She gave it an almighty nudge and set a personal best, but Ariarne Titmus could not stop the machine that is Katie Ledecky from gaining entry to yet more elite clubs in the pantheon of all-time great Olympians.
Titmus and Lani Pallister, who had teamed up two days prior to defeat Ledecky’s United States in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, took on America’s endurance queen in her strongest event on Sunday morning AEST and finished second and sixth respectively.
Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus celebrate their gold and silver meals in the 800m freestyle.Credit: Getty Images
Ledecky, whose name already comes with too many descriptors to list, added another couple to her bulging resume at La Defense Arena on Sunday morning AEST.
This mesmerising 16-lap display of dominance brings the 27-year-old’s Olympic gold medal tally to nine, bringing her level with Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina for the most golds won in Olympic history by a female athlete in any sport.
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She also becomes the first woman to win four consecutive Olympic gold medals in the same individual event in any sport (Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk can also achieve the feat in the women’s hammer throw in Paris).
Her compatriot Michael Phelps is the only man to have won four individual golds in four straight Games.
Titmus tried to break Ledecky early, staying on the shoulder of her rival and staying under world-record time until almost the halfway point, as Pallister engaged in a four-way fight for third a couple of body lengths adrift.
But Ledecky pushed through the pain and regenerated in the last 200m to touch first in 8:11.04. Titmus, meanwhile, touched in 8:12.29 – an Oceania record – while Pallister clocked 8:21.09.
