Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Not many can be compared to Michael Phelps, but if Phelps ever had a counterpart, it would be Katie Ledecky. If you’ve been watching the Olympics, then you know exactly what I mean. Ledecky is easily the United States’ best female swimmer and looks like their best hope to continue on the swimming legacy when Phelps retires. That’s why she is this week’s spotlight!
Ledecky started swimming at age 6, but didn’t gain national attention until her high school years. During her high school career, Ledecky set the record for the American and US Open in the 500-yard freestyle and set the national high school record for the 200-yard freestyle. She also finished her high school career as the record holder for all of her school’s swimming records except for one. After her time at Rio, Ledecky has accepted a scholarship to swim and attend Stanford University.
Ledecky participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She won gold in the 800m event which was the only event she swam in. Her gold medal also helped earn her the 2012 Best Female Performance Of The Year and the Breakout Performer of the Year Award. In the 2013 World Championships, Ledecky won four gold medals and was named the World Swimmer Of The Year and the American Swimmer Of The Year.
In 2014, Ledecky broke her own records at the Woodlands Swim Team Senior Invitational. She also won five gold medals at the Pan Pacific Championships. After the games, she was named the female swimmer of the meet along with being named the World Swimmer Of The Year and American Swimmer Of The Year again.
In 2015, Ledecky had an even bigger year. She broke three world records and won gold in the five events she competed at in the World Championships. She also won the Golden Goggle Female Race of the Year award, the Golden Goggle Female Athlete of the Year award, the Swimming World American Swimmer of the Year Award, and the Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Award.
Ledecky was poised for a humongous run at the Rio Olympics and she didn’t disappoint. She won gold in the 200-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle, the 200-meter freestyle and won silver in the 4×100-meter freestyle. Ledecky has an extremely bright future ahead of her and it’s only getting started. She is one of the best female swimmers of all time and we can only hope that she’ll make a return to the 2020 Summer Olympics! She’s already beating Team USA teammate Ryan Lochte in the water which he admitted so how can you not root for her?
