Katie Ledecky broke yet another record on Thursday after Team USA won a silver medal in the women’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay, becoming the most decorated woman in Olympic swimming history with 13 medals. This latest achievement broke the tie she previously held with swimmers Natalie Coughlin, Jenny Thompson, and Dara Torres.
The 27-year-old Maryland native won her eighth gold and 12th overall medal on Wednesday during the grueling 1500m freestyle, finishing the race in Olympic record time – 15:30.02 – to tie Thompson for the most gold medals by any female swimmer in Olympic history.
Reflecting on her journey, Ledecky shared with reporters how she let her mind wander during the race, thinking of all the people who helped her get to where she is today. “To my Florida crew, all those Florida boys who pushed me every day, I love you guys. I mean, I know I make your life hard a lot of days, but you guys made my life a lot easier today, so thank you so much.”
On Thursday, Ledecky, Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden, and Erin Gemmell competed in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay and won second place behind Australia. This win gave Ledecky her 13th medal, making her the most decorated American woman in Olympic history and the most decorated woman in swimming history globally. Only Michael Phelps, with 28 medals, is ahead of her.
Ledecky still has one more chance to add to her collection of medals, as she will compete in the 800m freestyle on Saturday. Despite this being her fourth Olympics, she hopes to qualify for the games in Los Angeles in 2028. “Yeah, I’ve been consistent these last few months and these last few years, in saying that I would love to compete in LA, and that hasn’t changed.”
Congratulations, Katie! You are the greatest of all time.