PARIS (Reuters) – Already rated one of swimming’s all-time greats coming into the Paris Olympics, Katie Ledecky made it official on Saturday by storming to victory in her signature event, the 800 meters freestyle to end her work in the French capital in great style.
French torpedo Leon Marchand may be the prince of Paris, electrifying the home nation with four spectacular gold medals. But it is Ledecky writing her name in the record books after she claimed her ninth gold, equaling Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina for the most by any woman in any Olympic sport.
In sharp contrast to Ledecky’s runaway win in the 1,500m the 800m freestyle was a thriller from start to finish, with Ariarne Titmus matching her stroke-for-stroke for almost the entire distance.
But with the American setting a relentless, grinding pace her great Australian rival would never get her nose in front settling silver with Ledecky getting to wall first in a time of 8 minutes, 11.04 seconds.
Paige Madden took bronze for the United States.
It is the fourth time Ledecky has won the 800m free, and she joins compatriot Michael Phelps as the only swimmers to win gold in four different Olympics.
The 800m was the final event on Ledecky’s Paris card and she returns home having added two golds, a silver and a bronze, bringing her Olympic stockpile to 14 medals in all – with more possible. The 27-year-old has hinted that a home Olympics in Los Angeles in four years is on her mind.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Paris. Additional reporting Rohith Nair; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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