Katie Ledecky wins 13th medal, most ever for female Olympian

NANTERRE, France — American ladies took silver within the 4×200-meter freestyle relay Thursday, placing an all-time report Thirteenth medal across the neck of Katie Ledecky.

The workforce of swimmers Ledecky, Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden and Erin Gemmell positioned second behind Australia — Mollie O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell and Arianre Titmus — who turned in an Olympic report time of seven:38.08.

Defending Olympic-champion China took bronze.

Ledecky was a key contributor to Thursday evening’s silver at Paris La Défense Enviornment, finishing the third leg in 1:54.93, making up time in opposition to Throssell, who clocked in at 1:56.

Ledecky, 27, now has extra swimming medals than some other girl in Olympics historical past. And she will be able to add to that complete Saturday in her closing occasion, the 800-meter freestyle.

The 4 U.S. ladies stepped on to the rostrum in unison, clasping and elevating their arms as a workforce. The medal formally went round Ledecky’s neck at 10:33 p.m. native time.

“It is simply superb to get to be part of even one-Thirteenth of the journey that she’s been on,” Gemmell mentioned. “It is a lot extra enjoyable to be on a relay than to be by your self, and we simply had a good time on the market tonight.”

Gemmell, as an 8-year-old, famously dressed up as her idol, Ledecky, for Halloween.

“It is lots to wrap my head round,” mentioned Gemmell, 19. “It is loopy now that I can use this medal in a Halloween costume for her.”

Ledecky didn’t converse to reporters after she acquired her historic medal. She’s scheduled to swim in qualifying heats for the 800 free on Friday a couple of minutes earlier than midday native time.

Weinstein mentioned, “It is actually particular being on a relay for the USA, and it simply makes it much more particular that we may very well be part of Katie’s journey.”

On Thursday, Ledecky received the grueling 1,500-meter freestyle — in Olympic report time — for her eighth gold and her twelfth total medal. No different feminine swimmer has as many golds as Ledecky, of Bethesda, Maryland.

And for about 24 hours, Ledecky shared a line within the historical past books with three fellow American icons of the pool and 12-time medalists, Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin.

Ledecky’s medals have are available London, Rio, Tokyo and France. She has no plans to decelerate.

She has mentioned she hopes to qualify for the 2028 Video games in Los Angeles, the place swimming will probably be held in close by SoFi Stadium.