Katie Ledecky Shines in Paris: First Medal Race Results Revealed

Australia’s Ariarne Titmus was the reigning Olympic champion in the 400 free, knocking off Ledecky at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

PARIS, France — Ariarne Titmus triumphed over Katie Ledecky in the 400-meter freestyle, winning one of the most highly anticipated races of the Paris Games.

Titmus, nicknamed “The Terminator,” handed Ledecky a second consecutive defeat in an event the American had previously dominated at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

With fingernails painted in Aussie yellow, Titmus led the race from start to finish. Her stiffest challenge came from Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh, yet Titmus secured victory with a time of 3 minutes, 57.49 seconds.

McIntosh took the silver in 3:58.37, while Ledecky finished with the bronze at 4:00.86.

Despite this setback, Ledecky remains remarkable with six individual golds, the most of any female swimmer in Olympic history.

Titmus now boasts three individual Olympic victories. She previously swept the 200 and 400 free in Tokyo and remains a favorite for the same double in Paris.

Ledecky opted out of another face-off with Titmus in the 200 free but is heavily favored in the 800 and 1,500 events.

Germany’s Lukas Märtens clinched the first swimming gold of these games, surpassing three world champions in the men’s 400 freestyle.

Märtens set a relentless pace through the first 300 meters and finished in 3:41.78. Elijah Winnington of Australia, the 2022 world champ, claimed silver with a time of 3:42.21. South Korea’s reigning world champion Kim Woo-win took the bronze in 3:42.50.