History of Katie Ledecky in Timeline

Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky, an American competitive swimmer, is the most decorated female swimmer in history and the most decorated American woman in Olympic history. She has won 14 Olympic medals, including nine golds. Ledecky shares the record for most Olympic gold medals won by a woman and is the fifth-most decorated Olympian overall. She is widely considered the greatest female swimmer of all time.

Sections (4)

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

September 8, 1947: Grandfather Arrived in New York

On September 8, 1947, Katie Ledecky's Czech-born paternal grandfather Jaromír Ledecky arrived in New York City as a student.

December 30, 1956: Grandfather's Marriage

On December 30, 1956, Katie Ledecky's Czech-born paternal grandfather Jaromír Ledecky married Berta Ruth Greenwald in Brooklyn, New York.

1968: Debbie Meyer's Feat in 1968

In 2016, Katie Ledecky became the first swimmer to win the 200, 400 and 800 m freestyle at the same Olympics since Debbie Meyer did so in 1968 in Mexico City.

1989: Broke Janet Evans' American Record

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Katie Ledecky broke Janet Evans' American record of 8:16.22 that had stood since 1989. She won gold in the 800-meter freestyle.

1996: Comparison to Amy Van Dyken in 1996

In 2016, Katie Ledecky's final medal total is more decorated single-Olympics performance by a U.S. female athlete in terms of gold medals, topping Amy Van Dyken in 1996.

March 17, 1997: Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky Born

On March 17, 1997, Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky was born. She is an American competitive swimmer celebrated as the most decorated female swimmer in history.

1998: Stanford's First Team Title Since 1998

In 1998, Stanford won its first team title since 1998, led by Katie Ledecky at the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis.

2003: Largest Championship Margin of Victory Since 2003

In 2003, Stanford secured a 526.5–366 decision over runner-up California-Berkeley, the largest championship margin of victory since 2003.

2003: Second Woman to Win Events in World Championships Since 2003

In 2013, after winning the 400 through 1500-meter titles at the World Championships, Katie Ledecky became the second woman ever to win the events in a World Championships since German Hannah Stockbauer in 2003.

2008: Missed Rebecca Adlington's world record in 2008

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Katie Ledecky won gold in the 800-meter freestyle with a time of 8:14.63, just behind Rebecca Adlington's world record of 8:14.10 set in 2008.

2009: Broke Federica Pellegrini's 2009 World Record

At the 2014 US National Championships, Katie Ledecky broke Federica Pellegrini's 2009 world record in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:58.86.

2012: Won Gold at 2012 Summer Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Katie Ledecky won gold in the 800-meter freestyle with a time of 8:14.63, breaking Janet Evans' American record from 1989.

2012: Trained with Nation's Capital Swim Club in 2012

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

2012: USA Olympic Team Member

In 2012, Katie Ledecky became a member of the USA Olympic team. She was also a member in 2016, 2020 and 2024.

2012: Qualified for 2012 Olympic Team

In 2012, Katie Ledecky qualified for the Olympic team at the United States Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska, by placing first in the 800-meter freestyle. She was the youngest American participant at the 2012 Olympic Games.

2012: Youngest person to win 800 Free

In 2012, Katie Ledecky was the youngest person to win the 800 free (at age 15).

2012: Won Gold at London Olympic Games

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

2012: Comparison to Missy Franklin in 2012

In 2016, Katie Ledecky's final medal total is more decorated single-Olympics performance by a U.S. female athlete in terms of gold medals, topping Missy Franklin in 2012

2013: Won Gold at World Championships

At the 2013 World Championships, Katie Ledecky won gold in the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle, and in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, and set two world records.

2013: Named American and World Swimmer of the Year

At the end of 2013, Katie Ledecky was named the American Swimmer of the Year and the World Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine. She was also named the best female swimmer for 2013 by FINA Aquatics World magazine.

2013: Championship Record

During day three of an unspecified event, Katie Ledecky swam a 15:43.10 in the 1500 meter freestyle prelims, setting a new Championship Record, over four seconds faster than the previous record she set in 2013.

2013: Named United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year in 2013

In 2013, Katie Ledecky was named United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year.

2013: Qualified for World Aquatics Championships

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

2014: Named international female Champion of Champions by L'Équipe in 2014

In 2014, Katie Ledecky was named international female Champion of Champions by L'Équipe.

2014: Won Five Gold Medals 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. She became the first woman to win four individual gold medals at a single Pan Pacific Championship.

2014: World Record in 400-meter freestyle

In 2014, at the US National Championships, Katie Ledecky set her third world record of the year in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:58.86.

2014: Broke World Records at Woodlands Swim Team Senior Invitational

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

2014: Previous Record From 2014

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, Katie Ledecky beat her previous record in the 400-meter freestyle from 2014.

2015: Qualified for 2015 World Aquatics Championships

In 2014, at the US National Championships, Katie Ledecky finished first in the 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle, qualifying for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.

2015: Graduated from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart

In 2015, Katie Ledecky graduated from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland.

2015: Won Five Gold Medals 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. She became the first and only swimmer to win the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyles in a major competition and was named the female swimmer of the meet.

November 2016: Ohio State Invitational

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.

December 2016: Sponsor of USS Enterprise

In December 2016, Katie Ledecky was chosen as one of the sponsors of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise alongside Simone Biles.

2016: NCAA Records Set

During the 2016-17 NCAA season, Katie Ledecky set 12 NCAA records and nine American records while swimming as a freshman for Stanford University.

