It’s hard enough to win an Olympic gold medal once. It’s tougher to defend a gold medal when the next chance comes around. four years later.
Tell that to Team USA’s Katie Ledecky, who is aiming to win her fourth consecutive 800m freestyle event at the 2024 Olympics.
The women’s 800m final is set for Saturday, as the American swimming star headlines the field for the freestyle event. Ledecky first won the 800m freestyle back in 2012 and successfully defended her title in 2016 and 2021.
Entering Saturday’s swimming action at La Defense Arena, Ledecky has three medals to her name from Paris — a gold in the 1500m freestyle, a silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay and a bronze in the 400m freestyle. If she takes gold in this race, it not only would be her second gold in 2024 but her ninth career Olympic gold medal.
Will Ledecky win the event for the fourth consecutive time? The Sporting News tracked Ledecky’s results from the 800m freestyle race in Paris.
MORE: Watch the Olympics live on Fubo (7-day free trial)
Olympic women’s 800-meter freestyle results
| Place | Swimmer | Time |
| 1 | Erika Fairweather (Australia) | |
| 2 | Isabel Gose (Germany) | |
| 3 | Ariarne Titmus (Australia) | |
| 4 | Katie Ledecky (USA) | |
| 5 | Paige Madden (USA) | |
| 6 | Lani Pallister (Australia) | |
| 7 | Simona Quadarella (Italy) | |
| 8 | Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (France) |
Katie Ledecky updates, results, highlights from 2024 Olympics
(All times Eastern)
3:38 p.m.: Ledecky is finally starting to pull away from Titmus with 100 meters to go. Paige Madden has ferociously crawled back and now is even with Titmus for second place.
3:37 p.m.: This has been an incredibly effort out of Titmus, putting together a much closer fight than I think most expected. Ledecky still has a half a second lead on the Aussie heading into the final 200 meters, but she is not running away with it by any means.
3:35 p.m.: At the halfway point, it remains a two-horse race with Titmus and Ledecky. The defending champion is slightly ahead, but not by much. Ledecky is pacing a bit behind her world record pace.
3:32 p.m.: Through the first 200 meters, it’s Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus at the front. The Australian is keeping pace with the American to start off the race, but there’s still plenty of time to go.
3:31 p.m.: Here we go! The 800-meter race is off.
3:15 p.m.: We’re just about 20 minutes away from Ledecky going for gold in the 800-meter.
2:45 p.m.: While Ledecky is the favorite in the event, her fellow American Paige Madden and Australia’s Ariarne Titmus are going for podium spots as well.
2:16 p.m.: There hasn’t been many that have come close to defeating Ledecky in an 800-meter event — until this year. Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh shocked the world when she beat Ledecky at the USA Swimming’s 2024 Southern Zone South Sectionals earlier this year. However, McIntosh won’t be competing in the 800-meter event, as she is in the 200-meter individual medley, which takes place right before Ledecky’s race.
1:54 p.m.: Ledecky currently sits at eight gold medals in her Olympic career. She entered Paris with seven and won No. 8 in the 1500-meter freestyle.
1:30 p.m.: Katie Ledecky is about two hours away from putting her gold medal on the line once again in the 800-meter freestyle. She first won in 2012 and then defender the title in 2016 and 2021.
Women’s 800-meter final start time
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 3
- Time: 3:28 p.m. ET
The women’s 800m freestyle final at the 2024 Olympics is set to start at 3:28 p.m. ET. The race should take about eight minutes.
How many medals has Katie Ledecky won?
Entering the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ledecky is already one of the most decorated female swimmers of all time.
Ledecky enters the games having won seven gold and three silver medals at the Olympics, while also claiming 16 FINA World Aquatics Championships gold medals and three silver medals. Her combined 23 gold medals are the most of any women’s swimmer.
How many will she add in Paris? Here’s how she’s been doing:
| Event | Medal | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 400 Freestyle | Bronze | 4:00.86 |
| 800 Freestyle | ||
| 1500 Freestyle | Gold | 15:30.02 |
| 4×200 Freestyle Relay | Silver | 7:40.86 |
MORE: How Katie Ledecky has stayed on top of her sport
Katie Ledecky swim schedule
Ledecky is expected to compete in four different events. That means she will frequent television sets during the swimming portion of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She will be competing in the heats for each event, which will start at 5 a.m. ET on their scheduled mornings. The live broadcast will be carried by the USA Network, while NBC will air replays later in the afternoon.
When she swims in the finals each day, NBC will broadcast the races, starting at 2:30 p.m. each afternoon.
Those interested in streaming her races can log onto NBC platforms NBCOlympics.com, NBCSports.com, or Peacock, or watch them on Fubo.
Here is the full schedule for when Ledecky will be swimming. Times are based on the Olympics schedule.
Saturday, July 27
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s 400 Freestyle Heats | 5 a.m. | USA |
| Women’s 400 Freestyle Finals | 2:42 p.m. | NBC |
Tuesday, July 30
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s 1500 Freestyle Heats | 5 a.m. | USA |
Wednesday, July 31
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s 1500 Freestyle Finals | 3:07 p.m. | NBC |
Thursday, Aug. 1
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay Heats | 5 a.m. | USA |
| Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay Finals | 3:49 p.m. | NBC |
Friday, Aug. 2
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s 800 Freestyle Heats | 5 a.m. | USA |
Saturday, Aug. 3
| Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s 800 Freestyle Finals | 3:08 p.m. | NBC |
How to watch Olympic swimming
- Dates: July 27-Aug. 4
- Time: 5 a.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC, USA Network
- Live stream: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, Fubo
Olympic swimming begins at 5 a.m. ET each day from July 27-Aug. 3. There will only be heats in the morning session. Every day will have an afternoon session that begins at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Aug. 4 is the final day of competition and will only feature an afternoon session with four final races.
Fans can tune into the swimming competitions on NBC and USA Network. Those streaming can watch via Peacock, NBCOlympics.com or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
