AMERICA’S Katie Ledecky has done it again. The most versatile swimmer at these Olympic Games won a gold medal in the first-ever women’s 1,500m freestyle yesterday, a little more than an hour after finishing fifth in the 200m.

Ledecky finished the 1,500 in 15:37.34, followed by U.S. teammate Erica Sullivan, 4.07 seconds back. Germany’s Sarah Kohler took bronze.

“I think people maybe feel bad for me that I’m not winning everything but I want people to be more concerned about other things going on in the world where people are truly suffering,” Ledecky said after her 1,500 race. “I’m just proud to bring home a gold medal to Team USA.”

Ledecky was clearly thrilled for Sullivan, 20, to reach the podium. Sullivan, competing in her first Olympics, has looked up to Ledecky.

“She’s such a bad chick. She’s such a cool human being,” Sullivan said. “She’s a legend and she’ll forever be a legend. The fact that I get to swim in the same generation as her is so wonderful.”

It’s the sixth gold medal of Ledecky’s career after she made her debut as a 15-year-old at the 2012 Olympics, winning the women’s 800 in London.

Earlier in the morning, Ledecky swam the 200 in 1:55.21, finishing 1.71 seconds behind Australian Ariarne Titmus, who won in an Olympic record 1:53.50.

Ledecky, already the most decorated female swimmer in history, won the silver medal in the 400 freestyle Monday with her second-best time ever, beaten only by the swim of a lifetime by Titmus.

“After the 200, I knew I had to turn the page very quickly,” Ledecky said. “In the warm-down pool I was thinking of my family. Kind of each stroke I was thinking of my grandparents.”

Her voice choked with emotion. She crunched her eyes trying not to cry.

“They’re the toughest four people I know,” Ledecky said, “and that’s what helped me get through that.”(SD-Agencies)