Katie Ledecky is no stranger to the Olympic stage.
The 27-year-old swimmer has been a household name since bursting onto the scene in London 12 years ago. She was Ledecky’s opening act at the 2012 Olympics and has since enjoyed one groundbreaking achievement after another.
Now, as she begins a new Olympic journey in Paris, Ledecky is one of America’s biggest stars: She has more than 190,000 followers. On Twitter Over 600,000 on Instagram.
This summer will mark Ledecky’s fourth Olympic Games, where she will be looking to add to her rapidly growing medal tally. The Bethesda, Maryland native has solidified herself as the best active female swimmer in the country and will look to add to that résumé in Paris.
Five things to know about Ledecky:
Ledecky was 15 years old when she won her first Olympic gold medal.
Just a few weeks after completing her freshman year of high school, Ledecky placed first in the 800-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Trials, qualifying her for the 2012 Olympics.
Alongside famous American swimmers like Missy Franklin and Michael Phelps, Ledecky looked like herself on the big stage. She shocked the world in London when she won the gold medal race in the 800m freestyle by more than four seconds. Her time of 8:14.63 broke the then-current American record (8:16.22) set by Janet Evans in 1989.
Ledecky won five Olympic gold medals before going to college.
After winning four gold medals and one silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ledecky was finally ready to head to college. She enrolled at Stanford University for the 2016-17 academic year, swimming for the Cardinal under coach Greg Meehan (head coach of the 2016 and 2020 U.S. Olympic women’s swimming teams). Fellow U.S. Olympian Simone Manuel was one of Ledecky’s teammates at Stanford.
Ledecky set 12 NCAA records during her freshman season before winning the Honda Cup, given to the nation’s top female college athlete, becoming the first freshman in 35 years to win the award. After setting three more NCAA records during her sophomore season, Ledecky signed with an agent and skipped her final two college seasons.
Ledecky has several high-profile endorsement deals.
Ledecky earned numerous endorsement deals after dropping out of Stanford University early, and soon after turning pro she signed a $7 million deal with sportswear brand TYR that extended her reach through the 2024 Olympics.
Ledecky also Adidas, PanasonicVisa, Reese’s and Lacroix, among the most well-known and awarded American guests to visit Paris, Ledecky will be gaining national attention this summer as she further expands her brand.
Ledecky holds multiple world records in swimming.
Over the course of her career, Ledecky has broken 16 world records and 37 national records.
She will compete in the 2024 Olympics holding four world records in women’s swimming: 800m freestyle short course, 800m freestyle long course, 1500m freestyle short course and 1500m freestyle long course.
Her 800m long course record was set at the 2016 Olympic Games and her 1500m long course record was set at the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series. Her sprint course records were both set at the 2022 World Cup.
Katie Ledecky made the U.S. team in the women’s 400-meter freestyle, making her fourth Olympic team.
Michael Phelps considers Ledecky “the greatest female swimmer of our time.”
Yes, that’s right: The all-time Olympic medalist in men’s swimming with 28 total medals has high praise for Ledecky.
“It’s so impressive,” Phelps said after the 2021 Olympic Trials. “She’s redefining what’s possible. She’s challenging her imagination. To me, that’s amazing to see. She’s not afraid to dream, she’s not afraid to push the limits.”
Ledecky and Phelps’ friendship dates back to the 2012 Olympics, when Phelps high-fived Ledecky right before winning his first gold medal at age 15. The two have remained connected ever since, with Ledecky becoming the public face of USA swimming since Phelps retired in 2016.
