Katie Ledecky Ties Three Veteran Swimmers For Most Decorated American Female Olympian

American distance swimmer Katie Ledecky delivered a gold-medal performance in the 1500-meter freestyle on Wednesday, bringing her total Olympic medal count to 12 — and earning her entrance into an elite club with only three other members.

Just three other American women — all of them swimmers — have ever won 12 Olympic medals: Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres, and Natalie Coughlin.

Katie Ledecky wins her 12th Olympic medal.

This ties her with Natalie Coughlin, Jenny Thompson & Dara Torres for the most by a US female swimmer ???? pic.twitter.com/HtWUfBHXzf

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 31, 2024

Her win in Wednesday’s 1500 was not unexpected — she has not been beaten in that distance in more than a decade and held the top 19 times in the world prior to her Paris win— and it also tied her with Thompson for another record: with eight each, Ledecky and Thompson have the most Olympic gold medals of any American female in any sport.

Katie Ledecky: Pretty good at the 1500 #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/hCdKynGw25

— Mitch Goldich ???? (@mitchgoldich) July 31, 2024

“Update: Katie Ledecky now owns the 20 fastest times in the history of the women’s 1500-meter freestyle,” The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach added. “The one she just swam is No. 8 all-time.”

Update: Katie Ledecky now owns the 20 fastest times in the history of the women’s 1500-meter freestyle.

The one she just swam is No. 8 all-time.

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) July 31, 2024

Her Wednesday time, 15:30.02, was her 8th best of all-time and set a new Olympic record. She finished 17 seconds ahead of her closest competition.

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But Ledecky, with two races left to swim in the Paris Olympics, could still add to that count before the week is out. She is a heavy favorite to medal in the 800 freestyle, another event in which she has been a dominant force. She owns the top 16 times in that event as well, and has only lost that event once since 2010 — at 2024’s USA Swimming Southern Zone South Sectionals in Orlando — to Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh. McIntosh took silver in the 400 freestyle earlier in the week, finishing just ahead of Ledecky, who earned a bronze medal, and just behind Australia’s Ariarne Titmus.