Katie Ledecky made history in multiple ways on Saturday at the Paris Olympics, winning her fourth straight gold medal in the women's 800m freestyle. Ledecky joined Team USA legend Michael Phelps as the only swimmers to win four Olympic gold medals in the same event. If that wasn't enough history, Ledecky's gold medal was the ninth of her Olympic career, the most Olympic golds won by any American woman in the history of the Games.
So, if any medal ceremony was going to be all about Ledecky, it would be this one, especially with the potential for this to be her final Olympics.
But Ledecky, in the classiest of gestures, had USA Swimming teammate Paige Madden, who won the bronze medal after a furious comeback in the race, join her on the top step of the podium where the gold medal winners usually stand.
🥹🤧@TeamUSA | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/jPKH1ZR7iC
— USA Swimming (@USASwimming) August 3, 2024
Ledecky had every reason to only be thinking about herself, but she chose to give as much of the podium spotlight to her teammate in Madden, who had won the first individual medal of her Olympic career.
What a special moment.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Katie Ledecky Had Classy Gesture for USA Teammate on Olympics Podium After Winning Gold.
