Katie Ledecky wins record-breaking 13th Olympic medal in women’s 4x200M freestyle relay
Katie Ledecky is now officially the GOAT of women’s swimming.
The 27-year-old won her 13th Olympic medal in the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay, becoming the only woman to ever reach that mark.
Ledecky tied Jenny Thompson, Emma McKeon, and Dara Torres with her gold medal in the 1500-meter on Wednesday.
Katie Ledecky of Team USA competes in the Women’s 400m Freestyle Heats on day one of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 27, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
The record came with a silver medal in the race, as Australia took home a gold, their swimming-leading fifth of the Games.
Ledecky and Michael Phelps are the only swimmers in Olympic history, male or female, to earn at least 13 Olympic medals.
Ledecky was the third American in the water, entering the pool with the United States trailing by 1.4 seconds, but she cut it by half-a-second midway through her leg. Ledecky touched the wall for the final time with the Americans trailing by 0.33 seconds.
Erin Gemmell was the anchor for the U.S., but Australia’s Ariarne Titmus was too much to handle.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
