Ledecky Makes History at Olympics

Katie Ledecky secured her second gold medal at the Paris Olympics, marking the ninth of her illustrious career. She clocked an impressive time of 8 minutes, 11.04 seconds, surpassing her winning time from the Tokyo Games. Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who previously defeated Ledecky in the 400 freestyle, took home the silver with a time of 8:12.29, while American Paige Madden earned bronze at 8:13.00. Titmus reflected on Ledecky’s remarkable consistency over the past twelve years, acknowledging the impact of their rivalry on her own performance. Summer McIntosh emerged as a standout star of the Games, clinching her third individual gold medal in the 200 individual medley. The Canadian swimmer finished with a time of 2:06.92, while American swimmer Alex Walsh, who was initially in contention for bronze, was disqualified for not completing the backstroke segment correctly. McIntosh's impressive haul also includes golds in the 200 butterfly and 400 IM, along with a silver in the 400 freestyle. In a thrilling relay event, the U.S. team, featuring Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske, triumphed over China with a winning time of 3:37.43, breaking the previous Olympic record. The race saw a strategic selection of swimmers, with both teams opting for their male athletes in the initial legs. Hungarian swimmer Kristóf Milák, who had previously settled for silver in the 200 butterfly, managed to rally for a strong finish in the relay, contributing to his team's success.