Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Katie Ledecky

How Katie Ledecky built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Katie Ledecky is an American competitive swimmer, widely considered the greatest female swimmer of all time. She holds numerous records, including nine Olympic gold medals and 21 World Championship gold medals, the most for any female swimmer. Ledecky is also the most decorated American woman in Olympic history. She has won a record 16 individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships and holds world records in the women's 800- and 1500-meter freestyle events. With unparalleled achievements, Ledecky has solidified her place as one of the greatest Olympians ever.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1968: Debbie Meyer's Olympic wins

In 1968, Debbie Meyer won the 200, 400 and 800 m freestyle at the same Olympics in Mexico City.

1996: Amy Van Dyken's Olympic wins

In 1996, Amy Van Dyken won four golds at the Olympics.

2012: Gold Medal at London Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Katie Ledecky won the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle with a time of 8:14.63, setting an American record.

2012: Training with Nation's Capital Swim Club

During the summer of 2012, Katie Ledecky trained with the Nation's Capital Swim Club under coach Yuri Suguiyama.

2012: Olympic Trials

In 2012, Katie Ledecky made the Olympic team by placing first in the 800-meter freestyle at the United States Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska, with a time of 8:19.78.

2012: Missy Franklin's Olympic performance

In 2012, Missy Franklin won four golds and one bronze at the Olympics.

2012: Ledecky wins gold at London Olympics

In 2012, at the London Olympic Games, a 15-year-old Katie Ledecky made her international debut and unexpectedly won the gold medal in the women's 800-metre freestyle.

2012: First Swimmer to win a distance event

In 2021, Katie Ledecky became the first swimmer to win a distance event three times in a row, as well as the youngest person to win the 800 free (at age 15 in 2012)

2012: USA Olympic team member

Katie Ledecky was a USA Olympic team member in 2012.

2013: Broke world record in 800m short course freestyle

At the World Cup's Indianapolis stop in 2022, Katie Ledecky broke the world record in the 800m short course freestyle. Her time of 7:57.42 surpassed Mireia Belmonte's mark from 2013.

2013: Set Championship Record

During day three of competition at the USA Olympic Trials, Katie Ledecky swam a 15:43.10 in the 1500 meter freestyle prelims, ranking as the fastest swimmer of prelims heat, advancing to the final, and setting a new Championship Record over four seconds faster than the previous record she set in 2013.

2013: Qualified for World Aquatics Championships

In 2013, Katie Ledecky qualified to swim in four individual events and the 4x200-meter freestyle relay at the World Aquatics Championships.

2013: Won gold at the World Championships

In 2013, at the World Championships, Katie Ledecky won gold in the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle, and in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, setting two world records.

2014: Wins at Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

In 2014, at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Gold Coast, Australia, Katie Ledecky won five gold medals and broke two world records in the 400- and 1500-meter freestyles.

2014: US National Championships

In 2014, at the US National Championships, Katie Ledecky finished first in the 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle, setting a world record in the 400-meter freestyle.

2014: Broke World Records in 800- and 1500-meter Freestyle

In June 2014, Katie Ledecky broke her own world records in the 800- and 1500-meter freestyle at the Woodlands Swim Team Senior Invitational.

2015: Wins at World Aquatics Championships

In 2015, at the World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, Katie Ledecky won five gold medals and broke three world records in the 800- and 1500-meter freestyles.

2015: Qualifying for 2015 World Aquatics Championships

The 2014 US National Championships served as a qualifying meet for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.

November 2016: Lowered American and U.S. Open marks

In November 2016, at the Ohio State Invitational, Katie Ledecky lowered her American and U.S. Open marks in the women's 500-yard freestyle and 1650-yard freestyle, demonstrating her continued dominance in these events.

2016: Most Decorated Female Athlete at Rio Olympics

In 2016, Katie Ledecky became the most decorated female athlete of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, with four gold medals, one silver medal, and two world records.

2016: Arena Pro Swim Series at Austin

In 2016, Katie Ledecky reset her world record in the 800-meter freestyle at the Arena Pro Swim Series at Austin, clocking a time of 8:06.68.

2016: US Olympic Trials

In 2016, at the United States Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska, Katie Ledecky won the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyles to qualify for her second Olympic team. She was named the female swimmer of the meet.

