PARIS — Katie Ledecky has already clearly established herself as the greatest female American swimmer in history. On a raucous Wednesday night in La Défense Arena, she kept building her case for even bigger accolades—the greatest American female Olympian in any sport, and perhaps even the greatest female Olympian, period.
Ledecky continued her untouchable streak of domination in the 1,500-meter freestyle, winning by 10.33 seconds over silver medalist Anastasiya Kirpichnikova of France and 11.14 seconds over bronze medalist Isabel Gose of Germany, in a time of 15:30.02. In typical fashion, Ledecky quickly put daylight between herself and the competition and kept building on it throughout the 30-lap race. Between Ledecky’s performance and the ambitious, two-event night for French hero Léon Marchand, the packed house was roaring all night.
