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Who Is Katie Ledecky? All About Olympian Swimmer Set To Represent USA At 2024 Paris Olympics
Katie Ledecky is one of the greatest female swimmers in the whole world, set to represent the US at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Let’s know more about her.
![Katie Ledecky [Credit-Instagram@katieledecky]](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-06/1080235691_katie-ledecky-credit-instagramkatieledecky-1.jpg "Katie Ledecky [Credit-Instagram@katieledecky]")
Few athletes, particularly in swimming, are assured a berth in the 2024 Olympics, but Katie Ledecky is one who can most likely start arranging her trip to Paris now. Ledecky will compete in her normal distance freestyle events. She may not have won gold in the 200m free in Tokyo and only finished second in the 400m free, but that was all on the world stage. In the United States, she remains the swimmer to beat in both events.
Then there are the actual distance races, the 800m and 1500m freestyle events. Ledecky isn't only the best American swimmer; she also holds the world record in both events. Her times of 8:04.79 in the 2016 Olympics 800m free and 15:20.48 in the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series continue to be the benchmarks for all swimmers across the world.
When they get on the international stage, Ledecky, Australia's Ariarne Titmus, and Canada's Summer McIntosh will face stiff competition, but for the time being, all Ledecky has to worry about is formally winning her position on the squad.
Who is Katie Ledecky?
Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky was born on March 17, 1997. She is an American competitive swimmer. She is the most decorated female swimmer in history, having won seven Olympic gold medals and 21 world championship gold medals. She holds a world record of 16 individual gold medals from the World Aquatics Championships.
Ledecky holds records in women's swimming, having won six individual gold medals at the Olympics and 26 overall at the World Aquatics Championships. She also has the quickest times in the women's 500-, 1000-, and 1650-yard freestyle races. She is largely considered the greatest female swimmer of all time and one of the best Olympians of all time.
Where was Katie Ledecky born and who are her parents?
Katie Ledecky was born in Washington, D.C., and brought up in Bethesda, Maryland, as the daughter of Mary Gen (Hagan) and David Ledecky. Jaromír Ledecky, her paternal grandpa from Czechoslovakia, first arrived in New York City as a student on September 8, 1947.
He eventually became an economist and married Berta Ruth Greenwald, an Ashkenazi Jewish lady, in Brooklyn on December 30, 1956. Ledecky had family that were slaughtered in Europe during the Holocaust via her paternal grandmother.
Ledecky's mother is of Irish origin. She was brought up as a Catholic and she continues to practice her faith, frequently reciting the Hail Mary before races. Her uncle, Jon Ledecky, is a businessman and co-owner of the NHL franchise, New York Islanders.
How tall is Katie Ledecky?
Katie Ledecky is listed as 6-foot by USA Swimming. Her height has been one of the biggest advantages for her as it helps her to streamline better through the water compared to her opponents' stature.
Which college did Katie Ledecky attend?
Katie Ledecky began attending Stanford University near Palo Alto, California, shortly after winning four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. While there, she had one of the best NCAA swimming careers ever, earning eight individual NCAA titles and assisting coach Greg Meehan's Stanford Cardinal women's swimming team to NCAA championships in 2017 and 2018.
In 2017, she became the first freshman in 35 years to get the Honda Cup Award, which honors the best female collegiate athlete of the year.
Ledecky quit the Cardinal swim team after her sophomore season to pursue a professional career, but she continued to attend classes at Stanford and graduated in the autumn of 2020 with a degree in psychology and a minor in political science.
At recent events, Ledecky has frequently been spotted wearing a swim hat with the University of Florida Gators emblem. That's because she moved to Gainesville, Florida, in 2021 to train with Gators head coach Anthony Nesty, and she currently competes for the Gator Swim Club.
Also Read: Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas To Not Compete in Olympics After Loss In Fight Against Legal Ban
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