The standards for her externally, I think, are just tough sometimes, Meehan said. Her time of 7:57.42 surpassed Mireia Belmonte's mark from 2013.[142]. Shes always trying to maximize her performance so theres nothing left in the tank. Katie Ledecky, left, finishes the womens 400-meter freestyle final far ahead of silver medal winner Leah Smith, right, during the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on July 23, 2017. [137], Ledecky won the 1500-meter freestyle two days later in a time of 15:30.15, over 14 seconds faster than runner-up and teammate Katie Grimes. Relief seemed to be the main emotion that sunk into Katie Ledecky's face as she touched the wall to claim her first gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics.. Ledecky's victory in the 1500m freestyle . The next morning, Ledecky struggled through her preliminary heat of the 1500-meter freestyle despite qualifying first for the event's final. On the meet's first day, she recorded the team's fastest split to lower the 800-yard freestyle relay record to 6:45.91 with Manuel, Neal, and Eastin. The process trumped everything. To no surprise, Ledecky, who first broke the world record in the event in 2013, recorded the worlds top time in the event this year on the way to another victory. I really havent had too many of those over the past couple months, so thats a good thing.. She has the 24 fastest swims of all time. What stood out to me was nothing stood out physically, he said. In her second event, Ledecky won gold in the 1500-meter freestyle in a world record time of 15:36.53, breaking the record held by compatriot Kate Ziegler by six seconds. They cant quantify this, but believe she hangs onto more water than other swimmers. Instead, Ledecky has a gift that defies measurement. Dinner. Then theres the sheer efficiency of how her body works. Most of the time she didnt. 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. Swimming the third leg, Ledecky passed Australia and Canada to take the lead with the third-fastest split in history (1:53.67). Before the London Olympics, Ledecky trained at the U.S. teams camp in Knoxville, Tenn., with a small group of middle- and long-distance swimmers under legendary coach Jon Urbanchek. 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. She took silver in her first race of the Games, and then missed out on medaling in the 200 . [141], The following week at the World Cup's Indianapolis stop, Ledecky broke the world record in the 800m short course freestyle. Ledecky's split was the fastest of all swimmers in the relay finals. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Ledecky qualified to swim in the final of the 800-meter freestyle by placing third overall in the heats with a time of 8:23.84. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post) At . You just watch the force that she pulls with and its way, way different., Laguna Beachs Nyjah Huston brings a fierce commitment to training to a rebellious sport, making the skateboarder a star to watch in the Tokyo Olympics. Ledecky's final 50-meter split of 29.33 was the second-fastest in the field behind Pellegrini's 29.23.[49]. But Ledecky doesnt just beat records, she transforms them. She broke the existing mark by five seconds. Ledecky uses a short left stroke, followed by a long right one, while breathing on her right side every other stroke, and repeating the pattern. 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. She has no long torso, no wide wingspan . Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. Because of her analytical approach to training, she knows almost exactly how the race is going to go, Sweetser said. 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. Huske won the race and set an American record in the event. The traits, at least individually, arent uncommon in elite swimmers. In the team standings, Stanford beat runner-up California-Berkeley by 220 points, the largest margin of victory in 25 years. Shes kind of a freak athlete. Ledecky is the world record holder in the women's 800- and 1500-meter freestyle (both long course and short course) as well as the former world record holder in the women's 400-meter freestyle (long course). Shes doing what everybody else does. On the fifth day of competition, Ledecky, with Missy Franklin, Leah Smith, and Katie McLaughlin won gold in the 4200-meter freestyle relay. Her face was red. Experts single out the way Ledeckys palm wraps about the water and pulls it back. [97][98][99][100] This accomplishment was highlighted by various news outlets including NBC Sports, Newsweek, and USA Today. [47] Twenty-nine minutes later, Ledecky qualified 6th in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:56.76. 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. 578k Followers, 883 Following, 422 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Katie Ledecky (@katieledecky) katieledecky. Trust me, Gemmell said. He describes them as holy cannoli swims that would leave almost anyone elses jaw on the floor. When Ledecky isn't training, she doesn't stray much from her . He can count on one hand the number of times she was floored by a workout. But her career is also a two-way conversation. At the 2014 US National Championships, the qualifying meet for both the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships and the 2015 World Aquatics Championships, Ledecky finished first in the 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle. Some said it would never happen. [45], In the heats of the 1500-meter freestyle on the second day of competition, Ledecky broke her own world record in a time of 15:27.71. [42] Ledecky lapped three competitors in the final and finished 27.33 seconds ahead of silver medalist Boyle. In the end, Ledecky was able to hold off a fast charging Pellegrini, eventually winning by a 0.16 margin. Thats not new. On the final day of competition, she reset her world record in the 800-meter freestyle, clocking a time of 8:06.68. [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. This is something really, really special.. [66], Following the season, Ledecky became the first freshman in 35 years to receive the Honda Cup, which recognizes the nation's top female collegiate athlete.