Katie Ledecky's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Katie Ledecky. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Katie Ledecky is an American competitive swimmer considered one of the greatest of all time. She holds world records in the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle, and formerly in the 400-meter freestyle. Ledecky has amassed nine Olympic gold medals and 21 World Championship gold medals, the most for any female swimmer. She is the most decorated American woman and female swimmer in Olympic history. In addition to her Olympic success, she holds records for individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships and overall medals in women's swimming at both the Olympics and World Aquatics Championships, solidifying her legacy as a dominant force in the sport.

Sections (4)

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

1968: Debbie Meyer's achievement

In 2016, with three individual titles, 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: Breaking Janet Evans' American record

In 2012, Katie Ledecky broke Janet Evans' American record of 8:16.22, which had stood since 1989, while winning the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the London Summer Olympics.

1996: Comparison to Amy Van Dyken's 1996 Olympic performance

In 2016, Katie Ledecky's final medal total (four golds, one silver) is the most decorated single-Olympics performance by a U.S. female athlete in terms of gold medals, topping Amy Van Dyken's performance at the 1996 Olympics (four golds).

2003: Hannah Stockbauer's Achievement

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

2008: Mention of Rebecca Adlington's World Record

In 2012, Katie Ledecky narrowly missed breaking Rebecca Adlington's world record of 8:14.10 set in 2008, while winning the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the London Summer Olympics.

2009: Breaking Federica Pellegrini's 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: Gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London

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, breaking Janet Evans' American record from 1989. She narrowly missed the world record set in 2008 by Rebecca Adlington.

2012: Ledecky makes Olympic team at US Olympic trials

In 2012, at the United States Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska, Katie Ledecky made the Olympic team by placing first in the 800-meter freestyle.

2012: Ledecky wins gold at London Olympics

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

2012: Comparison to Missy Franklin's 2012 Olympic performance

In 2016, Katie Ledecky's final medal total (four golds, one silver) is the most decorated single-Olympics performance by a U.S. female athlete in terms of gold medals, topping Missy Franklin's performance at the 2012 Olympics (four golds, 1 bronze).

2013: Awards from Swimming World and FINA Aquatics World magazine

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: Qualification 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 in Barcelona after finishing first in the 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyle, and second in the 200-meter freestyle at the US National Championships.

2013: Ledecky named United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year

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

2013: Wins at the 2013 World Championships

In 2013, at the World Championships, Katie Ledecky won gold in the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle, and in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, setting two world records. She became the second woman to win the 400 through 1500-meter titles at a World Championships since Hannah Stockbauer in 2003.

2014: Victories at the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

At the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Gold Coast, Australia, Katie Ledecky won five gold medals in the 200-, 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle and the 4×200-meter freestyle. She broke world records in the 400- and 1500-meter freestyles and became the first woman to win four individual gold medals at a single Pan Pacific Championship.

2014: Success at the 2014 US National Championships

At the 2014 US National Championships, Katie Ledecky finished first in the 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle and set a world record in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:58.86, becoming the first female since Janet Evans to simultaneously hold world records in the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyles.

2014: Ledecky named international female Champion of Champions by L'Équipe

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

2014: Previous world record in the 400-meter freestyle

In 2016, Katie Ledecky won the gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the Summer Olympics with a world record time of 3:56.46, which was nearly two seconds faster than her previous record from 2014.

2014: Breaks 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, recording times of 15:34.23 and 8:11.00 respectively.

2015: Five Gold Medals at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, Katie Ledecky won five gold medals in the 200-, 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyles and the 4×200-meter freestyle, breaking 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.

2015: Qualification for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships

Katie Ledecky's performance at the 2014 US National Championships secured her qualification for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.

November 2016: Ohio State Invitational Records

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: Sponsorship of USS Enterprise

In December 2016, Katie Ledecky, along with Simone Biles, was chosen as one of the sponsors of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, becoming the first Olympians to receive this honor.

2016: NCAA Season Records

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: Ledecky becomes most decorated female athlete at Rio Olympics

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

2016: Ledecky named United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year

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

2016: Ledecky's performance at 2016 games

In 2016, Katie Ledecky's final medal total (four golds, one silver) at the Olympics was the most decorated single-Olympics performance by a U.S. female athlete in terms of gold medals and the 2nd most decorated Olympian at the 2016 games behind Michael Phelps.

2016: World record at Arena Pro Swim Series

In 2016, at the Arena Pro Swim Series at Austin, Katie Ledecky reset her world record in the 800-meter freestyle, clocking a time of 8:06.68. She also set world-leading times in the 200- and 400-meter freestyles and a U.S.-leading time in the 100-meter freestyle.

2016: Silver medal in 4x100-meter freestyle relay at 2016 Summer Olympics

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

2016: Qualification for 2016 Olympic team at 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 broke Janet Evans's 28-year-old national championship record in the 800-meter freestyle preliminary heats and was named the female swimmer of the meet.

November 2017: Texas A&M Invitational Record

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: USA Swimming Championships Wins

At the 2017 USA Swimming Championships, Katie Ledecky won the 200-meter freestyle, 400-meter freestyle, and 800-meter freestyle, earning a spot on six events.

2017: World Aquatics Championships Record

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

2017: NCAA Season Records

During the 2017-18 NCAA season, Katie Ledecky set another three NCAA records and two American records, 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, 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.

July 2018: USA Swimming Championships Qualification

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: Pan Pacific Championships Wins

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: World Aquatics Championships Title

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.

2020: Ledecky becomes most decorated U.S. female athlete at 2020 Olympic Games

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

June 14, 2021: Olympic Team Qualification

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

2021: Tokyo Olympics Wins

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, which occurred in 2021, 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.

2022: USA Swimming Championships Wins

At the 2022 USA Swimming Championships in Irvine, Katie Ledecky won three gold medals by finishing first in the 200-meter freestyle, the 800-meter freestyle, and the 400-meter individual medley.

2022: Ledecky named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year and ESPY Best Female Athlete

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

2023: USA Swimming Championships Wins

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).

2023: World Aquatics Championships Golds

At the 2023 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.

2023: Ledecky wins sixth World Championship gold medal

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.

2024: Summer Olympics Medals

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 won a silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay.