Katie Ledecky takes bronze in 400m Free at Paris Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics began with another medal for Katie Ledecky , but it wasn’t the one she hoped for.

Ledecky claimed bronze in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 4:00.86, behind Australian world-record holder Ariarne Titmus (3:57.49) and Canadian 17-year-old Summer McIntosh (3:58.37).

It is the 11th medal of Ledecky’s historic career, putting her in a five-way tie for the most in American history. She is one short Jenny Thompson’s 12 medals (and 8 golds), which are both records among American women.

Ledecky is the gold-medal favorite in both upcoming distance races — 800 meters and 1,500 meters — as well as the 4×200 relay.

Katie Ledecky at the University of Florida

Ledecky joined Florida’s swim staff as a volunteer coach in September 2021 after spending time at Stanford, where she competed and earned a psychology degree.

The coaching title is largely ceremonial, but she does have her own key to the O’Connell Center in Gainesville. She’s been training seriously for these Olympics for almost three years now.

“It’s been a lot of fun every day,” Ledecky said. “This is the right place for me to be at this point in my career. I’m training really well and learning a lot along the way.”

Ledecky’s presence in Gainesville is a useful recruiting tool for the swim team, too. She practices with both the men’s and women’s team. However, she will likely move on to another location following these Olympic Games. A West Coast destination feels likely with the 2028 Olympics taking place in Los Angeles.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.