Katie Ledecky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Katie Ledecky

Ledecky at the Golden Goggle Awards in 2023
Personal information
Born	(1997-03-17) March 17, 1997 (age 28) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in
Weight	159 lb
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	Nation's Capital Swim Club (NCAP) University of Florida
College team	Stanford University
Coach	Yuri Suguiyama Bruce Gemmell Greg Meehan Anthony Nesty
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 9 4 1 World Championships (LC) 21 5 1 Pan Pacific Championships (LC) 8 1 1 Event 1st 2nd 3rd 200 m freestyle 3 1 1 400 m freestyle 7 3 2 800 m freestyle 12 0 0 1500 m freestyle 9 0 0 4x100 m freestyle 1 1 0 4x200 m freestyle 6 5 0 Olympic Games Gold 2012 London 800 m freestyle Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m freestyle Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 400 m freestyle Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 800 m freestyle Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2020 Tokyo 800 m freestyle Gold 2020 Tokyo 1500 m freestyle Gold 2024 Paris 800 m freestyle Gold 2024 Paris 1500 m freestyle Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2020 Tokyo 400 m freestyle Silver 2020 Tokyo 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2024 Paris 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2024 Paris 400 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2013 Barcelona 400 m freestyle Gold 2013 Barcelona 800 m freestyle Gold 2013 Barcelona 1500 m freestyle Gold 2013 Barcelona 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2015 Kazan 200 m freestyle Gold 2015 Kazan 400 m freestyle Gold 2015 Kazan 800 m freestyle Gold 2015 Kazan 1500 m freestyle Gold 2015 Kazan 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2017 Budapest 400 m freestyle Gold 2017 Budapest 800 m freestyle Gold 2017 Budapest 1500 m freestyle Gold 2017 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2017 Budapest 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2019 Gwangju 800 m freestyle Gold 2022 Budapest 400 m freestyle Gold 2022 Budapest 800 m freestyle Gold 2022 Budapest 1500 m freestyle Gold 2022 Budapest 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2023 Fukuoka 800 m freestyle Gold 2023 Fukuoka 1500 m freestyle Silver 2017 Budapest 200 m freestyle Silver 2019 Gwangju 400 m freestyle Silver 2019 Gwangju 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2023 Fukuoka 400 m freestyle Silver 2023 Fukuoka 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2025 Singapore 400 m freestyle Pan Pacific Championships (LC) Gold 2014 Gold Coast 200 m freestyle Gold 2014 Gold Coast 400 m freestyle Gold 2014 Gold Coast 800 m freestyle Gold 2014 Gold Coast 1500 m freestyle Gold 2014 Gold Coast 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2018 Tokyo 400 m freestyle Gold 2018 Tokyo 800 m freestyle Gold 2018 Tokyo 1500 m freestyle Silver 2018 Tokyo 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2018 Tokyo 200 m freestyle

Katie Ledecky is an American competitive swimmer. She is known as one of the greatest swimmers of all time. Katie has won more Olympic medals than any other American woman. She has also won the most individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships.

Katie holds world records in the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events. She also used to hold the world record in the 400-meter freestyle. Katie first competed in the 2012 London Olympics when she was just 15 years old. She surprised everyone by winning a gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle.

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Katie was the most successful female athlete. She won four gold medals and one silver medal. She also set two new world records. In the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Katie became the first American female swimmer to win an individual event in three Olympics in a row.

In 2023, she won her sixth World Championship gold medal in the 800-meter event. This made her the first swimmer, male or female, to achieve this in the same event. Overall, Katie has won 51 medals in major international competitions. These include the Olympics, World Championships, and Pan Pacific Championships. She has broken 17 world records during her amazing career.

Katie has been named the Female World Swimmer of the Year five times by Swimming World. She also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024 from President Joe Biden.

Early Life and Swimming Journey

Katie Ledecky was born in Washington, D.C. She grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. Her parents are Mary Gen and David Ledecky. Katie's mother swam for the University of New Mexico. Her older brother, Michael, also influenced her to start swimming at age six.

