Top 5 Female American swimmers with most Olympic medals in history ft. Katie Ledecky

By Zahid Rashid Dar

Modified Aug 01, 2024 06:40 GMT

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The Paris Olympics 2024 continues to witness the dominance of American swimmers as Katie Ledecky shines on day 5 of the competition. After winning a bronze medal earlier in the 400m freestyle, the 27-year-old stormed to a new Olympic record in the women's 1500m freestyle at Paris Olympics 2024.

Alongside Ledecky, several other American swimmers have won medals at the Paris Olympics 2024. From Torri Huske’s gold to Gretchen Walsh’s silver, the USA continues to bolster its tally with the medals.

Following Ledecky's gold medal win, let's take a look at five of the most decorated female American Olympic swimmers of all time.

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#5 Alison Schmitt

Swimming - Olympics: Day 4 - Source: Getty

Alisson Schmitt has amassed a total of ten Olympic medals in her career. The retired swimmer competed at the 2008 Beijing as her first Olympic Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics marked her last appearance. Of the ten medals, Schmitt's tally comprises four gold medals, and three medals each of silver and bronze.

#4 Dara Torres

2008 US Olympic Swimming Team Trials - Source: Getty

Dara Torres amassed twelve Olympic medals in five Olympic Games. She first competed at the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics before making a return at the 2000 Olympics. She came back again for the 2008 Beijing Olympics which marked her last appearance. Of the 12 medals, Torres had four medals each of gold, silver, and bronze.

#3 Natalie Coughlin

SWIMMING: MAR 04 Arena Pro Swim Series at Orlando - Day 2 - Source: Getty

Natalie Coughlin made her Olympic debut at the 2004 Olympic Games, winning two gold, two silver, and a bronze medal. At the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, Coughlin won one more gold medal, four bronze, and two silver medals.

#2 Jenny Thompson

Jenny Thompson Training 1992 - Source: Getty

Jenny Thompson is among the greatest female Olympic American swimmers of all time. The 51-year-old made her Olympic debut at the 1992 Olympics. She competed in all of the Olympic Games till 2004. Thompson won a total of 12 Olympic medals in her career, which included eight gold medals.

#1 Katie Ledecky

Swimming - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Katie Ledecky (Source: Getty)

Katie Ledecky continues to stamp her authority as the greatest female swimmer of all time. She made her Olympic debut at the 2012 London Games, and despite being the underdog, won the gold in the 800m freestyle. Following the American’s impressive performance at the Paris Olympics 2024, she is now tied with Thompson and others as the most decorated female swimmer of all time.

Of Katie Ledecky’s 12 medals, eight are gold while the other four are silver (3) and bronze (1) respectively. With Ledecky set to defend her title in the 800m freestyle, she needs only a medal to become the greatest female swimmer of all time.