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Katie Ledecky continues to demonstrate her extraordinary prowess in the pool, carving out a league of her own during the women's 1500-meter freestyle final on Wednesday afternoon. Her commanding lead was so substantial that NBC had to adjust its broadcast perspective to fit Ledecky and her trailing competitors into the same frame.
Ledecky's dominance was evident throughout the race, as she was frequently the sole swimmer visible in NBC's camera view. As she completed her final leg, she remained far ahead of the competition, ultimately finishing with a time of 15:30.02. This achievement not only set a new Olympic record but also marked the eighth-fastest time in the history of the event, according to The Athletic.
Trailing behind Ledecky were 's Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, who finished with a time of 15:40.35, and 's Isabel Gose, who clocked in at 15:41.16.
This victory marked Ledecky's second consecutive win in the women's 1500-meter freestyle at the Olympics, having previously secured gold in the same event at the Tokyo 2021 Games. Her triumph contributed to Team USA's fifth gold medal in swimming at the Paris Games, alongside notable performances by Torri Huske in the women's 100-meter butterfly and the men's 4x100m freestyle relay team.
Ledecky's resume is filled with medals
With this latest gold, Ledecky now boasts 12 Olympic medals in her illustrious career, including eight golds. This achievement ties her with Jenny Thompson, Dana Torres, and Natalie Coughlin for the most gold medals won by a female swimmer in American history.
Ledecky also secured a bronze medal earlier in the competition in the 400-meter freestyle, finishing behind Australia's Ariarne Titmus.
Fans of American and international swimming can look forward to more of Ledecky's performances in Paris. She is set to compete in the women's 4×200-meter freestyle relay on Thursday, an event in which Team USA claimed silver in 2021. Additionally, Ledecky will race in the women's 800-meter freestyle on Friday, an event she has dominated since her Olympic debut in 2008.
Ledecky's continued excellence and record-breaking performances cement her status as one of the greatest swimmers in Olympic history.