NANTERRE, France (AP) — Katie Ledecky advanced to the finals of the women’s 800-meter freestyle Friday at the Paris Olympics with a chance to make even more history.
With a victory, Ledecky would join fellow American Michael Phelps as the only swimmers — of any gender and from any country — to win four gold medals in the same event.
Ledecky had the fastest time in the morning heats (8 minutes, 16.62 seconds) and will swim the 800 final Friday night, when she will be an overwhelming favorite for gold.
NANTERRE, FRANCE – AUGUST 02: (EDITORS NOTE: Image was captured using an underwater robotic camera.) Paige Madden of Team United States, Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia and Katie Ledecky of Team United States compete in the Women’s 800m Freestyle Heats on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on August 02, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
An underwater view shows US’ Katie Ledecky competing in a heat of the women’s 800m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on August 2, 2024. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STF/AFP via Getty Images)
US’ Katie Ledecky reacts after competing in a heat of the women’s 800m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)
US’ Katie Ledecky reacts after competing in a heat of the women’s 800m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)
US’ Katie Ledecky reacts after a heat of the women’s 800m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP) (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images)
NANTERRE, FRANCE – AUGUST 01: Silver Medalist Katie Ledecky of Team United States reacts following the Swimming medal ceremony after the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on August 01, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Gold medallists Team Australia (C) Australia’s Mollie O’callaghan, Australia’s Lani Pallister, Australia’s Brianna Throssell and Australia’s Ariarne Titmus, silver medallists Team USA US’ Claire Weinstein, US’ Paige Madden US’ Katie Ledecky and US’ Erin Gemmell and bronze medallists Team China China’s Yang Junxuan, China’s Li Bingjie, China’s Ge Chutong and China’s Liu Yaxin pose for a selfie on the podium of the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on August 1, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)
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NANTERRE, FRANCE – AUGUST 02: (EDITORS NOTE: Image was captured using an underwater robotic camera.) Paige Madden of Team United States, Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia and Katie Ledecky of Team United States compete in the Women’s 800m Freestyle Heats on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on August 02, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
She is the record holder at the distance with a time of 8:04.79.
Ledecky was beaten in this event earlier this year in a regional meet in Florida by Canadian Summer McIntosh, her first loss at the distance in 13 years.
McIntosh is not swimming the 800 in Paris. She has already won gold in the 200 fly and 400 IM, and added silver in the 400 freestyle.
Ledecky first won this event in the 2012 London Olympics. Phelps won the 200 individual medley four times.
“I try not to really think about it,” Ledecky said Friday. “Just taking it one event at a time and I know I have challenges in each of my events.”
“When it’s all said and done, I’ll enjoy it,” she added.
There is more for the record books.
A victory would give Ledecky her ninth Olympic gold medal. That will tie her for second for the most gold medals in the Olympics — Summer or Winter — in any sport.
She would join Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, American swimmer Mark Spitz and American sprinter Carl Lewis. American gymnast Simone Biles won her sixth gold medal Thursday, and she has a chance to win three more in the vault, balance beam and floor exercise events this weekend.
This is also a reminder of Phelps’ grandeur. He won 23 gold medals, a mark that seems almost untouchable.
