Katie Ledecky claims title of most decorated US female Olympian in history

Katie Ledecky is now the most decorated U.S. female to ever compete in the Olympics after she won silver in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay on Thursday at the 2024 Paris Games.

Her team, which included swimmers Paige Madden, Claire Weinstein and Erin Gemmell, was able to place second behind Australia, with China taking bronze.

Ledecky took home her eighth career gold medal Wednesday after competing in the 1,500-meter freestyle, her 12th medal at that time.

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The U.S. swimmer broke the Olympic record with a time of 15 minutes and 30.02 seconds. That was more than 10 seconds faster than the silver medalist from France and the bronze medalist from Germany.

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The 1,500-meter race is Ledecky's specialty. She has not lost at that distance in over a decade. After her victory, she slapped the water, visibly thrilled with her performance.

Gender balance reached for first time

The International Olympic Committee said that the 2024 Games will mark the first time that an equal number of women and men will participate. According to IOC data, over 10,000 athletes will be invited to this year's Olympics.

There are also 331 medal events for the Olympics – 151 male events, 146 female events and 20 mixed-gender competitions. Among them , there will be new competitions held in breakdancing, climbing, skateboarding, and surfing.