Katie Ledecky Is Now the Most Decorated Female Olympian in U.S. History After Winning Relay Silver
Ledecky sits at the top of the charts alongside Michael Phelps, who leads the men for most Olympic medals with 28
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Katie LedeckyKatie Ledecky has a new title to her name — and it's a big one.
With her silver medal alongside her U.S. teammates in the women's 4x200-meter relay at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, Aug. 1, Ledecky is now the most decorated female American Olympian, with 13 medals.
The 27-year-old from Bethesda, Md. surpassed fellow swimmers Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin, who all have 12 Olympic medals, to stand alone with her 13. Ledecky is also now the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history.
Ledecky had tied Thompson in medals and golds on Wednesday night after her 1500-meter freestyle win.
Related: Golden Again! Katie Ledecky Wins 1500-Meter Freestyle in Olympic-Record Time, Her 8th Gold
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(L-R) Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden, Katie Ledecky and Erin Gemmell (in water) after finishing secondLedecky swam the third leg of the 4x200-meter relay, nearly bringing the U.S. even with eventual winners Australia, along with Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden and Erin Gemmell. They finished in 7:40.86, leaving them 2.78 seconds behind Australia.
Ledecky can set another mark this Games on Saturday night — if she wins the 800-meter freestyle, as the distance swimmer is favored to do, she'll tie former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina for most gold medals by any female Olympian.
Related: How to Watch Katie Ledecky Compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Ledecky said on Wednesday, though, that she isn't focusing on the medal records.
"I try not to think about the history very much," she told reporters, including PEOPLE, after her 1500-meter win. "So it's just an honor to be named among them. And I'm grateful for them inspiring me."
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