Paris Olympics, Day 8: Katie Ledecky Wins 9th Gold, 4th Straight 800 Free in Thriller
Katie Ledecky thinks of it like her birthday. Given the career it gave rise to, it’s certainly worth a cake and some balloons.
Aug. 3, 2012, London Aquatics Centre. Ledecky, less than five months past her 15th birthday, steps to the blocks and nearly takes down the world record held by the woman in a lane over from her, taking Rebecca Adlington’s gold medal in the women’s 800 freestyle in what was supposed to be a home-pool coronation for the Brit.
That career on the Olympic stage turned 12 years old Saturday night. The celebration came at the Paris La Defense Arena. And the gift list for Ledecky remained the same, four times running: Gold, gold, gold, gold.
Ledecky went 8:11.04 in the women’s 800 free to win the event for the fourth Games running, joining Michael Phelps as the only other person to achieve that.
“You know, every August 3, the video gets posted somewhere, you kind of reminisce,” said Ledecky, rarely one to reminisce before the job is finished as it was Saturday night. “So when I saw it was August 3, I was like, oh boy, I’ve got to get the job done.”
- World record: Katie Ledecky, USA, 8:04.79 (2016)
- Olympic record: Katie Ledecky, USA, 8:04.79 (2016)
- Tokyo Olympic champion: Katie Ledecky, USA, 8:12.57
The medal is Ledecky’s ninth career gold medal, joining an elite sextet: Mark Spitz, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi and American Carl Lewis … and Caeleb Dressel, who joined the club thanks to his prelims swim on the mixed medley relay that capped the night with gold. Ledecky stands with Phelps’ wins in the men’s 200 individual medley from 2004-16.
Ledecky has 14 career medals, putting her in sole possession of fifth all-time. She trails only Phelps (28), Latynina (18), Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjorgen and Soviet gymnast Nikolai Andrianov (15 each). Emma McKeon is up to 13 and could add a 14th in the women’s medley relay on Sunday to cap the meet to tie Ledecky.
The 14 medals extends Ledecky’s record as the most decorated American female Olympian in any sport and the most decorated female swimmer, the latter of which McKeon can even by meet’s end.
Being level with Phelps is what Ledecky treasures most, though.
“I think given that Michael is the only one that’s ever done that, I think that just shows how difficult that is,” Ledecky said. “And I think especially in the 800, it’s just a lot of miles. Just year after year, trying to put in the work to make it happen. And I definitely wouldn’t have pictured this in 2012, being able to come back Olympics after Olympics and be able to get the job done.”
Silver went to Ariarne Titmus, who gave Ledecky a push in 8:12.29. Paige Madden chipped nearly 5.5 seconds off her best time to take bronze in 8:13.00.
Titmus, who swam a gutsy race at the high end of her distance range, provides the context for Ledecky. She was a sixth-grader when Ledecky won her first gold, and now she’s next to her on the medal stand, being pushed to ever great speeds by the challenge Ledecky presents.
“She’s made me a better athlete,” Titmus said. “I totally respect what she’s done in this sport, more than anyone else. She’s been winning this race since I was 11 years old, and I turn 24 next month. That’s just remarkable. She’s unreal.”
Ledecky owns the 17 fastest times in history in this event. Much like the 1,500, it’s faster than the time she used to win in Tokyo.
It took until the sixth 100 for Ledecky to finally unlatch Titmus, who had bested her in the 400. She opened up a lead of a half-second at 550 meters and then added another three tenths onto it, though that was a 50 in which Madden, charging hard, actually outsplit Ledecky.
“I knew Ariarne was going to give me everything she had,” Ledecky said. “We got 36 hours of rest, so I knew that there was going to be a tough race. And I felt confident coming into it. I knew it was going to be tough no matter what, all the way down to the finish. I just had to stick in the race and trust myself, trust my training, trust that I know how to race that event.”
For a moment, Madden looked set to overtake Titmus, who held her off at every wall, the deficit getting as close as .33 seconds at 700 meters. Titmus summoned the mettle coming home to fend her off for her eighth career medal, six of them individual. Her time is 23rd all-time, and she jumps from fourth- to third-best performer, setting an Oceania record.
“I’m feeling the most unbelievable sense of relief now that I’m done,” Titmus said. “I’m so proud of my efforts this week – two golds, two silver. I couldn’t defend my 200, but certainly happy that it was my training partner (Mollie O’Callaghan) that won it. To be second to her is great. I’m just so happy with my week.”
The medal is Madden’s first individual Olympic medal, to go with relay silvers in Paris and Tokyo. It’s Madden’s second PB of the weekend, having gone from 8:20.71 at team trials to 8:18.48 in Friday’s morning prelims to 8:13.00. It’s the 29th-best performance of all time and makes her the fourth-best performer all time.
“So to be here in the 800 is just, I’m so proud of myself for that,” said Madden, who pulled back from even the 400 after the Tokyo Olympics. “To even be excited to swim that, I’m still in shock right now. I’m trying to put it into words but I really can’t.”
No one else was a factor for long. Lani Pallister ran third for a while early but slipped to sixth in 8:21.09. Isabel Gose started to surge when Madden did but didn’t keep her feet. She landed fifth in 8:17.82. Simona Quadarella hung around but ended up fourth in 8:14.55. It lowers her Italian record from 2019.
- EVENT PAGE
- SCHEDULE
- VENUE
- STREAMING INFO
- DAY 1 PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY 1 FINALS RESULTS
- DAY 2 PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY 2 FINALS RESULTS
- DAY 3 PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY 3 FINALS RESULTS
- DAY 4 PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY 4 FINALS RESULTS
- DAY 5 PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY 5 FINALS RESULTS
- DAY 6 PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY 6 FINALS RESULTS
- DAY 7 PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY 7 FINALS RESULTS
- DAY 8 PRELIMS RESULTS
- DAY 8 FINALS RESULTS
- DAY 9 FINALS RESULTS
Wonderful Win by Ledecky (pronounced Leh-Dets-Skee). A 4peat! Can she make it 5 at LA? Or will Titmus further improve and McIntosh actually swim this race?