Katie Ledecky concluded another outstanding Olympics by becoming just the second swimmer to win an event at four consecutive Summer Games, outlasting Ariarne Titmus to claim victory in the 800-meter freestyle on Saturday night.
This marked Ledecky’s second gold medal in Paris and her ninth overall in a remarkable career. She now stands among the elite few who have attained this milestone, joining the likes of swimmer Mark Spitz, track star Carl Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi in second place.
The only athlete with more golds is swimmer Michael Phelps, who boasts a total of 23.
Ledecky clocked in at 8 minutes, 11.04 seconds, faster than her winning time in Tokyo. Titmus, known as the “Terminator,” challenged Ledecky throughout the race but fell short in the final 100 meters.
Titmus settled for silver with a time of 8:12.29, while American Paige Madden took home the bronze at 8:13.00.
Phelps had previously been the only swimmer to achieve four consecutive Olympic wins in the same event, clinching gold in the 200 individual medley in Athens, Beijing, London, and Rio de Janeiro.
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Ledecky’s Olympic journey began with a surprise victory in the 800 free at the 2012 London Games. Her dominance in the grueling race has persisted, with plans to continue competing at least through the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Another gold for McIntosh
Summer McIntosh solidified her status as one of the standout swimmers at the Paris Olympics with her third individual gold medal.
The 17-year-old Canadian surpassed American Alex Walsh and fended off Kate Douglass to secure victory in an Olympic record time of 2:06.56.
Douglass claimed silver with a time of 2:06.92, but Walsh, who initially took silver in Tokyo, was disqualified for an improper backstroke finish. This decision bumped Australia’s McKeown to the bronze at 2:08.08.
McIntosh, who set several world records leading up to the Paris Olympics, showcased her talent at La Defense Arena alongside Léon Marchand and Ledecky.
McIntosh also triumphed in the 200 butterfly and 400 IM, earning a silver in the 400 freestyle. She narrowly missed matching Marchand’s four individual golds by just 0.88 seconds — the margin of her defeat to Ariarne Titmus.
Hungarian claims butterfly gold
Kristóf Milák of Hungary secured victory in the men’s 100 butterfly by chasing down his competitors on the final lap.
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Milák trailed in fourth place at the halfway mark but surged ahead to touch the wall at 49.90. Canada’s Josh Liendo and Ilya Kharun claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
The final race of the night was the exhilarating 4×100 mixed medley relay, featuring teams with two male and two female swimmers.
Marchand, set to swim the breaststroke leg for France, aimed to add another medal to his collection after securing four individual golds.
Britain emerged victorious in this event at the Tokyo Games, where the mixed relay made its Olympic debut.