Ledecky (left) at the 2013 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona

Katie went to Little Flower School and then graduated from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in 2015. During high school, she set American and US Open records in the 500-yard freestyle twice. She also set national high-school records in the 200-yard freestyle twice.

Katie trained with the Nation's Capital Swim Club. She later accepted a scholarship to Stanford University. There, she swam for the Stanford Cardinal women's swimming team. In December 2020, Katie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Stanford.

Ledecky (middle) and fellow Olympic champion Simone Biles (left) sign a steel plate for the USS Enterprise in 2017

Katie's Swimming Career Highlights

2012: Olympic Debut

First Olympic Trials

At the 2012 US Olympic Trials, Katie competed in her first big national event. She made the Olympic team by winning the 800-meter freestyle. She was only 15 years old. Katie was the youngest American swimmer at the 2012 Olympic Games.

London Summer Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Katie surprised everyone. She won the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle. Her time was 8:14.63, which was the second-fastest ever. She also broke the American record that had stood since 1989. This was her first international medal.

2013: World Championship Success

World Championships in Barcelona

At the 2013 World Championships, Katie won four gold medals. She won the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle events. She also won gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Katie set two new world records in the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle. She became the second woman ever to win all three long-distance freestyle events at a World Championships.

Ledecky speaks to students at Rickard Elementary School in Williston, North Dakota in 2015.

2014: Breaking More Records

Katie continued to break her own world records in 2014. She set new records in the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events. She also broke the world record in the 400-meter freestyle. This made her the first female swimmer since Janet Evans to hold world records in the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyles at the same time.

Pan Pacific Championships Dominance

At the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Australia, Katie won five gold medals. She also broke two more world records. She became the first woman to win four individual gold medals at a single Pan Pacific Championship.

Ledecky after breaking the 1500-meter freestyle world record at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships.

2015: Five Golds at Worlds

World Championships in Kazan

At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Russia, Katie won five gold medals. She broke three world records in the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyles. She became the first swimmer ever to win the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyles at a major competition.

Ledecky after her win in the 400-meter freestyle in Kazan.

2016: Rio Olympic Star

Second Olympic Trials

At the 2016 US Olympic Trials, Katie won the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyles. This qualified her for her second Olympic team.

Rio Summer Olympics

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Katie had an amazing performance. She won four gold medals and one silver medal. She set new world records in the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyles. Katie became the first swimmer since 1968 to win the 200, 400, and 800-meter freestyle events at the same Olympics.

Ledecky swimming at the 2016 Olympic Games

Her five medals were the most won by a US female athlete at those Games. She was the second most decorated Olympian at the 2016 games, after Michael Phelps.

Ledecky (alongside U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry) accepts her award for "Female Athlete of the Olympic Games" in 2016.

2017: NCAA and World Championships

College Swimming Success

During the 2016–17 college season, Katie set 12 NCAA records and nine American records. She swam for Stanford University and helped them win their first team title since 1998. Katie was the first freshman in 35 years to receive the Honda Cup. This award recognizes the nation's top female college athlete.

World Championships in Budapest

At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Katie won five gold medals and one silver. She broke the record for most gold medals won by a female swimmer at the World Championships.

Results scoreboard for the women's 1500-meter freestyle World Championship final in Budapest.

2018: Turning Professional

More College Records

During the 2017–18 college season, Katie helped Stanford win their second team title in a row. She set three more NCAA records and two American records.

Professional Debut

After her second year, Katie decided to become a professional swimmer. She gave up her last two years of college swimming to accept sponsorship deals. She made her professional debut in May 2018. She broke her own world record in the 1500-meter freestyle, setting a new record of 15:20.48.

Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo

Ledecky and Leah Smith after the 800m freestyle race in 2018.

At the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, Katie won three individual gold medals. She won the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle events. She also earned a bronze in the 200-meter freestyle and a silver in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

2019: Overcoming Illness

World Championships in Gwangju

At the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in South Korea, Katie faced a challenge. She became ill and had to withdraw from two events. Despite this, she returned to win her fourth straight World Championship title in the 800-meter freestyle.

