Dean Boxall on THAT celebration after Ariarne Titmus beat Katie Ledecky "She's relatively short (at 5-foot-11) and she doesn't have an excessive wingspan." Nevertheless, Ledecky's arms are long enough to wrap around what could. [141], The following week at the World Cup's Indianapolis stop, Ledecky broke the world record in the 800m short course freestyle. Then theres the sheer efficiency of how her body works. [33] Anchor Missy Franklin overtook Australian Alicia Coutts in the last 200 meters, giving the US the gold. (Photo: JIM SHORIN/isiphotos.com, Graphic: KATRINA LIOU/The Stanford Daily) By Inyoung Choi. She won gold in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyles in Tokyo, as well as silver medals in the 400-meter and 4x200-meter freestyle events. She has an uncanny ability to remain herself, not flinch in the face of scrutiny and focus on the task at hand. But within an hour of each other? The five-time Olympic gold medalist owns world records in the 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyles. Ledecky's six individual gold medals at the Olympics, 14 individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships, and 22 overall medals at the World Aquatics Championships are records in women's swimming. Born in Maryland in 1997, Katie Ledecky began swimming competitively at age six. But Ledecky doesnt just beat records, she transforms them. Midway through the 25-meter journeys at the Palisades Swim and Tennis Club in Cabin John, Md., shed grab a lane line and catch her breath like so many other 6-year-olds figuring out how to swim. Katie Ledecky Dimensions & Drawings | Dimensions.com But everybody feels that.. Genetics? [140], On October 28, during the Toronto round of the FINA Swimming World Cup, Ledecky swam the 1500m short course event for the first time. Despite being in season and swimming multiple events, Ledecky was able to first break the world record in the 1500-meter freestyle with a time of 15:34.23,[36] bettering her previous mark of 15:36.53. She had a smile that seemed bigger than her diminutive frame, swim cap pulled over her ears and enthusiastic post-race analyses captured on home movies. In the 400-meter freestyle, Ledecky set her third world record of the year by breaking Federica Pellegrini's 2009 world record of 3:59.15 with a time of 3:58.86. At the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, Ledecky helped lead Stanford to its first team title since 1998. This started as a child. I dont think she had a clue how fast she was going. In her international debut at the 2012 London Olympic Games as a 15-year-old, Ledecky unexpectedly won the gold medal in the women's 800-metre freestyle. After earning a berth on the U.S. Olympic team at age 15, she set an American record in the 800-meter freestyle to. The quiet 15-year-old usually kept up with the men, who noticed fearlessness and poise that belied her youth. It might be easy to brush off the prediction as a fluke, but chance doesnt play much of a role when Ledecky is involved. She takes a little advantage by doing all these little things a little bit better and I think that all adds up to her being so much better than everybody else, Barbini said. A combination of protein (like chicken, steak, or salmon) and a carb (like rice, vegetable, or pasta) rounds out her day. How Katie Ledecky became better at swimming than anyone is at anything 'Gallop' or a 'giddy-up' Once the swimmers emerge from below the surface and. A lot of people have the tendency to want to protect themselves in their training, Sweetser said. At the Texas A&M Invitational in November 2017, Ledecky lowered her American and U.S. Open mark in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:03.31. She took silver in her first race of the Games, and then missed out on medaling in the 200 . At 6 feet, the second-time Olympian is not extraordinarily tall compared with her peers. But she acknowledged having the same nerves as any other competitor at the trials and, in all sincerity, said she didnt take making the Tokyo Games for granted. [18], During the summer of 2012, she trained with the Nation's Capital Swim Club (formerly the Curl Burke Swim Club) under coach Yuri Suguiyama. This is a completely different kind of race, 30 laps of endurance that is part of the womens Olympic program in Tokyo for the first time. In the 1500-meter freestyle, Ledecky broke her own world record in a time of 15:25.48. On the meet's third day, Ledecky's 20th birthday, Ledecky recorded a personal-best time of 1:40.36 in the 200-yard freestyle to edge Manuel and tie Louisville sophomore Mallory Comerford for the title. [61] On the meet's third day, she won the 400-yard individual medley in a new American record of 3:57.68 before finishing second to teammate Simone Manuel in the 200-yard freestyle with a personal best time less than a half hour later. Ledecky concluded the championships with another gold medal in the 1500-meter freestyle, winning by a margin of 21.11-seconds (15:38.97). [132][133] Additionally, Ledecky signed on to be a volunteer swim coach for the Florida Gators. She was swimming like most classic female distance swimmers, Suguiyama later told the American Swimming Coaches Assn. [105][106] Later the same day in the evening semifinals for the 200 meter freestyle, Ledecky finished first with a time of 1:55.83. Theres no special sauce. That night, Ledecky lowered the record again, setting the first world record ever at the new Gold Coast Aquatic Center with a time of 3:58.37. Ledecky, who has broken the 4-minute barrier in the distance 20 times, thought she had been faster. It worked. The most impressive thing for me is blocking out the noise and not feeling the pressure., Urbanchek put it bluntly: Nothing distracts her., Theres no special sauce. Each month, she sends practice video to Russell Mark, a former rocket scientist who is USA Swimmings national team performance manager. Shes not doing it for the adulation, shes not doing it for the title of the worlds greatest swimmer, the coach said. Were offering L.A. Times subscribers first access to our best journalism. