Paris Olympics: Katie Ledecky wins gold during 1,500-meter freestyle event
Gold Medalist Katie Ledecky of Team United States poses on the podium during the Swimming medal ceremony after the Women's 1500m Freestyle Final on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 31, 2024 in Nanterre, Fran
Katie Ledecky, 27, has kept her title as the queen of endurance, winning her first gold medal at the Paris Olympics Wednesday during one of her best events: the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle.
Ledecky led right from the start and steadily pulled away, touching in at an Olympic-record of 15 minutes, 30.02 seconds.
This is Ledecky’s fourth time competing in the Summer Olympics and this recent medal will give her a total of 12 Olympic medals over her years competing in the Games.
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How many laps is 1500 meters?
If swimmers are competing in an Olympic swimming pool, 1500 meters equals about 30 laps.
Katie Ledecky of Team United States celebrates victory in the Women's 1500m Freestyle final on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 31, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
What other events is Katie competing in?
Ledecky is expected to also be competing in the following events:
- Women's 4x200m freestyle relay: Thursday, August 1
- Women's 800m freestyle: Friday, August 2 to Saturday, August 3
How many Olympic medals does Katie have?
In addition to her athletic accolades, Ledecky was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in May 2024, along with Simone Biles, Jesse Owens and Jim Thorpe.
Record-breaking swimmer
Ledecky made her Olympic debut during the 2012 London Games, according to the Olympics website.
She won her first gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle and defeated the world champion, Kate Ziegler.
Ledecky would go on to win world titles and break records in the 400 and 800 freestyle and became one of the second-most decorated athletes behind swimming legend Michael Phelps.
She is currently the world record holder for the women’s 800-meter freestyle and the 1500-meter freestyle.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.