2016: Began 2016 at Arena Pro Swim Series at Austin

In 2016, Katie Ledecky began the year at the Arena Pro Swim Series at Austin, where she reset her world record in the 800-meter freestyle and set world-leading times in the 200- and 400-meter freestyles.

2016: Most Decorated Female Athlete at Rio Olympics

In 2016, Katie Ledecky emerged as the most decorated female athlete at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, securing four gold medals, one silver medal, and setting two world records.

2016: USA Olympic Team Member

In 2016, Katie Ledecky was a member of the USA Olympic team. She was also a member in 2012, 2020 and 2024.

2016: Named United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year in 2016

In 2016, Katie Ledecky was named United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year.

2016: Qualified for 2016 Olympic Team

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: Success at the 2016 Olympics

In the 2016 Olympics, Katie Ledecky won three individual titles and set a record. She earned four gold and one silver medal. She was also the 2nd most decorated Olympian at the 2016 games behind Michael Phelps.

2016: Silver Medal in 4x100-meter Freestyle Relay

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, Katie Ledecky swam the anchor leg for the United States in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, earning a silver medal with the team, which set a new national record with a time of 3:31.89.

2016: Trained 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 Summer Olympics.

November 2017: Texas A&M Invitational

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: 2017 World Aquatics Championships

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

2017: 2017-18 NCAA Season

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.

2017: Awards and Honors in 2017

In 2017, Katie Ledecky was named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, international female Champion of Champions by L'Équipe, United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation.

May 16, 2018: Professional Debut and World Record

On May 16, 2018, Katie Ledecky made her debut as a professional swimmer at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis, Indiana, and broke her old world record in the 1500-meter freestyle, setting a new world record of 15:20.48.

June 8, 2018: Sponsorship Deal with TYR Sport

On June 8, 2018, Katie Ledecky signed her first sponsorship deal with TYR Sport, Inc.

July 2018: 2018 USA Swimming 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: 2018 Pan Pacific Championships

At the 2018 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: 2019 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2019 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.

December 2020: Completed Bachelor of Arts Degree

In December 2020, Katie Ledecky completed a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in political science from Stanford University.

2020: Performance at Tokyo Olympics

At an unspecified time in 2020, Ledecky's time at the Tokyo Olympics was the sixth-fastest ever (behind only her own performances) and over 7 seconds faster than her winning time at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

2020: 2020 Summer Olympics

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.

2020: Qualifying for the 2020 Summer Olympics

In 2020, Katie Ledecky secured her spot on the US Olympic Team for the 400 meter freestyle event at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

2020: USA Olympic Team Member

In 2020, Katie Ledecky was a member of the USA Olympic team. She was also a member in 2012, 2016 and 2024.

2020: Most Decorated U.S. Female Athlete at the Olympic Games

In 2020, at the Olympic Games, Katie Ledecky distinguished herself as the most decorated U.S. female athlete and achieved the distinction of becoming the first American female swimmer to win an individual event in three consecutive Olympiads.

2020: Training During the Pandemic

In 2020, due to training facilities being closed during the pandemic, Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel trained for the Olympics in a 25-yard private pool in Atherton, in the backyard of masters swimmer Tod Spieker.

2020: Spots on the US Olympic Team Secured

In the evening of 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: 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series

Katie Ledecky began 2020 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.

May 20, 2021: Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite Win

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: Securing Spot on the US Olympic Team

On June 14, 2021, Katie Ledecky competed in the prelims and finals of the 400 meter freestyle at the USA Swimming Olympic Trials. She finished first in the final 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: USA Swimming Olympic Trials Interview

In June 2021, Katie Ledecky was featured in an interview during the NBC telecast for the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic trials (postponed to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), discussing Stanford University's commencement, finishing her college degree, and training for the Olympic Trials.

June 18, 2021: Advancing to the 800-meter freestyle final

On Friday, 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.

2021: Second Gold Medal in 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.

2021: 2021 TYR Pro Swim Series

Katie Ledecky began 2021 at the TYR Pro Swim Series at San Antonio, Texas, and won the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyle races.

2022: 2022 USA Swimming Championships

At the 2022 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: 2022 USA Swimming International Team Trials

At the 2022 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: Awards and Honors in 2022

In 2022, Katie Ledecky was named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year and also won the ESPY Best Female Athlete.

2023: 2023 USA Swimming Championships

At the 2023 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, trailing only her own performances.

2024: US Olympic Trials

At the 2024 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).

2024: 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Katie Ledecky finished third in the 400-metre freestyle, 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 and also competed in the 4x200m freestyle relay, winning the silver medal.

2024: Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024

In 2024, Katie Ledecky was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.

May 3, 2025: Broke world record in women's 800-metre freestyle

On May 3, 2025, Katie Ledecky broke her own world record in the women's 800-metre freestyle, setting a new world record of 8:04.12 at the TYR Swim Pro Series in Fort Lauderdale.

2025: Gold in 800 meter World Championship

In 2025, Katie Ledecky won gold in the 800 meter World Championship, becoming the first swimmer to win seven World Championship gold medals in the same event.

2025: Qualified for Four Events at USA Swimming Championships

In 2025, at the USA Swimming Championships, Katie Ledecky qualified for four events: the 400-m., the 800-m., and the 1500-m., as well as the 4×200 m freestyle relay.

2025: 2025 World Aquatics Championships

In 2025, at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Katie Ledecky won a bronze medal in the 400 metre freestyle on July 27th, a gold medal in the 1500 metre freestyle on July 29th, and a silver medal as part of the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay on July 31st.