[67]. [7] In total, she has won 42 medals (34 golds, 7 silvers, and 1 bronze) in major international competitions, spanning the Summer Olympics, World Championships, and Pan Pacific Championships. She doesnt have an unusually long torso or long arms or large hands. Rio Olympics: Katie Ledecky dominating in run-up to Games View Photos Bethesda teen will swim four events in Rio. After earning a berth on the U.S. Olympic team at age 15, she set an American record in the 800-meter freestyle to. [16] Her uncle Jon Ledecky is a businessman and a co-owner of the NHL team New York Islanders. 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. The questions pile up too. 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. We dont clamor for such answers while admiring a sopranos voice or an actors ability to make us weep. [134], At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Ledecky won all four of her events: the 400 meter freestyle, 1500 meter freestyle, 4x200 freestyle relay, and 800-meter freestyle. Ledecky opened the Trials with a win and meet record in the 400-meter freestyle (3:58.98). Notably, in the semifinals the day prior, Ledecky recorded the top time in the semifinals with a time of 1:54.69. [89], Ledecky began 2021 at the TYR Pro Swim Series at San Antonio, Texas. The next day, Ledecky anchored for Team USA in the women's 4x200 freestyle relay, winning a silver medal alongside teammates Allison Schmitt, Paige Madden, and Katie McLaughlin behind China. They realized the goals, lofty as they might seem for a teenager, were too pedestrian. During their next training session, he recalled, she said, Weve got to get our 40. She did. A similar picture covered the front of the building as the trials took place last month, another reminder that she is the face of the sport. [87] Ledecky withdrew from the 800-meter freestyle race due to illness. Ledecky won easily in 4 minutes 1.27 seconds, the 43rd-fastest swim ever by a woman. 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. With three individual titles, Ledecky became the first swimmer to win the 200, 400 and 800 m freestyle at the same Olympics since Debbie Meyer did so in 1968 in Mexico City. At 6 feet, the second-time Olympian is not extraordinarily tall compared with her peers. In winning the 400 through 1500-meter titles, she became the second woman ever to win the events in a World Championships since German Hannah Stockbauer in 2003. She has no long torso, no wide. Nature versus nurture? Ledecky made her first splash in international swimming after her freshman year at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in . All of this feeds Ledeckys ability to do things in the pool that arent normal. The next day, Ledecky added her third meet record by swimming on the American 4200-meter freestyle relay team with Shannon Vreeland, Missy Franklin, and Leah Smith. And Katie's got tiny feet, too. Her six individual gold medals are the most of any female Olympic swimmer and female US Olympian, and the second-most of all Olympic swimmers behind Michael Phelps. 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. [30] In addition, she broke Janet Evans' American record of 8:16.22 that had stood since 1989. Competing in both events is rare enough. The history-making has become so common, so many would-be competitors left so far behind, that expectations, just like the pictures, are larger than life. The quiet 15-year-old usually kept up with the men, who noticed fearlessness and poise that belied her youth. [29] In the final, Ledecky stunned the field, winning gold by more than four seconds, with a time of 8:14.63, the then second-fastest effort of all time just behind Rebecca Adlington's world record of 8:14.10 set in 2008. [54], Ledecky won a second gold in the 200-meter freestyle with a personal best of 1:53.73, beating Sarah Sjstrm by 0.35 seconds. At year's end, Ledecky was named the World Swimmer of the Year and American Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine. Even elite womens swimmers at the Olympics arent able to pull off that kind of stroke.. Katie Ledecky hugs Erica Sullivan after winning the womens 1500 freestyle during the second wave of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials on June 16 in Omaha, Neb. The world record margin for the 12 other individual events in the Olympic program is 0.44%. The stroke thats propelled Ledecky to record after record is connected to another legend. In the evening session, Ledecky faced a tough double with the 1500-meter freestyle final and the semi-finals of the 200-meter freestyle shortly after. Swimming the anchor leg, Ledecky recorded a split of 1:55.64 and the Americans finished with an aggregate time of 7:45.37. Swimming the anchor leg, Ledecky erased a 1.2-second deficit going into the final leg of the race, passing Australia's Melanie Schlanger with a 1:54.36 split over the final 200 meters. She is the daughter of David Ledecky and Mary Gen Ledecky. 