With her final swim of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Katie Ledecky draped herself in one of the most significant gold medals in the history of the Olympics.

Ledecky won the women’s 800m freestyle, repeating a feat she also accomplished as a 15-year-old in London, then in Rio, then in Tokyo. She became the first woman ever, and the second swimmer ever after Michael Phelps, to four-peat in an individual Olympic event.

“The four times one (record) is the one that means the most to me. August 3 is the day I won in 2012, and I didn’t want August 3 to be a day I didn’t like, moving forwards. Kinda felt like I put a lot of pressure on myself. So I’m happy I got the job done,” Ledecky said.

But that was only the beginning of her history. The gold medal was Ledecky’s ninth of her career, breaking a tie she briefly held with fellow American Jenny Thompson as the most golden female Olympic swimmer in history. 

She also entered into a tie with Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina for most gold medals by a woman in any Olympic sport, and into a five-way tie with Latynina, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz and Paavo Nurmi for second-most gold medals ever, after Phelps.

It was a fitting way to end the Paris Games for Ledecky, who many already revered as swimming’s greatest-ever woman before her four-medal (two gold) performance in the French capital.

The race was much closer than Ledecky’s previous three Olympic 800s, as Australian star Ariarne Titmus stayed within a body length for nearly the entire 16 laps.

“I knew Ariarne was going to give me everything she had. We got 36 hours of rest, so I knew it was going to be tough all the way down to the finish. I just had to stick in the race, and trust myself, trust my training, trust that I know how to race. I’m just relieved I got my hand on the wall,” Ledecky said.

Eventually, Ledecky touched first in 8:11.04, with Titmus 1.25 seconds behind in the silver position.

Team USA’s Paige Madden took bronze, her first individual Olympic medal.

Ledecky’s next Olympic race, if there is one, would come in Los Angeles four years from now. She’ll be 31.

“I’d love to (compete in 2028), but it’s not easy,” Ledecky said. “I’ll take it year by year, and give it everything I’ve got for as long as I have left in me.”