2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
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Katie Ledecky showed some emotion after repeating as Olympic champion in the women’s 1500 freestyle on Thursday, setting an Olympic Record of 15:30.02 to win gold by more than 10 seconds.
The 27-year-old said post-race that her celebration after the race was because in part, it was her first swim of the 2024 Games where her time matched how it felt.
“Just happy with the time, happy with how it felt,” she said.
“I don’t mean to celebrate that much, but it comes out. The happiness, the joy, it just comes out.”
Ledecky said that through her first three swims of the meet, the heats and finals of the 400 free and the prelims of the 1500 free, she was feeling off in terms of how the race felt versus the time she saw on the scoreboard afterward.
“Those first three swims, each one of them felt faster than the time,” Ledecky said.
“Doubts enter your mind, you just try and stay positive through it all. It’s kind of like how it’s been all year for me.”
She went on to explain that the 15:30 clocking in the 1500 free, which gave her the 20 fastest times in history, was the first time in Paris she felt she produced what she was capable of.
She also tied for the most Olympic gold medals won by an American woman with eight, and on Thursday, became the most decorated female Olympic swimmer ever after her winning her 13th medal, a silver in the women’s 800 free relay.
Watch her full press conference courtesy of Diario AS on YouTube below:
Been following her career since she broke out in 2012. Back then, it was more like “Wowza, look at this kid!” as the digital writer following the Olympics from my local newsroom.
12 years and three Olympic cycles later, we’re both a lot older – but I continue to be blown away by the consummate professional she is and her absolute dedication to the sport. Watching her is so inspiring because she keeps going at it and rising to the occasion – even though she’s past her prime.
Folks have a tendency to throw the term “excellence” around in professional settings without giving thought to what it means. And for me, Ledecky absolutely epitomes excellence.
I say this as a Ledecky fan… but for someone who’s shown so little outward emotion for her entire career, it was refreshing and heartwarming to see a genuine celebration from her.
Time zones matter more than anyone discussed. LA will be very different for American swimmers. It might be enough if a boost that she doesn’t really fall off. Or maybe she learns to breaststroke and kills it in the 400IM. She looks leaner and stronger than ever this week. I think anything is possible for her in 4 years.
I really wish the highlights of Ledecky greatness mentioned her individual medal counts, they are a must better measure if her greatness. Not a comparison to Americans with a divorce handful of relay medals. What is the count of individual swimming medals? Who are the top 10 ever? Phelps, Ledecky, …?
I suspect three years of pent up frustration with the times posted in the W 1500 FR at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics finally came out.
Katie Ledecky’s times at the 2022/2023 World Aquatics Championships in the W 1500 FR reflect what she is truly capable of. Switching the training base to the University of Florida has been by far Katie’s best career move.
It takes an immense amount of mental fortitude and drive to train and compete with the intensity that Ledecky does when past one’s best. Of course, I’m sure it helps that she’s still winning Olympic gold!
But still, it’s been eight years since Ledecky’s absolute peak. It’s been nearly that long since she’s had even the possibility of setting a new PB in one of her main events. And while it’s not quite true that every year is slower than the last, she’s well into the one-step-forward, two-steps-back phase of her career.
And to be clear, this is absolutely the opposite of criticism. The reason I found Ledecky’s celebration after the 1500m so inspiring is that it was the celebration… Read more »
This sounds like a backhanded compliment to me.
It’s meant as a compliment, with no backhandedness at all.
Gose was so sweet with that question in English.
what was said?
lol that’s something only Ledecky could say, didn’t mean to celebrate that much after winning Olympic gold and breaking the Olympic record
Katie Ledecky is allowed to celebrate.