Each and every day of the 2024 Paris Olympics, NBCOlympics.com will keep you updated overnight with the biggest stories from across the Olympic landscape. All competition streams live on NBCOlympics.com and Peacock — visit the schedule page for more details. We will continue to update this recap throughout the day.

On a day that featured 18 medal events, Katie Ledecky's continued dominance in the pool was one of the highlights from Wednesday at the 2024 Paris Olympics Games..

Here's what you should know from Day 5 of competition.

Katie Ledecky made history once again on Wednesday evening in Paris, winning gold in the women's 1500m freestyle event at the 2024 Olympic Games. 

The American swimmer, who came into the race boasting the 19 fastest 1500m times in history, finished in 15:30.02, an Olympic record and ten seconds better than the next finisher, for her eighth career Olympic gold medal. Ledecky is now tied with swimming legends Jenny Thompson, Natalie Coughlin and Dara Torres for the most medals of all time (12) by any U.S. woman in history. 

"I try not to think about history very much," Ledecky said. "I know those names, those people I'm up with. They're people I looked up to when I first started swimming.

"It's an honor to be named among them. I'm grateful for them inspiring me. There are so many great swimmers that have helped me get to this moment."

France's Anastasia Kirpichnikova won silver while Isabel Gose of Germany grabbed the bronze medal.

“I was shocked," Kirpichnikova said. "I can’t imagine that I am second, right behind Ledecky."

Results: Women's 1500m freestyle

🥇 Katie Ledecky (USA)
🥈 Anastasia Kirpichnikova (FRA)
🥉 Isabel Gose (GER)

In the women's 100m freestyle event, Team USA's Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh battled once again days after they both won medals in the 100m butterfly and the 4x100m freestyle relay. But it was Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom who claimed gold, setting a world record in the process with a time of 52.16 seconds.

"Sarah is the greatest. I'm so happy for her," Huske said of Sjostrom. "She is such an accomplished swimmer, and she's so sweet and kind. It couldn't have gone to a nicer person."

Results: Women's100m freestyle

🥇 Sarah Sjostrom (SWE)
🥈 Torri Huske (USA)
🥉 Siobhan Haughey (HKG)

The host nation favorite, France's Leon Marchand, attempted a daring feat — competing for two individual swimming golds in one night, specifically within about 90 minutes of each other.

Marchand came, saw and conquered. He won gold in both the men's 200m butterfly and men's 200m breaststroke and will go for his fourth medal of these Games in the 200m individual medley on Thursday, Aug. 1.

Results: Men's 200m butterfly

🥇 Leon Marchand (FRA)
🥈 Kristof Milak (HUN)
🥉 Ilya Kharun (CAN)

Results: Men's 200m backstroke

🥇 Leon Marchand (FRA)
🥈 Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS)
🥉 Caspar Corbeau (NED)

FULL RESULTS

Perris Benegas won her first medal in her second Olympic appearance in the women's BMX freestyle final on Wednesday. (She finished fourth in this event in Tokyo.)

In 2023, Benegas spent most of the year recovering from a leg injury but came back to finish in second place at an Olympic Qualifier Series contest in June.

American Hannah Roberts, the Tokyo silver medalist, finished eighth overall after falling in both runs.

FULL RESULTS

Results: Women's BMX freestyle

🥇 Deng Yawen (CHN)
🥈 Perris Benegas (USA)
🥉 Natalya Diehm (AUS)

American Evy Leibfarth earned bronze in the women's canoe slalom C-1 on Wednesday. 

Leibfarth was the last qualifier for the C-1 final, but the 20-year-old never relinquished a podium spot after she was first to compete in the final. No American — male or female — had won a canoe slalom medal since Rebecca Giddens won silver in K-1 in 2004 — the year Leibfarth was born.

FULL RESULTS

Results: Women's Canoe Slalom - C1

🥇 Jessica Fox (AUS)
🥈 Elena Lilik (GER)
🥉 Evy Leibfarth (USA)

Shinnosuke Oka of Japan won the men's gymnastics all-around final. Japan is now the first country ever to win four consecutive all-around titles.

The two top spots in the men's all-around podium were expected to be Zhang Boheng and Daiki Hashimoto. Instead, Oka won gold while Hashimoto finished in sixth.

Americans Paul Juda and Frederick Richard finished in 14th and 15th place, respectively. Richard was the 2023 all-around world bronze medalist but a fall on the pommel horse, combined with small mistakes throughout, held him back. 

FULL RESULTS

Results: Gymnastics  Men's All-Around Final

🥇 Shinnosuke Oka (JPN)
🥈 Zhang Boheng (CHN)
🥉 Xiao Routeng (CHN)

The U.S. women's soccer team remains undefeated at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games thanks to a 2-1 win over Australia on Wednesday to close out group play. 

American Trinity Rodman was first to react to a redirected ball from Sophia Smith to put the ball in the back of the net. After a lengthy VAR check, the goal was awarded to the U.S.

Team USA's second goal of the match didn't come until the 77th minute when substitute Korbin Albert let one rip from outside the box and found the top left corner. 

The U.S. had already secured a spot in the quarterfinals before Wednesday's matchup. They now know they will face Japan on Saturday, Aug. 3.

• Brazil's Marta, a six-time FIFA World Player of the Year and perhaps the most celebrated player in women's soccer history, received a red card vs. Spain in what could end up being her last appearance in a Brazil kit at a major competition.
• The U.S. women's volleyball team survived a strong comeback by Serbia to win 3-2. 
• The U.S. beach volleyball team of Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes defeated France in two sets to earn their second victory in Pool C.
• There were a few notable track & field updates ahead of competition beginning on Thursday. Shericka Jackson of Jamaica dropped the 100m and will only run the 200m at the Olympics. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands confirmed her Olympic program in Paris, which includes the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon. Czechoslovakia's Emil Zatopek is the only athlete, male or female, to win medals in the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon at a single Olympics — in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.
• The U.S. women's water polo team held Italy to just three goals in a 10-3 victory.
• Team USA men's basketball team defeated South Sudan 103-86 in group play. LeBron James now joins Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony as the only U.S. men's basketball players to reach the 300-point mark in the Olympics.
• Women's Round 3 of surfing in Tahiti remains postponed. The next call will be made at 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday.

MEDAL TABLE

On Day 5 of competition, the United States won four medals, increasing their count to 30 total. Team USA's Wednesday medals were earned by Perris Benegas (silver, BMX freestyle), Evy Leibfarth (bronze, canoe slalom), Torri Huske (silver, swimming) and Katie Ledecky (gold, swimming). Of the 30 total medals, 19 have been earned by American women. Let's go, girls!