Katie Ledecky won gold in the 1,500-meter freestyle after failing to medal in a race earlier.- It was the first time Ledecky did not medal in a final in an international meet.
- After winning gold, the typically reserved Ledecky teared up and struggled through an interview.
Katie Ledecky experienced an unusual low and then a stunning high at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday.
Ledecky first failed to medal in the 200-meter freestyle final, finishing fifth and nearly two seconds behind gold-medal winner Ariarne Titmus of Australia.
Though sprint events are not Ledecky's strongest races, Ledecky not medaling is an unusual sight. According to NBC's Nick Zaccardi, it was the first time Ledecky didn't medal in 36 finals across international meets.
Nevertheless, Ledecky rebounded. Just over an hour later, Ledecky won the first-ever Olympic women's 1,500-meter freestyle, arguably her best event. She took home the gold by about three seconds, her first gold medal of the Tokyo games.
After becoming the first-ever women's 1,500-meter Olympic champion, Ledecky appeared to fight tears in the pool.
-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
As she got out of the pool and walked over to NBC's Michelle Tafoya, she fumbled with her mask and took her goggles on and off.
Once she spoke to Tafoya, Ledecky - typically upbeat but fairly reserved - got choked up.
"I just wanted to get the job done tonight," Ledecky said, her voice cracking. "It was tough after the 200, but I really just moved the page forward and moved on and really got my mindset right."
As she did in the pool, Ledecky then put her arm around silver medalist and teammate Erica Sullivan, saying she was happy to share the win with her.
-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
Ledecky still has the 800-meter freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relays to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.