumedh Joshi
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