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post) At . [42] Ledecky lapped three competitors in the final and finished 27.33 seconds ahead of silver medalist Boyle. Katie Ledecky on the brink of Olympic history: How a backyard pool and Nature versus nurture? [83], Ledecky collected several end-of-decade honors. Ledecky concluded the meet with a win in the 800-meter freestyle, her fifth-straight title in the event across Olympics and World Championships. She won 10 Olympic medals, 7 of which were gold. [111] Ledecky won the 200 meter and 1500 meter freestyle finals in a time span of about 70 minutes as well as collecting her medal at the 200 meter freestyle medal ceremony and eating a snack. At just 19 years old, Katie Ledecky is the most dominant swimmer in the world. She has the 24 fastest swims of all time. Its a mindset that different to go out as fast as you can without being blatantly reckless.. Sims anchored the team to a championship record time of 7:41.45. Ledecky provided the US with an early lead, swimming the first leg in a personal best of 1:56.32. [90], On Thursday May 20, 2021, at the Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite Ledecky won the long course 100 meter freestyle final by one one-hundredth of a second in a time of 53.82 with second place going to Simone Manuel. Ledecky won freestyle golds as a 16-year-old in the 2013 World Championships in the 400m, 800m, 1,500m and the 4x200m, following her first place in the 800m in London 2012. Ledecky was a USA Olympic team member in 2012, 2016, and 2020, and holds the female record for most individual gold medals (14) and overall gold medals (19) at the World Aquatics Championships. [74] She signed with Wasserman sports agent Dan Levy for representation.[75]. At the Olympic trials last month, Greg Meehan, Ledeckys coach who leads the Stanford womens swimming program and the womens Olympic team, asked for a prediction. In the middle of a difficult practice, Sweetser noticed Ledecky staring at him. [101][102][103], In the morning of day three, Ledecky swam a 1:57.58 in the 200 meter freestyle prelims, ranking second fastest of all heats. I think I do a pretty good job of sticking to those and not seeing what kinds of medal counts or times that people are throwing out about what I could accomplish if everything goes perfectly.. Maybe the history Ledecky is making is as remarkable as how shes doing it. Since NCAA rules keep mens and womens swim teams that dont use the same coach from practicing together, Ledecky used lane 12 and Sweetser lane 11. When Bruce Gemmell took over as Ledeckys coach at the Nations Capital Swim Club in late 2012, his young charge had an Olympic gold medal, but couldnt do a pullup. She also swam in the 100-meter freestyle heats. And Ariarne Titmus, the 20-year-old sensation nicknamed The Terminator, posted the second-best time in history a day earlier at the Australian trials. Twice each week, she trained against long-distance swimmers Liam Egan and True Sweetser. Barbini noticed the mix of intensity and care thats as much a part of Ledecky as the blazing times. [24] In Omaha, Ledecky also placed third in the 400-meter freestyle (4:05.00) and ninth in the 200-meter freestyle (1:58.66). [122] Ledecky's time of 3:57.36 was the second-fastest time of her career and fourth-fastest in history. Competing in both events is rare enough. [136], On the first day of competition, Ledecky won the 400-meter freestyle in a championship record 3:58.15, besting Canadian silver medalist Summer McIntosh by 1.24 seconds. [104] Two events later, she swam a 15:43.10 in the 1500 meter freestyle prelims, ranking as the fastest swimmer of prelims heat, advancing to the final, and setting a new Championship Record over four seconds faster than the previous record she set in 2013. At the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, Ledecky led all swimmers with three individual titles, winning golds in the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle. [55], Ledecky claimed her third gold in the 4200-meter freestyle relay, with Allison Schmitt, Leah Smith, and Maya DiRado. [32] The hard-fought race saw Ledecky overcome Dane Lotte Friis in the final few hundred meters after losing the lead at the 300-meter mark and included a final 50 split of 29.47. Ledecky made her first splash in international swimming after her freshman year at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in . The swim was the fifth-fastest in history and earned Ledecky the 28 fastest times in the distance. Is she tall for an elite swimmer? Years later, Gemmell read two items on Ledeckys goal card: break the world record in the 800 freestyle by the following summer and swim 8:10 in the event in Rio. Yes. Her wins came in the 200-, 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle and the 4200-meter freestyle. During their next training session, he recalled, she said, Weve got to get our 40. She did. They realized the goals, lofty as they might seem for a teenager, were too pedestrian. Ledecky has also received the following awards:[143], Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 16:58, Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year, College Sports Information Directors of America, Academic All-America Team Member of the Year, FINA Best Swimming Performance of the Year, List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women), List of top Olympic gold medalists in swimming, List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women), List of individual