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.. [65] In the meet's final event, Ledecky joined Manuel, Neal, and Hu to swim the second leg of Stanford's 400-yard freestyle relay. Shes swimming in full dude territory, he said. She got her degree instead", "What's Next For Super Olympian Katie Ledecky? She has an elder brother. [82], For the seventh-straight year, Ledecky finished the year with the top times in the world in both the 800- and 1500-meter freestyle (8:10.70 and 15:35.98). [72], At the NCAA Championships, Ledecky won the 500 and 1650-yard freestyle events by record margins and anchored the winning 800-yard freestyle relay team of Katie Drabot, Brooke Forde, and Ella Eastin. Ledecky was also named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 2017 and 2022, international female Champion of Champions by L'quipe in 2014 and 2017, United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year in 2013, 2016 and 2017, Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation in 2017, and the ESPY Best Female Athlete in 2022. [108][109][110] Ledecky swam a 15:40.50 in the 1500 meter freestyle, lowering her Championship Record from the day before and becoming the first winner of the women's 1500 meter freestyle at the US Olympic Trials. For lengthy races like the 1,500 meters, this must remain constant for more than 15 minutes. Shes not afraid to fail. Turned out a bigger foe lurked behind him: the pace clock. Shes not doing some special strength program that nobody else knows about. During a stint at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., in early 2016, Conor Dwyer, a two-time Olympian, engaged in a friendly contest with Ledecky jumping onto flat surfaces at increasing heights. She was also named the best female swimmer for 2013 by FINA Aquatics World magazine. The most important expectations are the ones that I have for myself, said Ledecky, who graduated from Stanford with a psychology degree last month. 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.. ", "The graduate: What Katie Ledecky learned at Stanford and how it might make her faster", "2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) Women's 800-metre freestyle (final)", "2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) Women's 400-metre freestyle (final)", "2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) Women's 200 metre freestyle (semifinals)", U.S. Olympic swimming trials: Katie Ledecky breaks Janet Evans's 400 freestyle age group record, "Swimming at the 2012 London Summer Games: Women's 800 metres freestyle round one", "Swimming at the 2012 London Summer Games: Women's 800 metres freestyle final", "Katie Ledecky wins 400 freestyle at world championships", "Katie Ledecky smashes 1500m freestyle world record for a golden double", "15th FINA World Championships Women's 4x200m Freestyle", "Bethesda's Katie Ledecky sets world record in 800-meter freestyle, wins fourth gold medal of world championships", "Driving test looming for Ledecky after Barcelona splash", Janet Evans sees parallels with Katie Ledecky, Katie Ledecky Sets World Record in 1,500-Meter Freestyle, Pan Pacific Championships, Results: Katie Ledecky Trounces Pan Pacs Record in 200 Free, Katie Ledecky Smashes 400 Free World Record, Nearly Clears 3:58! Her wins came in the 200-, 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle and the 4200-meter freestyle. Shes really activating her core and that allows her upper body to connect to her lower body and when you put those two together, it gives her really great timing and great catch, said Elizabeth Nagle, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies aquatic physiology. Her gold was the first international medal of her career, earning her the 2012 Best Female Performance of the Year and Breakout Performer of the Year at the Golden Goggle Awards. On the first day of the meet, Ledecky anchored the 800-yard freestyle relay with a 1:40.28 split to break the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open record in the 800-yard freestyle relay with Lia Neal, Katie Drabot, and Ella Eastin. Theres no special sauce. Thats whats allowing her to get such a good grab of the water and have such good force generation per stroke.. Her strength-to-body mass ratio is probably in the top 98%.. Barbini noticed the mix of intensity and care thats as much a part of Ledecky as the blazing times. I dont think she had a clue how fast she was going. "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. It might be easy to brush off the prediction as a fluke, but chance doesnt play much of a role when Ledecky is involved. At the National Championships, she finished first in the 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyle, and second in the 200-meter freestyle. Before Ledecky, Sommers had never trained a swimmer, so he approached her like other athletes reliant on overhead motion, focusing on core strength, shoulder stability, injury prevention, plus explosiveness in short distances. [46], On the third day of competition during the morning session, Ledecky swam in the heats of the 200-meter freestyle and qualified first with a time of 1:55.82. But within an hour of each other? In keeping with Ledeckys low-key personality, the goals stayed between them. 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. Swimming the anchor leg again, Ledecky provided the fastest split of the field (1:53.74) to turn a 0.89-second deficit into a 1.84-second victory, stopping the clock at 7:43.03.[56]. Michael Phelps, the 28-time Olympic medalist, called Ledecky the greatest female swimmer of our time.. The Australian, who beat Ledecky to 400m freestyle gold on Monday, also took victory in Wednesday's 200m freestyle final, with Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey in second and Canada's Penny Olesiak. Yuri Suguiyama, her first coach, watched Phelps break Australian Ian Thorpes world record in the 200 freestyle during the world championships in Melbourne. Katie Ledecky is doing what Katie Ledecky does! the public address announcer shouted last month as she completed another convincing victory during the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb. The swimmer wowed the world in 2012 when she competed in her first Olympics at just 15 and won a gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle competition. 