Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Sports
The sun will rise in the morning, a businessman or woman will rush through a power lunch and Katie Ledecky will dominate the 1,500-meter freestyle swimming race at the Olympics.
The star U.S. swimmer is practically inevitable.
One of the sport’s most decorated performers earned her eighth gold medal and 12th overall medal Wednesday, setting an Olympic record with a time of 15 minutes, 30.02 seconds. She won by almost a half-lap over France’s Anastasiia Kirpichnikova.
After the race, Ledecky said she would love to make the U.S. team in 2028, when the Games will be held in Los Angeles.
Ledecky was one of four U.S. medalists on the fifth full day of competition. Perris Benegas notched a silver in the women’s Park BMX Freestyle final, finishing nearly two points behind Deng Yawen of China.
Evy Leibfarth achieved bronze in the women’s canoe single final with Australia’s Jessica Fox earning gold. And Torri Huske grabbed her third medal of the Games with a silver in the 100 freestyle.
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United States gold medal winners: One on Wednesday
Katie Ledecky got to hear “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the eighth time in her Olympic career after obliterating the field in the 1,500-meter freestyle, winning by more than 10 seconds.
–Bucky Dent, Field Level Media
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