Katie Ledecky Sets New Olympic Record; Ties Medals Won By American Woman

July 31, 2024

American swimmer Katie Ledecky won her first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics, setting a new Olympic record of 15:30.02 in the 1500-meter freestyle final on Wednesday (July 31) and tying for the most gold and overall Olympic medals of any female athlete in American history.

Ledecky tied fellow Jenny Thompson in both career gold medals (8) and total medals won (12) in Olympic play with her record-setting victory. The 27-year-old now owns the 20 fastest times in the history of the women’s 1500-meter freestyle, with her newest Olympic record-setting time only ranking eighth all-time. WBZ