Katie Ledecky didn’t win the medal she wanted, but she still made history.
On a night when Canadian star Summer McIntosh won another gold and Kate Douglass secured a gold for the U.S., Ledecky earned the 13th medal of her amazing career, making her the most decorated female swimmer ever.
Ledecky and her American teammates took silver in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, falling behind an Australian team led by individual gold medalists Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus.
“I’ve tried not to focus too much on it, just taking each event as it comes and knowing there are challenges in each one,” Ledecky said after returning to the pool for the preliminaries of the 800 freestyle, her last event. “When it’s all over, I’ll appreciate it.”
In her second-to-last event of the Games, Ledecky surpassed the record she shared with American swimmers Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin, and Jenny Thompson.
The 27-year-old now has eight golds, four silvers, and one bronze from four Olympics, and she plans to keep competing for Los Angeles 2028.
McIntosh won the 200 butterfly easily, finishing ahead of American Regan Smith who took silver again.
Douglass earned the U.S. gold in the 200 breaststroke, marking a new chapter as long-time American swimmer Lilly King, competing in her final Olympics, finished last in the final. King hugged Douglass, who is now a gold medalist and one of the most versatile swimmers in the world.
This victory added to the U.S. swimming team’s impressive tally, with four golds, ten silvers, and six bronzes.
No American woman has more Olympic medals than Ledecky. Only four athletes have more, with Michael Phelps leading the list with 28.
