Where Does Katie Ledecky Rank Among Best U.S. Olympians?

Katie Ledecky recently set an Olympic record in the 1500-meter freestyle, having completed the event in 15:30.02.

For those who watched the 1500-meter freestyle on television, you were probably amazed to see Ledecky finish the race while no one else was even in the frame. Her domination of this event was the next part of a legacy that dates back years, cementing Ledecky’s position among the greatest American Olympians of all time, and among the best swimmers in Olympic history.

The 1500-meter freestyle has been Ledecky’s signature event for quite some time. She hasn’t lost one of these races in 14 years. While her 15:30.02 is an Olympic record, you only have to look at the world records for this event to understand just how dominant she is.

If you were to look at the 20 fastest times in the event’s history, you would see Ledecky’s name. When it comes to the 1500-meter freestyle, everyone in the pool with Katie Ledecky is racing for silver.

Today, learn more about Ledecky, her legacy, and her path to Olympic immortality.

The Early Years

Long before Ledecky was shattering Olympic records and cementing her position in swimming lore, she was born in Washington D.C. Ledecky’s paternal grandfather was born in Czechoslovakia, having immigrated to the United States in 1947.

Her grandfather came to the United States as a student and would eventually become an economist. Her uncle is a successful businessman who is a co-owner of the New York Islanders hockey team.

While the American dream was alive and well on Ledecky’s father’s side of the family, her mother set the stage for what would become one of the most illustrious swimming careers in Olympic history.

Ledecky’s mother, Mary Gen, was a swimmer at the University of New Mexico. Additionally, her older brother, Michael, was a swimmer. When Ledecky hopped into a pool for the first time at the age of six, no one could have expected what was to come.

While she was in high school at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Ledecky broke several American swimming records and earned a scholarship to Stanford University. Because of her success in high school, Ledecky was invited to start training with the Nation’s Capital Swim Club in 2012.

During her time at Stanford University, Ledecky etched her name in the record books by setting a remarkable 15 records and winning eight national titles. She was also a part of the Stanford University Stanford Cardinal women’s team that won back-to-back NCAA team championships and back-to-back Pac-12 Conference titles.

Ledecky in London

Katie Ledecky made her Olympic debut when she was only 15 years of age after earning a spot on the Olympic women’s swimming team by placing first in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2012 United States Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

There, she finished more than two seconds ahead of Katie Ziegler. During the same competition, Ledecky finished third in the 400-meter freestyle and put up the fastest time ever posted by a 15-to-16-year-old American swimmer.

When the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England started, Ledecky was 15 years, four months, and 10 days old, making her the youngest American to participate in the Olympics that year.

After finishing third in the 800-meter heats, Ledecky earned an opportunity to compete in the finals. That’s when she shocked the world and won her first Olympic gold medal, completing the race in 8:14.63, which was a new record. She broke the existing record, which was set in 1969 by nearly two seconds.

Ledecky’s Second Olympics

Between the London Olympics and the 2016 games in Rio, Ledecky won a remarkable nine gold medals in the World Championships. 2016 also marked the beginning of her collegiate career at Stanford University.

During the Olympic trials in 2016, Ledecky would take the next step in her illustrious career by winning the 200-meter, 400-meter, and 800-meter freestyles.

In addition to her position on the Olympic team as an individual swimmer, Ledecky, who was only 18 at the time, was tasked with swimming the anchor leg in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

By the time the 2016 Olympics came to an end, Ledecky had added more medals to her impressive resume. In addition to the silver medal that she won as a member of the 4 x 100-meter relay team, Ledecky won four gold medals in the 4 x 200-meter relay, the 200-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle, and the 800-meter freestyle.

Ledecky would conclude the 2016 Olympics with more medals than Olympic icon, Simone Biles, and only one behind Michael Phelps, who won five gold medals and one silver in 2016.

The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo

The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan didn’t take place until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Olympic trials were also pushed back to 2021 because of the virus that shut down sporting events, travel, and more.

However, Ledecky was still committed to furthering her amazing career.

During the Olympic trials, which were broadcast on NBC, largely because the nation wanted to see what Ledecky would do next, Ledecky acknowledged that she and her colleague Simone Manuel trained for the Olympics in a private pool owned by masters swimmer, Todd Spieker.

The 2020 Olympics were historic for more than one reason. Obviously, the delay of the games to July and August of 2021 was historic, but it was also the first Olympics that had the 1500-meter freestyle.

Ledecky was already a legend in the world of competitive swimming before the opening ceremony got underway, but the 2020 games saw her etch her name in the record books in what would become her signature event.

Ledecky did win a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle, marking the first time she had ever lost an individual event in the Olympics. She was also part of the silver-medal-winning 4 x 200-meter relay team, once again swimming the anchor.

The two silvers wouldn’t be Ledecky’s only medals that year. In addition to becoming the first woman to win a gold medal in the 1500-meter freestyle, Ledecky also won gold in the 800-meter freestyle.

After the 2021 Olympics came to an end, Ledecky shocked the swimming world when she announced that she would be changing her training regimen ahead of the 2024 Olympics by relocating to Florida to train with Anthony Nesty, the head coach of the University of Florida Gators’ swim team.

Ledecky did not enroll at Florida as a student but did commit to working as a volunteer coach while she trained under Nesty.

The 2024 Summer Olympics

When the Paris Olympics got underway in 2024, Ledecky, 27, was one of the senior members of the team.

After winning the bronze in the 400-meter freestyle and a silver in the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay, Ledecky broke her own world record in the 1500-meter freestyle.

With one event still to in the 2024 Olympics (the 800-meter freestyle), Ledecky is already the most decorated women’s swimmer in Olympic history.

Will Katie Ledecky Participate in the 2028 Olympics?

The 2028 Summer Olympics are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, California. As a Stanford alum, it could serve as a homecoming of sorts for Ledecky, who will be 31 by the time the games start.

With that in mind, many experts have openly questioned if she will be involved.

During an interview with NBC Sports during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Ledecky said that she hopes to be part of Team USA when the 2028 games get underway.

The Ledecky Legacy

Katie Ledecky has already cemented her position as the most successful female swimmer in Olympic history.

Outside of Michael Phelps, she’s the most decorated swimmer in American history. Should she compete in the 2028 games, she has a chance to add to her incredible legacy.

In the mean time, she still has a chance to medal once more in Paris, as the 800-meter freestyle had not been completed at the time of this writing.