2016: Set NCAA and American Records

In 2016, during the 2016–17 NCAA season, Katie Ledecky set 12 NCAA records and nine American records while swimming as a freshman for Stanford University, marking a significant achievement in her collegiate career.

2016: Ledecky's medal total at 2016 Olympics

In the 2016 Olympic Games, Katie Ledecky's medal total was four golds and one silver.

2016: Silver Medal in 4x100-meter Freestyle Relay

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, Katie Ledecky won a silver medal as part of the United States team in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

2016: Training with Nation's Capital Swim Club through 2016 Olympics

Katie Ledecky continued to train with the Nation's Capital Swim Club under coach Bruce Gemmell through the 2016 Olympics.

November 2017: Lowered American and U.S. Open mark in 1650-yard freestyle

In November 2017, at the Texas A&M Invitational, Katie Ledecky lowered her American and U.S. Open mark in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:03.31.

2017: Set NCAA and American records

During the 2017–18 NCAA season, Katie Ledecky set another three NCAA records and two American records while helping lead Stanford to its second straight team title in 2017.

2017: Won multiple events at USA Swimming Championships

In 2017, at the USA Swimming Championships, Katie Ledecky won the 200-meter freestyle (1:54.84), 400-meter freestyle (3:58.44), and 800-meter freestyle (8:11.50), earning a spot in six events for the 2017 World Aquatics Championships.

2017: Broke World Aquatics Championships record

In 2017, at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Katie Ledecky broke the World Aquatics Championships' all-time female gold medal record, winning five golds and one silver to bring her career title total to 14.

May 16, 2018: Debut as a professional swimmer and new world record

On May 16, 2018, Katie Ledecky made her debut as a professional swimmer at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she beat her old world record in the 1500-meter freestyle, setting a new world record of 15:20.48, breaking the existing mark by five seconds.

June 8, 2018: Signed sponsorship deal with TYR Sport, Inc.

On June 8, 2018, Katie Ledecky signed her first sponsorship deal with TYR Sport, Inc., marking a significant step in her professional swimming career.

July 2018: Qualified for Pan Pacific Championships

In July 2018, at the 2018 USA Swimming Championships in Irvine, Katie Ledecky qualified for the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships by finishing first in the 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle.

2018: Led swimmers at Pan Pacific Championships

In 2018, at the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, Katie Ledecky led all swimmers with three individual titles, winning golds in the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle. She also took bronze in the 200-meter freestyle and silver in the 4x200-meter freestyle.

2019: Won fourth straight World Championship title

In 2019, at the World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, Katie Ledecky battled illness and withdrew from two events before winning her fourth-straight World Championship title in the 800-meter freestyle.

2020: Won two gold medals and two silver medals

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Katie Ledecky won two gold medals and two silver medals, making her the most decorated U.S. female athlete for a second straight Summer Olympics. Ledecky's time of 3:57.36 in the 400m freestyle was the second-fastest time of her career and fourth-fastest in history.

2020: Most Decorated U.S. Female Athlete at 2020 Olympics

During the 2020 Olympic Games, Katie Ledecky emerged as the most decorated U.S. female athlete and the first American female swimmer to win an individual event in three straight Olympiads.

2020: Won multiple freestyle races at TYR Pro Swim Series

In 2020, Katie Ledecky began the year at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Des Moines, Iowa, where she won the 200-, 400- and 1500-meter freestyle races. She withdrew from the 800-meter freestyle race due to illness and did not compete at any other events during 2020.

2020: USA Olympic team member

Katie Ledecky was a USA Olympic team member in 2020.

2020: Qualified for 2020 Summer Olympics

On June 14, 2021, Katie Ledecky qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics by winning the 400 meter freestyle at the USA Olympic Trials.

2020: Secured spots on US Olympic Team for 2020 Summer Olympics

On day 4, Katie Ledecky secured her spots on the US Olympic Team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 1500 meter freestyle and 200 meter freestyle individual events as well as the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay.

2020: Qualified to swim the 800 meter freestyle at the 2020 Summer Olympics

On day 7, Katie Ledecky won the 800-meter freestyle at the Olympic Trials with a time of 8:14.62 and qualified to swim the 800 meter freestyle at the 2020 Summer Olympics for the United States.

