Katie Ledecky entered the 2024 Olympics as the three-time gold medalist in the women's 800-meter freestyle.
She is leaving Paris as the four-time champion.
The women's 800m final was on Saturday, with the American swimming star headlining the field for the freestyle event. Ledecky first won the 800m freestyle back in 2012 and successfully defended her title in 2016, 2021 and now 2024.
It was not nearly as easy as in the past. Australia's Ariarne Titmus put up the fight of a lifetime against the queen of long-distance swimming, keeping pace with the champion for nearly three-quarters of the race. However, Titmus was unable to pull ahead of Ledecky and settled for silver.
With the gold medal win, Ledecky now has four medals to her name in Paris, adding the 800-meter freestyle gold to a collection that includes a gold in the 1500m freestyle, a silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay and a bronze in the 400m freestyle.
The Sporting News tracked Ledecky's results from the 800m freestyle race in Paris.
MORE: Watch the Olympics live on Fubo (7-day free trial)
Olympic women's 800-meter freestyle results
| Place | Swimmer | Time |
| 1 | Katie Ledecky (USA) | 8:11.04 |
| 2 | Ariarne Titmus (Australia) | 8:12.29 |
| 3 | Paige Madden (USA) | 8:13.00 |
| 4 | Simona Quadarella (Italy) | 8:14.55 |
| 5 | Isabel Gose (Germany) | 8:17.82 |
| 6 | Lani Pallister (Australia) | 8:21.09 |
| 7 | Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (France) | 8:22.80 |
| 8 | Erika Fairweather (Australia) | 8:23.27 |
Katie Ledecky updates, results, highlights from 2024 Olympics
(All times Eastern)
3:48 p.m.: The win gives Ledecky her second gold medal in Paris and her ninth in her career, breaking Jenny Thompson's record for the most Olympic gold medals out of a female swimmer.
Katie Ledecky is shining bright in the City of Lights. ✨ #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/1V81RojVYu
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
3:40 p.m.: Katie Ledecky remains unstoppable in the 800-meter freestyle, claiming the gold medal for the fourth consecutive Olympics. Ariarne Titmus hangs on to win the silver and Paige Madden takes bronze. What an entertaining race out of two of the biggest stars in swimming.
WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: KATIE LEDECKY. 💪
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
HER FOURTH 800M FREE GOLD MEDAL IN A ROW. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/gWQ91NJ1vQ
3:38 p.m.: Ledecky is finally starting to pull away from Titmus with 100 meters to go. Paige Madden has ferociously crawled back and now is even with Titmus for second place.
3:37 p.m.: This has been an incredible effort out of Titmus, putting together a much closer fight than I think most expected. Ledecky still has a half-second lead on the Aussie heading into the final 200 meters, but she is not running away with it by any means.
3:35 p.m.: At the halfway point, it remains a two-horse race with Titmus and Ledecky. The defending champion is slightly ahead, but not by much. Ledecky is pacing a bit behind her world record pace.
3:32 p.m.: Through the first 200 meters, it's Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus at the front. The Australian is keeping pace with the American to start off the race, but there's still plenty of time to go.
3:31 p.m.: Here we go! The 800-meter race is off.
3:15 p.m.: We're just about 20 minutes away from Ledecky going for gold in the 800-meter.
2:45 p.m.: While Ledecky is the favorite in the event, her fellow American Paige Madden and Australia's Ariarne Titmus are going for podium spots as well.
2:16 p.m.: There haven't been many that have come close to defeating Ledecky in an 800-meter event — until this year. Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh shocked the world when she beat Ledecky at the USA Swimming's 2024 Southern Zone South Sectionals. However, McIntosh won't be competing in the 800-meter event, as she is in the 200-meter individual medley, which takes place right before Ledecky's race.
1:54 p.m.: Ledecky currently sits at eight gold medals in her Olympic career. She entered Paris with seven and won No. 8 in the 1500-meter freestyle.
1:30 p.m.: Katie Ledecky is about two hours away from putting her gold medal on the line once again in the 800-meter freestyle. She first won in 2012 and then defended the title in 2016 and 2021.
Women's 800-meter final start time
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 3
- Time: 3:28 p.m. ET
The women's 800m freestyle final at the 2024 Olympics is set to start at 3:28 p.m. ET. The race should take about eight minutes.
How many medals has Katie Ledecky won?
Entering the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ledecky is already one of the most decorated female swimmers of all time.
Ledecky enters the games having won seven gold and three silver medals at the Olympics, while also claiming 16 FINA World Aquatics Championships gold medals and three silver medals. Her combined 23 gold medals are the most of any women's swimmer.
How many will she add in Paris? Here's how she's been doing:
| Event | Medal | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 400 Freestyle | Bronze | 4:00.86 |
| 800 Freestyle | Gold | 8:11.04 |
| 1500 Freestyle | Gold | 15:30.02 |
| 4x200 Freestyle Relay | Silver | 7:40.86 |
MORE: How Katie Ledecky has stayed on top of her sport
Katie Ledecky swim schedule
Ledecky is expected to compete in four different events. That means she will frequent television sets during the swimming portion of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She will be competing in the heats for each event, which will start at 5 a.m. ET on their scheduled mornings. The live broadcast will be carried by the USA Network, while NBC will air replays later in the afternoon.
When she swims in the finals each day, NBC will broadcast the races, starting at 2:30 p.m. each afternoon.
Those interested in streaming her races can log onto NBC platforms NBCOlympics.com, NBCSports.com, or Peacock, or watch them on Fubo.
Here is the full schedule for when Ledecky will be swimming. Times are based on the Olympics schedule.
Saturday, July 27
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women's 400 Freestyle Heats | 5 a.m. | USA |
| Women's 400 Freestyle Finals | 2:42 p.m. | NBC |
Tuesday, July 30
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women's 1500 Freestyle Heats | 5 a.m. | USA |
Wednesday, July 31
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women's 1500 Freestyle Finals | 3:07 p.m. | NBC |
Thursday, Aug. 1
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women's 4x200 Freestyle Relay Heats | 5 a.m. | USA |
| Women's 4x200 Freestyle Relay Finals | 3:49 p.m. | NBC |
Friday, Aug. 2
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women's 800 Freestyle Heats | 5 a.m. | USA |
Saturday, Aug. 3
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women's 800 Freestyle Finals | 3:08 p.m. | NBC |
How to watch Olympic swimming
- Dates: July 27-Aug. 4
- Time: 5 a.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC, USA Network
- Live stream: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, Fubo
Olympic swimming begins at 5 a.m. ET each day from July 27-Aug. 3. There will only be heats in the morning session. Every day will have an afternoon session that begins at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Aug. 4 is the final day of competition and will only feature an afternoon session with four final races.
Fans can tune into the swimming competitions on NBC and USA Network. Those streaming can watch via Peacock, NBCOlympics.com or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
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