Katie Ledecky, a former Olympic gold medalist, won the 1,500-meter freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, tying Jenny Thompson for the most women’s Olympic gold medals and Natalie Coughlin, Jenny Thompson, and Dara Torres for the most women’s Olympic medals. Ledecky set a new Olympic record and became the swimmer with the 20 fastest times in the event’s history.
Olympic Medals
Torri Huske earned her third medal in five days with a silver in the women’s 100m freestyle. Other swimmers advancing to the finals include Regan Smith and Alex Shackell in the women’s 200m butterfly, Keaton Jones in the men’s 200m backstroke, and Kate Douglass and Lilly King in the women’s 200m breaststroke.
Torri Huske won the Women’s 100m Freestyle in the final Olympic Medals
Torri Huske won the Women’s 100m Freestyle in the final, earning silver in 52.29 seconds. Gretchen Walsh won in 53.04 seconds. Huske’s race strategy involved committing to her race and trusting her abilities, which was challenging at times. She is proud of her 100 fly and 100 freestyle medals, stating that the competition brought out the best in her and she is excited to represent her country well.
Huske also praised Katie Ledecky, who has been dominating for a long time, for her incredible performance and the opportunity to meet her idols and see their amazing qualities in the water. Huske’s love for racing and her ability to represent her country well were key factors in her success.
In the Women’s 200m Butterfly Semifinal, Regan Smith and Alex Shackell both achieved impressive times. Smith, from Lakeville, Minn., won the race with a time of 2:05.39, while Shackell, from Carmel, Ind., won with a time of 2:06.46. Shackell emphasized the importance of learning from Smith’s experience, not taking the race too fast, and being calm during the race.
Olympic Medals won the Women’s 1500m Freestyle in the final
Katie Ledecky won the Women’s 1500m Freestyle in the final, setting an Olympic record of 15.30.02 seconds. She expressed her happiness with her win and the honor of being named among the great swimmers who inspired her. Ledecky praised her teammates and the many other swimmers in the U.S. who have helped her achieve this moment, stating that it’s an honor to be named among them.
Keaton Jones won the Men’s 200m Backstroke Semifinal with a time of 1:56.39, while Ryan Murphy won with a time of 1:56.62. Jones expressed disappointment with the time and the pain, but stated that he is improving and believes his nerves will improve tomorrow.
The women’s 200m breaststroke and men’s 100m freestyle events are set to take place at the Paris La Defense Arena. Kate Douglass and Lilly King will compete in the semifinals, while Josh Matheny will win the men’s 200m breaststroke.
The finals will feature the women’s 200m butterfly final, men’s 200m backstroke final, men’s 50m freestyle semifinal, women’s 200m breaststroke final, women’s 200m backstroke semifinal, men’s 200m individual medley final, and women’s 4x200m freestyle relay final. Prelims begin at 11 a.m. CET/1:30 a.m. ET, with finals starting at 8:30 p.m. CET/2:30 p.m. ET.
The USA swimming team has successfully won over 600 Olympic Medals
During the fourth night of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, American swimmers won four medals in three different competitions. In the women’s 100-meter backstroke, Regan Smith (Lakeville, Minn./Longhorn Aquatics) and Katharine Berkoff (Missoula, Mont./NC State) placed second and third, respectively.
Berkoff’s medal, USA Swimming won its 600th and Team USA won Olympic Medals
With Berkoff’s medal, USA Swimming won its 600th and Team USA won its 3,000th Olympic Medals . In the following competition, Bobby Finke (Clearwater, Florida/Saint Petersburg Aquatics) won the silver medal in the men’s 800m freestyle with a time of 7:38.75.
Another fantastic evening for the Americans concluded with a silver medal for the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay in Tokyo, despite almost missing the podium. Luke Hobson of Reno, Nevada/Longhorn Aquatics, Carson Foster of Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays, Drew Kibler of Carmel, Indiana/New York Athletic Club, and Kieran Smith of Ridgefield, Connecticut/Ridgefield Aquatic were the swimmers who advanced to the finals of the relay.
After four days of competition, USA Swimming is still in the lead in the overall medal tally with 15 (2g, 7s, and 6b). Swimmers that will be competing in tomorrow’s finals include Josh Matheny (Pittsburgh, Pa./Indiana Swim Club), Torri Huske (Arlington, Va./Arlington Aquatic Club), and Gretchen Walsh (Nashville, Tenn./University of Virginia) in the women’s 100-meter freestyle, and Jack Alexy (Mendham, N.J./California Aquatics) and Chris Guiliano (Douglassville, Pa./University of Notre Dame) in the men’s 100-meter freestyle.
Today marked the Olympic debuts for Matheny, Luca Urlando (DART Swimming), Matthew Fallon (Waren, N.J./University of Pennsylvania), Thomas Heilman (Crozet, Va./Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA), and Matheny.
Olympic Medals
Jack Alexy and Chris Guiliano advanced to the semifinals of the Men’s 100m Freestyle and 200m Butterfly events, respectively. Thomas Heilman won the 200m Butterfly in 1:54.87. Regan Smith won the Women’s 100m Backstroke in silver and bronze respectively.
Smith, who won her silver medal, expressed her pride in her performance and the ability to drop from semis, a challenge she had faced in the past. She also praised Kaylee McKeown, a remarkable racer who executed her race plan and left it all in the pool.
Berkoff, who had dreamed of being at the Olympic Medals
Berkoff, who had dreamed of being at the Olympics her whole life, expressed her gratitude for her medal and the experience. She also cited her Olympic gold medalist Dad as a supportive figure, reminding her to stay in her own lane, remember the purpose of her performance, and focus on herself and no one else. Both athletes expressed their gratitude for their achievements and the opportunity to compete at the Olympics.
Bobby Finke won the Men’s 800m Freestyle in a silver medal, Olympic Medals
Bobby Finke won the Men’s 800m Freestyle in a silver medal, stating that he did his best and should take the silver medal as motivation. Torri Huske qualified seventh in the Women’s 100m Freestyle Semifinals, with a time of 52.99 and Gretchen Walsh at 53.18.
Huske expressed his desire to make it back to the finals and hopes to give more tomorrow. Josh Matheny made it to the Men’s 200m Breaststroke Semifinals, with a time of 2:09.70, and Matthew Fallon reached the finals with a time of 2:09.96. Matheny expressed his excitement about seeing his name up there and the achievement.
Olympic Medals Freestyle
The Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay team, consisting of Luke Hobson, Carson Foster, Drew Kibler, and Kieran Smith, won the final silver medal in the event. The relay team, which has been swimming together for a couple of years, enjoyed spending time together and having a good time before the race. Foster expressed the team’s love for racing and the opportunity to share the podium with a group they love.
Kibler emphasized the importance of always shooting for gold, a step forward from their previous success. Smith, who typically overperforms on the anchor leg, expressed pride in bringing the team home a silver medal. The relay team’s dedication to their shared passion for swimming and teamwork made it a memorable event.
