Katie Ledecky has a chance to make some history.
More than the history that she’s used to making at these international competitions when she sets records with times — though she has the chance to do plenty of that as well. Ledecky currently sits at five Olympic gold medals, putting her three behind Jenny Thompson of the United States for the most gold medals won by a female swimmer in the Olympics. She competes in five events this year, giving her more than enough to surpass Thompson.
But there’s more than just that at stake. Should Ledecky claim all five gold medals, she would become only the second swimmer ever to reach double-digit Olympic gold medals, behind just Michael Phelps.
It won’t be easy. She’s got some tough competition in the 200 meter freestyle with Australian Ariarne Titmus the favorite to win the event and the Australian relay team posing a major threat to the United States on the 4×200 freestyle relay team, but Ledecky should have at least a few gold medals locked up this year.
Sporting News is tracking Ledecky’s performance through the Olympics to see how many medals she brings home and what times she is posting in each of these events.
MORE: Katie Ledecky’s Olympic history and medal count
How many medals has Katie Ledecky won?
Coming into the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Ledecky was already the most decorated female swimmer of all time.
Ledecky entered the games having won five gold and one silver medal at the Olympics, while also claiming 15 FINA World Aquatics Championships gold medals and three silver medals. Her combined 20 gold medals are the most of any women’s swimmer.
How many will she add in Tokyo? Here’s how she’s been doing:
Event | Medal | Time |
---|---|---|
200 Freestyle | 5th | 1:55.21 |
400 Freestyle | Silver | 3:57.36 |
800 Freestyle | Gold | 8:12.57 |
1500 Freestyle | Gold | 15:37.34 |
4×200 Freestyle Relay | Silver | 7:40.73 |
When is Katie Ledecky swimming next?
Competing in five different events, Ledecky will be on the television often for fans hoping to catch a glimpse of her latest run at history. She will be competing in the heats for each event, which will start at 6 a.m. on their scheduled mornings. The live broadcast will be carried by the USA Network, while NBC will air replays later in the afternoon. When she swims in the finals each day, NBC will broadcast the races, starting at 9:30 p.m. each night. Only the 200 freestyle, among Ledecky’s events, will have a semifinal race, which will be held during the evenings along with the finals for other events.
Those interested in streaming her races can log onto NBC platforms NBCOlympics.com, NBCSports.com or Peacock, or watch them on fuboTV, which offers a 7-day free trial.
Here is the full schedule for when Ledecky will be swimming. Times are based on the NBC Olympics schedule.
Sunday, July 25
Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
---|---|---|
Women’s 400 Freestyle Heats | 7:39 a.m. | USA |
Women’s 400 Freestyle Finals | 10:20 p.m. | NBC |
Monday, July 26
Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
---|---|---|
Women’s 200 Freestyle Heats | 6:02 a.m. | USA |
Women’s 1500 Freestyle Heats | 7:32 a.m. | USA |
Women’s 200 Freestyle Semifinals | 9:30 p.m. | NBC |
Tuesday, July 27
Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
---|---|---|
Women’s 200 Freestyle Finals | 9:41 p.m. | NBC |
Women’s 1500 Freestyle Finals | 10:54 p.m. | NBC |
Wednesday, July 28
Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
---|---|---|
Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay Heats | 7:34 a.m. | USA |
Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay Finals | 11:31 p.m. | NBC |
Thursday, July 29
Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
---|---|---|
Women’s 800 Freestyle Heats | 6:02 a.m. | USA |
Friday, July 30
Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
---|---|---|
Women’s 800 Freestyle Finals | 9:46 p.m. | NBC |