Katie Ledecky was just starting to build her legacy when she dominated the 400-meter freestyle at the 2016 Olympics, winning by a margin of nearly five seconds and setting a world record in the event.
In Tokyo, Ledecky only walked away from the event wearing silver. Despite posting the best time in heats and shaving three seconds off of it in the Olympic final, Australian star Ariarne Titmus, just 20 at the time, blazed ahead for gold. Ledecky still left Tokyo with two gold medals, but there’s an element of redemption at play in the 400-meter this year.
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Titmus enters as the odds-on favorite, followed by Ledecky and Canadian star Summer McIntosh. It would be a stunner if anyone outside of that trio walked away with gold, but Titmus and McIntosh will make the path to the top of the podium much more difficult for Ledecky than it’s expected to be in the 800-meter or 1500-meter.
A win for Titmus, meanwhile, could put her on a path to multiple gold medals in Paris. She’s also favored in the 200-meter freestyle and is looking to dethrone Ledecky in the 800-meter.
The Sporting News is tracking live updates and results from the women’s 400-meter swimming final featuring Ledecky. Follow along below with everything you need to know from the race.
MORE: Watch Katie Ledecky’s Olympic races live with Fubo (free trial)
Olympic women’s 400-meter freestyle results
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Katie Ledecky live updates, results, highlights from 2024 Olympics
(All times Eastern)
2:42 p.m. — The start of the men’s 400 free will be a few minutes behind, so expect the same for the women’s.
2:28 p.m. — The women’s 400-meter (2:52 p.m. ET) will be preceded by the men’s 400-meter freestyle 10 minutes earlier. NBC’s live coverage is about to get underway.
2:12 p.m. — Titmus remains the slight favorite in this race despite finishing second in the heats, with Ledecky and McIntosh just behind.
2:00 p.m. — Ledecky won the heats earlier in the day, finishing in 4:02.19 ahead of Australia’s Ariarne Titmus. New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather impressed with a third-place finish, while Canada’s Summer McIntosh finished fourth.
Katie Ledecky making it look easy on Day 1 in Paris. 😤
She wins her 400m freestyle heat to advance to the final. #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network & Peacock pic.twitter.com/sR5ImMm7QR
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 27, 2024
Women’s 400-meter final start time
- Date: Saturday, July 27
- Time: 2:52 p.m. ET
The women’s 400-meter freestyle final at the 2024 Olympics is set to start at 2:52 p.m. ET. The race should take about four minutes.
How to watch Katie Ledecky at the Olympics
- TV channels: NBC | USA Network
- Live streams: Fubo | NBCOlympics.com | NBC Sports app | Peacock
NBC and its family of networks will offer daily coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Swimming events will also be available to stream on NBCOlympics.com, the NBC Sports app, Peacock, and Fubo, which is offering a free trial.
MORE: No days off mentality keeps Katie Ledecky on top of her sport
Katie Ledecky swimming schedule
Saturday, July 27
| Event | Time (ET) | TV/live stream |
| Women’s 400m Freestyle Heats | 5 a.m. | USA Peacock, Fubo |
| Women’s 400m Freestyle Finals | 2:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock, Fubo |
Tuesday, July 30
| Event | Time (ET) | TV/live stream |
| Women’s 1500 Freestyle Heats | 5 a.m. | USA, Peacock, Fubo |
Wednesday, July 31
| Event | Time (ET) | TV/live stream |
| Women’s 1500 Freestyle Finals | 2:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock, Fubo |
Thursday, Aug. 1
| Event | Time (ET) | TV/live stream |
| Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay Heats | 5 a.m. | USA, Peacock, Fubo |
| Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay Finals | 2:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock, Fubo |
Friday, Aug. 2
| Event | Time (ET) | TV/live stream |
| Women’s 800m Freestyle Heats | 5 a.m. | USA, Peacock, Fubo |
Saturday, Aug. 3
| Event | Time (ET) | TV/live stream |
| Women’s 800m Freestyle Finals | 2:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock, Fubo |
