Paris Olympic 2024: Katie Ledecky takes record but Australia win 4x200 freestyle

Ledecky takes record but Australia win 4x200 freestyle

Katie Ledecky became the most decorated female Olympic swimmer of all time but the United States great had to settle for silver as Australia made sure of the 4x200 metres freestyle gold at the Paris Games on Thursday night. China took the bronze, with Canada fourth.

Ledecky now has 13 Olympic medals -- eight golds, four silvers and a bronze -- one more than compatriots 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.

The Australian team of Mollie O'Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell and Ariarne Titmus finished in an Olympic record time of seven minutes 38.08 seconds at the La Defense Arena. The US finished 2.78 seconds behind with Ledecky putting in a fighting third leg to haul teammates Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden and Erin Gemmell up from third to second.

Douglass takes 200m breaststroke gold

Kate Douglass underlined her remarkable versatility with gold in the women's 200 metres breaststroke at the Olympics, beating Tokyo champion Tatjana Smith, who bows out of swimming with a silver medal in her final race. Taking full advantage of her turning prowess, American Douglass nudged ahead of Smith after every length and held off the South African to touch the wall in 2:19.24 at La Defense Arena.

World champion Tes Schouten won bronze for the Netherlands, her first Olympic medal.

Douglass's victory was her first Olympic gold and second of the meet following her silver medal in the women's 4x100 metres freestyle.

Hungary’s Kos wins 200m backstroke gold

Hubert Kos took Hungary's first swimming gold of the Paris Olympics when he won the men's 200 metres backstroke. The 2023 World champion came from behind to touch out in one minute 54.26 seconds, 0.56 ahead of Greek silver medallist Apostolos Christou, at the La Defense Arena. Switzerland's Roman Mityukov the bronze.

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