Katie Ledecky sets new Olympic record, wins gold in women’s 1500m freestyle

American swimmer Katie Ledecky set a new record at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday, winning the women's 1500m freestyle with a time of 15:30.02.

The victory brought Ledecky an 8th career gold medal, tying her with former Olympian Jenny Thompson for the highest number of golds won by an American woman, according to NBC.

Ledecky is now also tied for the record of most medals (12) won by any U.S. woman ever, alongside Thompson, Natalie Coughlin, and Dara Torres.

Following the race, Ledecky shared her thoughts on the accomplishment, "I try not to think about history very much," she said, "I know those names, those people I'm up with.

They're people I looked up to when I first started swimming. So it's an honor to be named among them. I'm grateful for them inspiring me. There are so many great swimmers that have helped me get to this moment."

In a tight contest for second place, France's Anastasia Kirpichnikova earned the silver, while Germany's Isabel Gose secured the bronze with a 15:41.16 finish. Ledecky will have a subsequent chance to win an Olympic  in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay on Thursday.

If Ledecky claims this title, she would become the most decorated female U.S. Olympian ever, trailing only Michael Phelps (28) in total medals.

Ledecky will have an additional chance to win an  individual medal during the women's 800m freestyle, with preliminary heats slated for Friday, August 2nd, and the final heat scheduled for Saturday, August 3rd.

As a distinguished athlete, Ledecky's ongoing success at the highest level cements her status among the all-time legends in swimming.