Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history, won her 11th Olympic medal with a bronze in the women’s 400-meter freestyle at the 2024 Paris Games.
Advertisement
The bronze medal is Ledecky’s first in her Olympic career. She finished more than three seconds behind Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, who took gold.
The race, one of the most anticipated events of the Olympics, featured Ledecky, Titmus, and Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh. These three athletes have dominated the 400-meter freestyle world record for the past decade.
Scheduled less than 24 hours after the opening ceremony, the event lived up to its high expectations.
Advertisement
Titmus, the current world record holder, took an early lead that she maintained throughout the race. By the fifth lap, Titmus had pulled ahead by a full body length. McIntosh finished in second place, just under a second behind Titmus.
Ledecky expressed disappointment in her performance, noting that she was unable to find the extra gear needed for a stronger finish. “There are a lot of things I would have liked to have done better,” Ledecky said. “I just couldn’t kick into that next gear that I would have wanted to finish it out.”
Leave a Reply