Katie Ledecky now most decorated female swimmer with relay silver

PARIS -- Katie Ledecky became the most decorated female Olympic swimmer of all time, but the U.S. great had to settle for silver as Australia made sure of the 4x200-meter freestyle gold at the Paris Games on Thursday.

China took the bronze, with Canada fourth.

Ledecky now has 13 Olympic medals -- eight golds, four silvers and a bronze -- one more than fellow Americans Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin and Australia's Emma McKeon.

She and her great compatriot Michael Phelps are the only swimmers to win 13 medals, with the latter's tally of 28 in no danger of being matched.

"It's just amazing to get to be a part of even one-13th of the journey that she's been on," Ledecky's teammate Erin Gemmell told reporters.

"I think it's so much more fun to be on a relay than to be by yourself. We just had a great time out there tonight."

The Australian team of Mollie O'Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell and Ariarne Titmus finished in an Olympic record time of 7:38.08 at the La Defense Arena.

Jamie Perkins and Shayna Jack, who swam in the heats, also took gold.

The U.S. finished 2.78 seconds behind with Ledecky putting in a fighting third leg to haul teammates Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden and Gemmell up from third to second.

Another win would have taken Ledecky's tally to nine golds and level with former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina's record haul for a female Olympian from any sport, but that was too big an ask.

Ledecky can still do that in the women's 800-meter freestyle on Saturday, after winning the 1,500. The American, who made her Olympic debut at London 2012, holds the world record in both distances.

Australia led from the start, with O'Callaghan powering down the pool before handing over to Pallister, recovered from COVID earlier in the week and consolidating for Throssell to keep Ledecky safely at bay.

"This morning, we were wearing masks just to make sure. She (Pallister) has tested negative now, but I think to do those two incredible swims in one day is such a testament to her," Throssell said.

"I guess we just supported her as best as we could while also making sure that our health and safety was first as well."

Titmus was never in any danger as she made sure of her second gold and third medal of the Games.

"It was really fun. I feel like a bit of redemption for us. Tokyo was definitely not the result we wanted and I personally wasn't happy with how I performed in the relay in Tokyo," Titmus said.

Australia finished third in that race won by China, with the Americans second.

"I feel like I have a role to play in this team and do the best job I possibly can. And I think I did that tonight. I'm proud that they had faith in me... to put me last and get the job done," Titmus added.

--Summer McIntosh of Canada claimed her second gold medal of the Paris Olympics as she fended off her American rival and a strong field in the women's 200-meter butterfly.

The 17-year-old touched the wall in an Olympic record time of 2:03.03 at La Defense Arena, 0.81 seconds ahead of silver medalist Regan Smith of the United States. China's Zhang Yufei won bronze.

McIntosh, whose mother Jill Horstead swam for Canada in the 1984 Games, has three medals overall in the 2024 Games and is the first Canadian athlete to win two gold medals in the Summer Games since sprinter Donovan Bailey in 1996.

--Kate Douglass clinched gold in the women's 200-meter breaststroke.

Douglas upset defending champion Tatjana Smith of South Africa and delivered the United States its fourth gold medal of the meet.

The versatile Douglass touched the wall in 2:19.24 at La Defense Arena, 0.36 seconds ahead of silver medalist Smith.

Tes Schouten won bronze for the Netherlands.

--Reuters, Special to Field Level Media