gold medalists in swimming at the Olympics and World Aquatics Championships (women), World record progression 400 metres freestyle, World record progression 800 metres freestyle, World record progression 1500 metres freestyle, Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016, "Katie Ledecky Turns Pro After Dominating College Swimming", "How Katie Ledecky Became the Greatest Distance Swimmer of All Time", "The debate about Washington's greatest athlete is over: it's Katie Ledecky", "Ledecky Johns Elite Company With Third Straight Title in 800 Freestlye", Katie Ledecky wins Female Athlete of the Olympic Games, "New York City Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957", "Back to her roots: How Katie Ledecky became so dominant in the pool", "Gold medalist swimmer inspired by her Jewish history", "Pozor, vlny. Katie Ledecky Wins Her 1st Gold In Tokyo, Reflects On The - NPR [44] Ledecky was also named the female swimmer of the meet. [20], In December 2020, she completed the required courses for a bachelor of arts in psychology and minor in political science from Stanford University, [21][22] and graduated in June 2021. Shes swimming faster than we are, said Urbanchek, coach to 44 Olympians and an assistant on six Olympic teams. Coaches, teammates and competitors point to her powerful stroke, legendary training sessions, unusual blend of speed and endurance, and tenacity that is otherworldly. Unlike her other races, it was not an easy win for Ledecky, which featured the likes of Missy Franklin and Federica Pellegrini. 'In 2016 she was 16. Take the 400 freestyle final at the trials. She also took bronze in the 200-meter freestyle and silver in the 4x200-meter freestyle. Entering the water with a 2.88-second deficit, Ledecky swam the fourth-fastest relay split in history (1:53.84), nearly overtaking Australian Madeline Groves, who touched 0.25 seconds ahead of Ledecky to set a new championship and national record. In the final, she joined Simone Manuel, Abbey Weitzeil, and Dana Vollmer and recorded a split of 52.79, helping the team earn a silver medal (behind Australia) with a time of 3:31.89, a new national record for the United States. However, elite swimmers focus on how to generate propulsion more efficiently.. Katie Ledekcy won two golds and two silvers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This is something really, really special.. Theres a lot of noise, said Janet Evans, the four-time Olympic gold medalist who is considered one of the greatest distance swimmers in history and now works as the chief athlete officer for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Committee. What Makes the Perfect Swimmer's Body? - Swimming World News [57] Ledecky's final medal total (four golds, one silver) is the most decorated single-Olympics performance by a U.S. female athlete in terms of gold medals, topping Missy Franklin (2012; four golds, 1 bronze), Simone Biles (2016; four golds, 1 bronze), and Amy Van Dyken (1996; four golds). In between London and Rio, Ledecky quietly became the world's most dominant swimmer no longer just a distance specialist. Still recovering from illness, Ledecky qualified second the next day for the final of the 800-meter freestyle. [53], Her first individual event was the 400-meter freestyle. Im know Im supposed to be doing this too. Katie Ledecky Moves Training Base to University of Florida [34], Ledecky scored more points than any other swimmer to earn the FINA trophy for best female swimmer of the meet.[35]. Or Mark finding Ledecky eating alone in the dining hall at the London Olympics the day of her 800 freestyle final, appearing as calm as a seasoned veteran. The section also will be available for purchase at latimes.com/store. That continued when Ledecky arrived at Stanford as a freshman in 2016. [52], Ledecky's first event in the 2016 Summer Olympics was the 4100-meter freestyle relay, swimming the anchor leg for the United States in both the prelims and final. Ledecky won easily in 4 minutes 1.27 seconds, the 43rd-fastest swim ever by a woman. Notably, in the semifinals the day prior, Ledecky recorded the top time in the semifinals with a time of 1:54.69. Follow. She wasnt a great kicker. She is the daughter of David Ledecky and Mary Gen Ledecky. Ledecky competes against herself (1:59) U.S. Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky talks to Hannah Storm about how she got started swimming, how she set goals for herself when she was young and how the . Rio Olympics: Katie Ledecky dominating in run-up to Games View Photos Bethesda teen will swim four events in Rio. [131], Following the Olympic Games on September 22nd, Ledecky announced her intention to train with coach Anthony Nesty at the University of Florida. At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, Ledecky won five gold medals and broke three world records. Im willing to bet she has a V02 max thats better than anybody else on the face of the earth, Robinson said, referring to the maximum amount of oxygen a person uses while exercising. The Untold Truth Of Katie Ledecky - TheList He thought the she was sizing him up as another opponent to defeat. Then the windmilling to the other side resumed. Its a remarkable combination, particularly for someone to be that dominant for so long, which takes so much commitment, while at the same time being so nice and polite and kind.. On the seventh day of competition, Ledecky completed her World Championships run by winning gold in the 800-meter freestyle in a world record time of 8:07.39, breaking her own record by 3.61 seconds.[44]. [109][111] She swam a 1:55.11 in the 200 meter freestyle. During her career, she has broken sixteen world records. That performance burned into the coachs memory. And theyre ultimately suggestions straining to answer a larger question.