3x U.S. Olympic Swimmer (2012, 2016, 2021) 7x Olympic Gold Medalist 19x World Champion Stanford grad #TeamTYR - Katie@teamwass.com. Ledecky is the world record holder in the women's 800- and 1500-meter freestyle (both long course and short course) as well as the former world record holder in the women's 400-meter freestyle (long course). 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. Katie Ledecky shifts her training base to University of Florida ahead of Paris 2024. She has won seven Olympic gold medals and 19 world championship gold medals, the most in history for a female swimmer. [51] At the conclusion of the week, Ledecky was named the female swimmer of the meet. Even if they are fit and strong like a football player, they cannot swim fast if they do not have the skill to catch the water, Takagi wrote in an email. Do not let it pass over you., Subscribers get early access to this story. [64] On the meet's final day, Ledecky set an NCAA record in the 1000-yard freestyle (9:06.90) en route to a championship record in the 1650-yard freestyle (15:07.70), defeating runner-up Smith by 21.19 seconds and lapping all other competitors. Ledecky swam the second half of the race faster than the first, completing the final 800 meters in 8:14.11faster than any other woman has completed a regular 800-meter race in a textile suit. [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. [132][133] Additionally, Ledecky signed on to be a volunteer swim coach for the Florida Gators. Ledecky's success has earned her Swimming World's Female World Swimmer of the Year a record-breaking five times. She certainly is.. Winning both? Her body measurement is 34-24-35 inches. Katie Ledecky competes in the womens 1500-meter freestyle during the U.S. Olympic swim trials on June 16 in Omaha, Neb. Four years later, she left Rio de Janeiro as the most decorated female athlete of the 2016 Olympic Games, with four gold medals, one silver medal, and two world records. Dwyer topped out at 40 inches. She set a time of 15:08.24, breaking the previous world record set by German swimmer Sarah Khler by almost 10 seconds. An iron will? While Michael Phelps and his fighter-jet wingspan already have passed history by with a record 22 medals . The girl couldnt make it across the pool. 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., Matt Barbini, USA Swimmings national team performance director. Ledecky passed Quadarella and pulled away in the final 50 meters to win by 1.41 seconds. However, elite swimmers focus on how to generate propulsion more efficiently.. Katie Ledecky was born on 17 March 1997 in Washington, DC, United States. Its just her commitment and desire for getting better.. Katie Ledecky reacts after competing in the womens 800-meter freestyle final during the U.S. Olympic trials at CHI Health Center on June 19 in Omaha, Neb. Twelve of the top 14 times. 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 . She doesnt have Phelps attention-grabbing build that included an 80-inch wingspan and size-14 feet that seemed to double as flippers. [23], At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska (her first senior national competition), Ledecky made the Olympic team by placing first in the 800-meter freestyle with a time of 8:19.78, which was over two seconds ahead of second-place finisher Kate Ziegler. [108] These two swims secured her spots on the US Olympic Team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 1500 meter freestyle and 200 meter freestyle individual events as well as the 4x200 meter freestyle relay. The Washington athlete is also holds the 800m and 1500m freestyle world records, and owns 18 of the 20 fastest 1500m freestyle times ever. Maybe the history Ledecky is making is as remarkable as how shes doing it. Each month, she sends practice video to Russell Mark, a former rocket scientist who is USA Swimmings national team performance manager. Shes doing what everybody else does. The five-time Olympic gold medalist owns world records in the 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyles. And theyre ultimately suggestions straining to answer a larger question. "[18], During the championships' closing ceremonies, Ledecky was named the female swimmer of the meet.[43]. Ledecky accepted an athletic scholarship to Stanford University, where she swam for coach Greg Meehan's Stanford Cardinal women's swimming team. [69], On the third day of competition, Ledecky defended her 1500-meter freestyle title, winning with a time of 15:31.82. But she addressed it and moved forward. Verified. Some of these things that might have come naturally and unconsciously when she was 16, now its conscious, Mark said. Coming Sunday: Home subscribers will receive the Los Angeles Times 24-page Olympic preview section, your guide to the upcoming Games. She also holds the fastest-ever times in the women's 500-, 1000-, and 1650-yard freestyle events. [77], In July 2018, at the US National Swimming Championships, Ledecky qualified for the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships by finishing first in the 200-,[78] 400-, and 800-meter freestyle.[79]. This was Ledecky's first international loss in a final in individual event. Athlete. Maybe the explanation is unknowable. With her pair of swims in the 800-meter freestyle, Ledecky took control of the top 11 fastest times in the event's history.
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