Michael Phelps spoke about Katie Ledecky’s “bread and butter events” just after her defeat to Ariarne Titmus at the Paris Olympics. The loss to the Australian arch-rival has its own weight to create pressure on the fallen one. But the 27-year-old American swimming legend is someone different. She has risen to the heights with the same speed as she was pressed after her loss in the 400m freestyle last week, and tonight she matched herself with the record for the most decorated Olympian.

Tonight at the Paris La Défense Arena, Katie won the 800m free event, defeating Ariarne Titmus. It is her fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the event, as Michael Phelps once had in the 200m IM event. Furthermore, the victory stood to reflect what the Baltimore Bullet had commented a few nights ago: “Katie Ledecky… she’s really made a name for herself, really becoming a dominant name in the sport.” In the conversation, he also wished, “I hope Team USA rings those cowbells as loud as they can possibly ring them all meet long.” Katie has checked all those wish boxes today with her victory. The interest may drive you to ask, How?

Paris 2024 Olympics – Swimming – Women’s 800m Freestyle Final – Paris La Defense Arena, Nanterre, France – August 03, 2024. Katie Ledecky of United States celebrates winning gold and Ariarne Titmus of Australia celebrates winning silver. REUTERS/Ann WangToday, we witnessed the full bloom of a tree that was planted 12 years ago by the Bethesda-born swimmer, at the age of 15. During this timeline, she has survived several ups and downs but remained as dominant as on her first day in the 800m free event. Ultimately, except for the Southern Zone South Sectional Championships of this year, she has not lost a single 800m free event since 2010. And this is not all.

Katie Ledecky holds the record for the 16 fastest times in the event. A companion to that could come only from her reign in the 1500m free event. If this is not sheer dominance, then what is that, actually? With this victory, she is now the most decorated female Olympian in the USA’s sporting history. The list of achievements gets bigger as she has the joint most Olympic gold medals among the female athletes. All these honors flooded her with her overpowering Ariarne Titmus, the chief rival in the pool. But the duo has yet to see through that lens.

Katie Ledecky explains the most riveting part of her rivalry 

Ariarne Titmus can’t forget the 15-year-old Katie Ledecky, who once inspired her to go the extra mile in the water. Eventually, she did, and now she can boast herself as the fitting successor of the former in the 400 m free. This time in the Paris Olympics, the Australian legend garlanded Katie with all the words that had never been out before.

Today, after the event, she said, “I just think it’s such an honour to race alongside Katie. I was 11 years old when she won her gold in London, I was in grade six in primary school. That’s just remarkable to me to think that she’s still winning at this level. I just have the most incredible respect for her.” For the Dolphin, Katie has her love saved always.

She has never criticized Ariarne’s appearance on or off-court. Rather, earlier this week, she corrected one reporter in the mixed zone when he asked her about the rivalry.

Additionally, she claimed, “It’s a friendship.” For an athlete who has not thought beyond the swimming sport in the last two decades, such behavior is somewhat expected. But Katie does it every day, irrespective of her result in the contest or facing defeat from the praised swimmer. That makes her different. Michael Phelps has cheered this part of her character as well.