2020-2021: Tokyo Olympics and New Training

Olympic Trials in 2021

The 2020 Olympic Trials were postponed to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Katie qualified for her third Olympic team. She won the 200-, 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle events.

Tokyo Summer Olympics

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Katie won two gold and two silver medals. She was the most decorated US female athlete at these Games. She won gold in the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events. The 1500-meter freestyle was a new event at the Olympics. She also earned silver medals in the 400-meter freestyle and the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. Katie became the first swimmer to win a distance event three times in a row.

After the Olympics, Katie announced she would train with coach Anthony Nesty at the University of Florida. She also became a volunteer swim coach for the Florida Gators.

2022: More World Titles and Short Course Records

World Championships in Budapest

At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Katie won all four of her events. These were the 400-, 1500-, and 800-meter freestyle, and the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. With these four golds, she now has 22 career World Championships medals. This is the most for any female swimmer. She also became the first swimmer to win five consecutive world titles in an individual event.

Short Course World Records

In October 2022, Katie swam the 1500m short course event for the first time. She set a new world record of 15:08.24. The next week, she broke the world record in the 800m short course freestyle with a time of 7:57.42.

2023: Continuing to Make History

World Championships in Fukuoka

At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Japan, Katie won two gold and two silver medals. Her 16th individual gold medal at the World Championships meant she surpassed Michael Phelps for the most individual gold medals ever. She won the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events. She also earned silver medals in the 400-meter freestyle and the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

2024: Paris Olympics and New Records

Ledecky (wearing a gold medal from the 2024 Summer Olympic Games) with U.S. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in August 2024.

Fourth Olympic Trials

At the 2024 US Olympic Trials, Katie qualified for her fourth Olympics. She finished first in four events: 200-, 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle.

Paris Summer Olympics

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Katie won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze. She defended her title in the 1500-meter freestyle, setting a new Olympic record. She also won her fourth consecutive gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle. This made her the first woman to win eight individual Olympic gold medals in swimming. She also earned a silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay and a bronze in the 400-meter freestyle.

2025: New World Record

Katie started 2025 by breaking her own world record in the women's 800-meter freestyle. She set a new record of 8:04.12 in May 2025. At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, she won a bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle.

Awards and Recognition

Ledecky with President Joe Biden after she accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom in June 2024.

Katie Ledecky has been a member of the USA Olympic team in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. She holds the women's record for most individual gold medals (16) and overall gold medals (21) at the World Aquatics Championships.

Her combined 24 individual titles at the Olympics (8) and World Aquatics Championships (16) is also a record for female swimmers.

Katie has received many awards, including:

• Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Award: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
• Swimming World American Swimmer of the Year Award: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022
• FINA World Championships Best Female Swimmer: 2013, 2015, 2022
• FINA Swimmer of the Year: 2013, 2022
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year: 2017, 2022
• L'Équipe Champion of Champions: 2014, 2017
• Time 100: 2016 (youngest person on the list)
• USOC SportsWoman of the Year: 2012–13, 2016, 2017
• Golden Goggle Female Athlete of the Year: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Honda Sports Award Winner for NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving: 2016–17
• Honda Cup Winner: 2016–17
• Women's Sports Foundation Athlete of the Year (Individual Sport): 2017
• Best Female Athlete ESPY Award at the 2022 ESPY Awards
• Best Female Olympian ESPY Award at the 2022 ESPY Awards
• Presidential Medal of Freedom: 2024

Personal Best Times

These tables show Katie Ledecky's fastest times in different swimming events.

Long Course Meters (50 m pool)

Short Course Meters (25 m pool)

Short Course Yards (25 y pool)

World Records Set by Katie

Katie Ledecky has set many world records throughout her career. Here are the records she has set in long course and short course pools.

Long Course (50 m pool)

Short Course (25 m pool)

See also

In Spanish: Katie Ledecky para niños