Katie Ledecky bids farewell to 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Katie Ledecky touched the wall first in the 800m freestyle for the third successive Olympics, concluding her time in Tokyo with two gold medals and two silvers.

Katie Ledecky of Team USA poses with her two gold and silver medals.

Katie Ledecky is bidding farewell to the Tokyo Games after claiming four medals, two of them gold.

The American swimming star went on Twitter to post her thanks to the people of Tokyo and everyone who gave her “tremendous support this week and over the years!” Even though the stands were largely empty at the Olympic pool because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ledecky says she “could hear you all!”

 

 

Ledecky wasn’t quite as successful as at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she swept her three individual events and won a gold and a silver in the relays.

But she did win gold in her two longest events, the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle, in addition to swimming a brilliant anchor leg that almost pulled out gold for the United States in the 4x200 free relay.

Along the way, Ledecky became the first female swimmer to win six individual golds in her career, the first woman to win the 800 free at three straight Olympics, and one of just five American female swimmers to earn 10 career medals.

At age 24, Ledecky has no plans to stop swimming.