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Katie Ledecky has won her ninth Olympic gold medal to equal the all-time women’s record and defend her 800m freestyle title ahead of Ariarne Titmus.
The 27-year-old American swimmer won the event for the fourth consecutive time at the Olympics to earn a share of the record held for 60 years by gymnast Larisa Latynina of the former Soviet Union.
Ledecky becomes just the second swimmer after Michael Phelps to win the same race event four times in a row at the Olympics, and is only the sixth Olympian overall to win a four consecutive golds in an individual event.
“I think given that Michael is the only one that’s ever done that I think that just shows how difficult that is,” she said.
“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. I definitely wouldn’t have pictured this in 2012.”
Ledecky won gold in the 800m freestyle for the first time at London 2012 when she was aged 15. She retained her title in at Rio 2016 and then again in Tokyo five years later.
In Paris, Ledecky became the most successful American woman in Olympics history and took home her fourth medal of the Games following gold in the 1500m free, silver in the women’s 4x200m relay and bronze in the 400m freestyle.
Ledecky extended her dominance in the 800m freestyle as the world record holder edged ahead of Australian rival Titmus, who beat Ledecky in the 400m freestyle final called the “race of the century” last week,
Titmus held up Ledecky’s arm in the pool in recognition of her historic achievement while Team USA Paige Madden joined her on the podium after winning bronze.
Ledecky could take the record outright on home soil in 2028, when the Olympics will be held in LA. Ledecky will be 31 and could feature at a fifth Games.
Latynina, who represented the Soviet Union, holds the women’s record for the most Olympic medals and won a total of 18 between 1956 and 1964.
Simone Biles won her third gold medal of Paris 2024 earlier on Saturday and seventh Olympic gold overall. The American superstar has two more events and could join Ledecky and Latynina on nine gold medals by the end of the Games.
