Ledecky, Katie (1997-…), is a champion American swimmer. She has set world records in the women’s 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1,500-meter freestyle events. Ledecky has won more gold medals (9) and more total medals (14) than any other female American athlete in Olympic Games history.
Ledecky first gained international recognition in 2012. That year, at the age of 15, she became the surprise winner of the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the Summer Olympic Games in London, England. She was the youngest American athlete to participate in the 2012 games.
Ledecky was also a star of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She won individual gold medals in the 200-meter, 400-meter, and 800-meter freestyle races. She also won a gold medal as a member of the 800-meter freestyle relay and a silver medal as a member of the 400-meter freestyle relay.
At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Ledecky won four medals. The 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She won individual gold medals in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle races. She also won silver medals in the 400-meter freestyle race and as a member of the 800-meter freestyle relay.
At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, Ledecky won four medals. She won individual gold medals in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle races. She also won a silver medal as a member of the 800-meter freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle race.
Ledecky won four gold medals at the 2013 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Spain, and five golds at the 2015 championships in Kazan, Russia. FINA is the world governing body for the sport of swimming. Ledecky also won five gold medals at the 2017 championships in Budapest, Hungary; one gold at the 2019 championships in Gwangju, South Korea; four golds at the 2022 championships in Budapest; and two golds at the 2023 championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Her total of 21 career gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships is a record for women swimmers.
Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky was born in Washington, D.C., on March 17, 1997. She became a national swimming star in high school in Bethesda, Maryland. She set American records in the 500-meter freestyle twice, and the national high-school record in the 200-meter freestyle twice. Following the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Ledecky entered Stanford University on an athletic scholarship. In 2018, Ledecky announced that she was turning professional as a swimmer. Her decision meant she would be ineligible to swim in college events, but she would still be eligible for the Olympic Games. In 2024, Ledecky received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor awarded by the president of the United States.
