NBC needed a special camera angle for Katie Ledecky’s dominance at Olympics

Wednesday’s Women’s 1500-meter freestyle final at the 2024 Paris Olympics featured a dominant gold medal victory from Team USA’s Katie Ledecky that forced NBC’s hand in terms of what camera angles were used during the race.

Ledecky finished the event with a time of 15:30:02, ten seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, Anastasia Kirpichnikova of France. She was so far ahead that by the time she had finished, Kirpichnikova was no longer in the frame.

This was despite the fact that NBC, the broadcast home of the Olympics, opted to go to an All-22 camera angle during the event to try and keep all of the swimmers in the frame.

NBC has moved to the All-22 cam so Katie Ledecky’s competition can stay in the frame. pic.twitter.com/W79iuNkZfc

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) July 31, 2024

A video of the finish shared by NBC Olympics and Paralympics on X shows just how impressive of a result it was for the eighth gold medal of her Olympic career.

Simply the greatest. 🙌

Katie Ledecky adds another gold medal to her legendary career achievements.#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/skbxzj1CAj

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 31, 2024

For reference, this exact camera angle was used by Fox during the 2024 Copa América in an attempt to show viewers the entire half of the field.

“This is not a stadium for ants. This is a very high camera for the CONMEBOL world feed.” 🤣🎥🐜@StuHolden shares what everyone’s thinking 😅 pic.twitter.com/V7ps4Ag8Of

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 2, 2024

Viewers watching the event were amazed by Ledecky’s performance but were perhaps even more shocked because of the All-22 camera angle highlighting just how lopsided the race truly was.

No other swimmer was even in the frame when Katie Ledecky finished 😳

Absolute DOMINANCE as she breaks the women’s 1500m freestyle Olympic record 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YcoQS2AlzB

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 31, 2024

Katie Ledecky 🇺🇸 won her 12th medal, in the 1,500-meter freestyle. She is now tied for the most ever by a U.S. woman. Here are the latest Olympic results: https://t.co/TDxP9PALZV pic.twitter.com/UINeQzMrqF

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 31, 2024

One of the most badass things in sports. Katie Ledecky winning 1500m gold medals with no one else on the screen and then looking back down the pool like, “Where you all at?” pic.twitter.com/83UHZIxyAC

— Zack Pierce (@ZPathletic) July 31, 2024

Katie Ledecky looking like she’s swimming against nobody is always incredible 😅🐐 pic.twitter.com/rz19lnS1L0

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) July 31, 2024

Perhaps the craziest thing about this showing from Katie Ledecky is that this wasn’t even close to her fastest finish in the event. She owns the 20 fastest times recorded in the 1500-meter freestyle, but this was just her eighth fastest time ever.

[NBC Olympics and Paralympics on X]