Katie Ledecky received the phone call that will be remembered for years to come on Thursday. Her Team USA swimming teammate Bobby Finke Facetimed her to deliver the news: she had been chosen as one of the flagbearers for the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ledecky’s reaction was one of pure emotion, as seen in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Team USA. Upon hearing the news, she was speechless, tears streaming down her cheeks as she simply exclaimed, “Oh!” The announcement came while she was attending open-water swimming, and shortly after, she received her official flag bearer jacket.
In an emotional message to Team USA, Ledecky said, “Thank you Team USA. This is a huge honor. Can’t wait for closing ceremonies and it’s been an honor representing our country here in Paris. I’m so proud to be a part of this team.”
Ledecky will carry the American flag alongside Nick Mead, a gold-medal-winning rower. The men’s rowing four team secured gold for the first time in over 60 years.
Ledecky’s performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics further cemented her status as one of the greatest swimmers in history. Her dominance in the pool has made her a national hero, even if she remains a humble and reluctant celebrity.
At 27 years old, Ledecky leaves Paris with an impressive haul of two gold medals, one silver and one bronze. Over her four Olympic Games, she has accumulated a total of 14 medals. With her nine gold medals, Ledecky holds the record for the most gold medals by an American female athlete in Olympic history.
In addition to her gold in the 800 meters, Ledecky won gold in the 1500-meter freestyle, silver in the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay and bronze in the 400-meter freestyle.
Looking ahead, Ledecky has no plans to retire. She expressed a strong desire to compete in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, provided she remains healthy and competitive.
“I don’t feel like I’m close to being finished in the sport yet,” Ledecky said after wining the 800-meter gold. “I’d love to continue on and just seeing the kind of support that the French athletes are getting here, I think all the U.S. athletes are thinking about how cool that could be in Los Angeles having the home crowd. So that would be amazing to be able to compete there.”
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