2020: Won the 1500-meter freestyle

Two days after winning the 400 meter freestyle at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Katie Ledecky won the 1500-meter freestyle in a time of 15:30.15, over 14 seconds faster than runner-up and teammate Katie Grimes. Ledecky's time was over 7 seconds faster than her winning time at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

May 20, 2021: Won long course 100 meter freestyle final

On May 20, 2021, at the Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite, Katie Ledecky won the long course 100 meter freestyle final by one one-hundredth of a second in a time of 53.82, with second place going to Simone Manuel.

June 14, 2021: Qualified for 2020 Summer Olympics

On June 14, 2021, Katie Ledecky competed in the prelims of the 400 meter freestyle, swimming a 4:03.07 and ranking 1st. In the evening final of the 400 meter freestyle, Ledecky finished first with a time of 4:01.27, securing her first spot on her third US Olympic Team swimming the 400 meter freestyle at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

June 2021: Featured in NBC Interview Discussing Olympics Training

In June 2021, as part of the NBC evening telecast for day one of the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic trials, Katie Ledecky was featured in an interview discussing Stanford University's commencement, finishing her college degree, and training for the Olympic Trials.

June 18, 2021: Advanced to the final of the 800-meter freestyle at the Olympic Trials

On June 18, 2021, the sixth day of competition, Katie Ledecky won with a time of 8:16.61 in the prelims heats of the 800-meter freestyle and advanced to the final at the Olympic Trials.

2021: Won multiple freestyle races at TYR Pro Swim Series

In 2021, Katie Ledecky began the year at the TYR Pro Swim Series at San Antonio, Texas. She won the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyle races, demonstrating her dominance in these events.

2021: Won second gold medal of the Olympics

In 2021, Katie Ledecky won her second gold medal of the Olympics and her seventh of all time in the 800-meter freestyle. Her six individual gold medals are the most of any female Olympic swimmer and female US Olympian, and the second-most of all Olympic swimmers behind Michael Phelps.

2022: Won three gold medals at USA Swimming Championships

In 2022, at the USA Swimming Championships in Irvine, Katie Ledecky won three gold medals by finishing first in the 200-meter freestyle (1:54.50), the 800-meter freestyle (8:12.03), and the 400-meter individual medley (4:35.77).

2022: Qualified for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships

In 2022, at the USA Swimming International Team Trials in Greensboro, Katie Ledecky qualified for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships by finishing first in the 200-meter freestyle (1:55.15), the 400-meter freestyle (3:59.52), the 800-meter freestyle (8:09.27) and the 1500-meter freestyle (15:38.99).

2022: Won four events at the World Aquatics Championships

In 2022, at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Katie Ledecky won all four of her events: the 400 meter freestyle, 1500 meter freestyle, 4 × 200 freestyle relay, and 800-meter freestyle. She expanded her career World Championships medal haul to 22, passing Natalie Coughlin for most for a female swimmer.

2023: Ledecky wins sixth World Championship gold

In 2023, Katie Ledecky won gold in the 800 meter World Championship, becoming the first swimmer—male or female—to win six World Championship gold medals in the same event.

2023: Won three gold medals at USA Swimming Championships

In 2023, at the USA Swimming Championships in Indianapolis, Katie Ledecky won three gold medals (400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyle) and a silver medal (200-meter freestyle). Her times in the 800-meter freestyle (8:07.07) and 1500-meter freestyle (15:29.64) were the third- and sixth-fastest times in history.

2023: Won two gold medals and two silver medals at World Aquatics Championships

In 2023, at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Katie Ledecky won two gold medals and two silver medals. Her 16th career individual gold medal surpassed Michael Phelps for most individual gold medals at the world championships.

2024: Won two medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Katie Ledecky finished third in the 400-metre freestyle. Ledecky later defended her title in the 1500 metre freestyle event, setting the new Olympic record with a time of 15:30:02. She won her fourth consecutive gold medal and eighth individual gold in the 800 metre freestyle and also competed in the 4x200m freestyle relay, winning the silver medal.

2024: Qualified for fourth Olympics

In 2024, at the US Olympic trials, Katie Ledecky qualified for her fourth Olympics. She finished in first place in four events: 200-meter freestyle (1:55.22), 400-meter freestyle (3:58.35), 800-meter freestyle (8:14.12), and 1500-meter freestyle (15:37.35).