Cease me in the event you’ve heard this earlier than: “Katie Ledecky wins the gold medal!”
Over a legendary profession that began again in 2012 when she competed in her first Olympics on the age of 15, it appears inconceivable to actually put into phrases the greatness of swimming legend Katie Ledecky:
- 9 Olympic gold medals
- 14 Olympic medals general
- 21 World Championship gold medals, essentially the most in historical past for a feminine swimmer
- With 14 medals and 9 gold medals, Ledecky is essentially the most adorned American girl, most adorned feminine swimmer, the lady with essentially the most gold medals (tied with Larisa Latynina) and fifth-most adorned athlete in Olympic historical past … are you not entertained?
- A file 16 particular person gold medals on the World Aquatics Championships, breaking the earlier mark held by the one and solely Michael Phelps
- Ledecky’s 10 particular person medals on the Olympics and 26 general medals on the World Aquatics Championships are information in girls’s swimming
- She’s the world file holder within the girls’s 800- and 1500-meter freestyle (each lengthy course and quick course), in addition to the previous world file holder within the girls’s 400-meter freestyle (lengthy course)
- She holds the fastest-ever occasions within the girls’s 500-, 1000-, and 1650-yard freestyle occasions
- Extensively thought to be the best feminine swimmer of all time and one of many best Olympians ever
So now the one query is that this: what’s subsequent for Ledecky? Properly, surprisingly (or perhaps not!) she is not happy simply but, as she’s striving to return to the Olympic Video games for LA 2028, the primary Olympics on US soil since Atlanta in 1996.
“I might like to have that chance,” Ledecky defined solely to ClutchPoints through Zoom. “My purpose is to be there in LA competing. It’s such a novel alternative that numerous US swimmers might be very enthusiastic about … will probably be powerful to make the Olympic crew once more, I by no means take something without any consideration. We’ll see what occurs!”
Mark your calendars: July 14, 2028. The Opening Ceremony of the 2028 Summer time Olympics from Los Angeles, California.
They’ll mark the fifth Summer time Olympics and ninth Olympics general to be hosted by america. Having beforehand hosted the Summer time Olympics in 1932 in addition to 1984, LA will develop into the third three-time host metropolis after London (1908, 1948, 2012) and Paris (1900, 1924, 2024), additionally making it the primary non-European metropolis to take action.
What would being at LA 2028 imply to her?
“A significant pinch-me second.”
Katie Ledecky’s journey
On the 2012 United States Olympic trials (her first senior nationwide competitors), Katie Ledecky made the US Olympic crew by ending first within the 800-meter freestyle (8:19.78) — over two seconds forward of second-place finisher Kate Ziegler.
In an indication of history-breaking moments to return all through her profession, Ledecky was the youngest American participant on the 2012 Olympic Video games (15 years, 4 months, and 10 days).
However Ledecky wasn’t simply there to compete. She was there to win.
Ledecky certified to swim within the 800-meter freestyle last by putting third general within the heats. Within the last, Ledecky shocked the world, profitable gold by greater than 4 seconds, with a time of 8:14.63, trailing simply behind Rebecca Adlington‘s world file of 8:14.10 set in 2008.
She additionally broke Janet Evans‘ American file of 8:16.22, a mark that she had held since 1989.
“In case you had requested me 5 years previous to that,” Ledecky mentioned. “I by no means may’ve imagined I’d made it to my first Olympics in 2012 at 15 or to 4 Olympics. After my first Olympics, I did not know what the long run would maintain and I simply attempt to take it one step at a time.”
A historic Paris 2024
Paris 2024 this previous summer time was a really profitable fourth Olympic video games for Katie Ledecky. She left Paris with some new {hardware}: two gold medals, a silver and a bronze.
It was a full circle second for Katie, who gained her first gold medal on Aug 3, 2012. Fifteen years later, on Aug 3 2024, she gained her fourth straight gold within the 800 particular person medley.
Ledecky additionally defended her title within the 1500-meter freestyle occasion, setting the brand new Olympic file with a time of 15:30:02.
She gained her fourth consecutive gold medal and eighth particular person gold within the 800-meter freestyle, which was an all-time file for girls on the Olympics. The earlier one set by gymnast Věra Čáslavská had stood for 56 years.
She additionally competed within the 4x200m freestyle relay, joined by Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden, and Erin Gemmell. With a collective time of seven:40.86, the crew gained the silver medal.
“The help that I’ve had round me: in the event you learn my e book, Simply Add Water, numerous the chapters are titled after the folks in my life which have contributed to my journey whether or not that’s my members of the family, my teammates, my coaches who’ve allowed me to pursue my objectives to the fullest and maintain my life balanced.”
When she’s not within the pool, Ledecky is a fan taking all of it in, similar to the remainder of us.
She describes a second within the Olympic Village throughout Paris 2024 the place she was headed to the cafeteria to seize a snack. The elevator opened and who did she see? American tennis celebrity Coca Gauff and america girls’s tennis crew.
Ledecky grabbed some images with Gauff and the total crew. It was a fast 30 seconds however a possibility for 2 of the best feminine athletes on this planet to fulfill.
“There’s a lot respect we have now for each other as members of Crew USA and we’re all the time attempting to help one another as athletes … all the time one eye on the TV every time we have now that chance to see how one another is performing.”
After her occasions had been over, Ledecky stayed in Paris a number of further days to soak up all the pieces, together with cheering on her coaching companion and three-time Olympic gold medalist Bobby Finke, who she competes with every single day.
Associated InformationArticle continues under
She received to look at him defend his title within the 1500m from Tokyo 2020 whereas additionally breaking the Olympic file. It was protected to say Ledecky was excited:
Panasonic partnership
Katie Ledecky partnered with Panasonic again in 2020 with the purpose to broaden entry, variety and inclusion in STEM/STEAM fields — and educate the following technology about clear know-how and manufacturing whereas exploring the concord between technological innovation and artistic expression”
“I really like seeing younger college students excited to study … lots of people see me as a swimmer however in the beginning I’ve all the time been a pupil … I am nonetheless attempting to study every single day … even in the event you love a sport, it is necessary to take your research severely. I am excited every time I get the alternatives to work together with college students and academics.”
As essentially the most adorned American feminine Olympian of all time (4-time Olympian, 21-time World Champion and 14-time Olympic medal-winning swimmer), Katie is a proud STEM advocate. The STEM Ahead program and Digital Subject Journeys construct on her ongoing work with Panasonic as a STEM chief and member of Crew Panasonic.
STEM Ahead, which mixes Katie’s ardour for STEM schooling and advocacy, Panasonic’s legacy of innovation, and Discovery Training’s worldwide management in schooling know-how, is aimed toward offering college students with real-world studying experiences and galvanizing them to pursue careers in STEM.
For extra data, go to https://na.panasonic.com/us.
Watch the total interview with 9x Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky and host Rob Lepelstat on the ClutchPoints YouTube web page. Previous friends embody Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ray Lewis, Lawrence Taylor, Ice Dice and Mark Messier.
Comply with Rob on Twitter @RobLep1, Instagram @STATSports1co, and subscribe to STAT Sports activities with Rob Lepelstat on YouTube.