Katie Ledecky was proud to be able to represent the United States on the Olympic stage and expressed it as much after she won the 1,500-meter freestyle in dominant fashion.
Ledecky tied the Olympic record with eight gold medals and 12 medals overall as she won the race by more than 10 seconds. She set a new Olympic record time as well at 15:30.02.
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She was asked about the accolades after the event.
"I’m just so honored to represent our country," Ledecky told NBC’s Melissa Stark on Wednesday night. "Those women who have set the standard for so many years have inspired me. They inspired me when I first started swimming. Thank you to them and thank you to everyone who has supported me for all those years."
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It was the second medal for Ledecky overall. She won a bronze in the 400-meter freestyle over the weekend. She could potentially break the overall mark set by Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres in the 800-meter freestyle. Thompson and Ledecky are also tied for most gold medals.
"I’m proud of the time," Ledecky said. "I just wanted to swim a time I can feel proud and happy with. I kinda let my mind wander during the race — thinking of all the people that have trained with me. I was kinda like saying their names in my head and thinking about them."
The United States has 30 total medals as of Wednesday.
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