Who is Katie Ledecky?

Who is Katie Ledecky?

During the 2012 London Summer Games, Katie Ledecky burst onto the world stage, as she shocked the world by winning the 800m freestyle. Since then, she had been on an incredible run, and heads into the 2016 Rio Olympics looking for more gold.

Ledecky is a 19-year-old from Washington, D.C., who began swimming at age six. As a 15-year-old at the 2012 Summer Games, Ledecky had the second-fastest time ever in the 800m freestyle, as her time of 8:14.63 barely missed Rebecca Adlington’s record of 8:14.10 set in 2008. Still, her time was the fastest ever recorded by an American, as she broke Janet Evans’ record of 8:16.22.

Currently, Ledecky is the world record holder in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle, and has the fastest times in the 500,1000, and 1650 yard freestyle. In her career, she has broken 11 world records, and has 15 medals in international competition across the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships.

This year, Time Magazine made her the youngest person on the Time 100 List.

Ledecky heads into the 2016 Rio Olympics after a stunning performance at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. She won the 200m, 400m, and 800m freestyle, qualifying for the Olympics in all three events, and was named Swimmer of the Meet.

She is the best young swimmer the United States has produced since Michael Phelps, who sees a bit of himself in the youngster.

“You can tell she is very goal oriented, and for me it brings me back to kind of what I was like way, way, way back in the day,” Phelps told the USA Today Sports. “Every time she gets in the water, it’s like a world record. She is improving so much, and I think she is just trying to push that barrier, and I think it’s pretty exciting to watch her do that.”

That is high praise from the greatest Olympian of all-time.

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