Get to know Katie Ledecky: 5 facts about Team USA's Olympic swimming superstar
What you should know about Katie Ledecky as she takes on the Tokyo Olympics.
For the Tokyo Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. Leading up to the Opening Ceremony, we’re highlighting 23 athletes in 23 days. First up is Katie Ledecky.
No matter what happens at the Tokyo Olympics, Katie Ledecky has already cemented herself as one of the greatest and most dominant swimmers of all time.
The soon-to-be three-time Olympian is looking to add to her already impressive haul of five gold medals and one silver this summer, and she qualified in June for the 200-meter freestyle, 400-meter freestyle, 800-meter freestyle and 1,500-meter freestyle (also referred to as the mile). She’ll also swim in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, giving her the chance to return from Tokyo with up to five more Olympic medals.
Like every other Olympic hopeful, training during 2020 was challenging and complicated thanks to the coronavirus pandemic (witch delayed the Games a year), and that included Ledecky practicing in a backyard pool with teammate Simone Manuel before returning to training at Stanford. And after a generally impressive performance at the U.S. Olympic Trials, the 24-year-old swimmer is going to be tough to beat.
Here are five things to know about Ledecky ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.