Ledecky seemed pleased and undeterred, though. She has more gold chances ahead. “It was such a good field,” she told the press. “There was a chance I could have not gotten a medal. I’m grateful for the effort I put in, happy with the medal, and looking forward to my next races.”
Carson Foster took bronze in the men’s 400-meter individual medley, and Nic Fink, at the age of 31, won his first-ever medal, a silver, in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke.
“It’s just a number, in some senses, but in others it means more,” Fink said to the media, referring to his age. “There were windows to close my career earlier and I kept going for the love of the sport. To have this much success this late has been icing on the cake. More than anything, it’s been fun.”
US Swimming has also clinched a medal in another relay: the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle event. Taking silver, the women’s lineup consisted of Kate Douglass, Walsh, Huske, and Simone Manuel. The aforementioned men’s team included Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, and Dressel.