Every year on August 3, Katie Ledecky is reminded of her first Olympic gold medal.
She was just 15 years old, a reserved high schooler who had surprisingly made the US swim team for the London Games. Then she went out and shocked the world, beating everyone in the 800-metre freestyle.
Twelve years to the day, Ledecky did it again.
Not a stunner, but one for the ages.
Gold medal No. 9.
Ledecky capped another stellar Olympics by becoming only the second swimmer to win an event at four straight Summer Games, holding off Ariarne Titmus, the "Terminator," to win the 800 free Saturday night.
It was Ledecky's second gold medal in Paris and the ninth of her remarkable career, which marked another milestone.
She became only the sixth Olympian to reach that figure, joining swimmer Mark Spitz, track star Carl Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi in a tie for second place.
The only athlete to win more golds: swimmer Michael Phelps with 23.
Ledecky was very aware of the significance of the date.
“Every August 3rd, the video (of her first Olympic gold) gets posted somewhere and you kind of reminisce,” she said. “So, when I saw it was August 3rd, I was like, ‘Oh boy, I’ve got to get the job done.'”
That she did, going faster than her winning time in Tokyo to finish in 8 minutes, 11.04 seconds. Titmus was right on her shoulder nearly the entire race, but Ledecky pulled away in the final 100.
Titmus, who beat Ledecky in the 400 freestyle, settled for silver at 8:12.29. The bronze went to another American, Paige Madden at 8:13.00.
Phelps had been the only swimmer to win the same event at four straight Olympics, taking gold in the 200 individual medley at Athens, Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.
Now he’s got company.
Titmus added some perspective to Ledecky's consistency over the last dozen years, noting where she was when the American won that first gold in London.
“I was in grade six in primary school,” Titmus said. “That’s how remarkable she is.”
Their friendly rivalry has driven both to greater heights. They each won two golds and four medals at these games, which pushed Ledecky to 14 overall and left the 23-year-old Aussie with four golds and eight medals in her career.
Ledecky has dominated the distance freestyle events over the last dozen years — and isn’t done yet. She's made it clear she plans to keep swimming at least through the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“It’s not easy,” Ledecky said. “I’ll take it year by year, and we’ll see if I can keep giving everything I’ve got for as long as I have left in me.”
