Olympics-Swimming-Ledecky confirms greatness with ninth gold medal

By Steve Keating

PARIS (Reuters) -Already rated one of swimming’s all-time greats coming into the Paris Olympics, Katie Ledecky made it official on Saturday by storming to victory in her signature event, the 800 metres freestyle to end her work in the French capital in grand style.

French torpedo Leon Marchand may be the prince of Paris, electrifying the home nation with four spectacular gold medals.

But it is Ledecky leaving Paris sharing the throne of greatest female Olympian with Larisa Latynina after winning a ninth gold medal to equal the Russian gymnast’s record.

“The week was kind of, you know, had its ups and downs like any other meet,” said Ledecky, whose Paris haul also included gold in the 1,500, silver in the 4×200 freestyle relay and bronze in the 400m free.

“I knew I just had to focus on the races, don’t focus on times, just focus on getting the job done, getting to hear the national anthem at the end of the races as many times as I could.”

In sharp contrast to Ledecky’s runaway win in the 1,500m the 800m freestyle was a thriller from start to finish, with Ariarne Titmus matching her stroke-for-stroke for almost the entire distance.

But with the American setting a relentless, grinding pace her great Australian rival would never get her nose in front settling for silver with Ledecky getting to the wall first in a time of 8 minutes, 11.04 seconds.

Paige Madden took bronze for the United States.

“I knew it was going to be a tough race,” said Ledecky. “I felt confident but I knew it was going to be tough no matter what all the way to the finish.

“I have good early speed, and I can come home hard, and I can trust my endurance.

“I knew I just needed to stay calm through that and really just try to inch my way forward each lap, and I think I did a pretty good job of that.”

It marked the fourth consecutive Games Ledecky has won the 800m free, and she joins compatriot Michael Phelps as the only swimmers to win gold in four different Olympics.

“Given that Michael’s the only one that’s ever done that, I think that just shows how difficult that is,” said Ledecky. “Especially in the 800. It’s just a lot of miles.”

The 800m was the final event on Ledecky’s Paris card and she returns home having added two golds, a silver and a bronze, bringing her Olympic stockpile to 14 medals in all – with more possible.

The 27-year-old admitted that a home Olympics in Los Angeles in four years time intrigues her but she was not ready to commit to being there.

“I’d love to,” smiled Ledecky. “We’ll see, I mean, it’s not easy.

“Again, I’ll take it year by year, and we’ll see, give it everything I’ve got for as long as I have left in me.”