Ledecky Heads To Her Final 2020 Olympic Race, Winning 800M Heat

BETHESDA, MD — Katie Ledecky won her heat in the 800 meter freestyle on Thursday morning and will compete in the final on Friday. She is the current world and Olympic record holder in the event, with a time of 8 minutes and 4.79 seconds.

This will be her last event in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. So far this year, Ledecky has won:

• a gold medal in the 1,500 meter freestyle, setting an Olympic record. She is the first winner of the race in history — this is the first year women have competed in it at the Olympics.
• a silver medal in the 400 meter freestyle
• a silver medal as a member of the 4x200 meter freestyle relay team

Ledecky did not medal in the 200 meter freestyle, a first for the 24-year-old at the Olympics. When she lost to Australia's Ariarne Titmus in the 400 meter freestyle, it was the first time she had lost an individual race in her Olympic career. The winner of the race even attributed some of her success to Ledecky.

"I wouldn't be here without her," Titmus said about Ledecky to reporters after the race. "She's set this amazing standard for distance freestyle for girls. And if I didn't have someone like her to chase, I definitely wouldn't be swimming the way I am."

The Bethesda native was on the NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt on Wednesday following her world record win in the 1,500 meter freestyle.

• Ledecky Wins Silver In 4x200 Meter Freestyle Wednesday Night
• Ledecky Wins Gold In First 1,500 Meter Free In Olympic History
• Ledecky Wins Heat In 200 Meter Semi-Final, Progresses To Final
• Ledecky Sets Record In 1500M Freestyle Heat, Wins Silver In 400M