Reported by Robert Gibbs.
Female Athlete of the Year – Katie Ledecky
The 21-year old Ledecky wasn’t the unbeatable machine of a swimmer that she’s been in the past. She finished in 3rd in the individual 200 free at Pan Pacs, and the US 800 free relay took silver, to go with wins in the 400, 800, and 1500 frees. She also only won 2 of her 3 individual NCAA events: topping the 500 and 1650, but finishing 2nd to her teammate Ella Eastin in the 400 IM.
But, looked at through anybody else’s lens, she had another historic year. She broke the 1500 free World Record in her first swim as a professional. At a Pan Pac meet that was a little dicey, she won more medals and more individual medals than any other swimmer. She was one of two Americans to break a World Record this year, and the only one who both broke a World Record and won Pan Pacs gold in the same event (Baker broke the 100 back World Record at Nationals, but took bronze at Pan Pacs).
This marks Ledecky’s 6th-straight Female Athlete of the Year honor. Only Michael Phelps (7, not consecutively) has more.
- Haley Anderson
- Kathleen Baker
- Katie Ledecky – SwimSwam’s Choice
Is Katie allowed to keep her scholarship?
Not if it’s athletic based. Tyr prolly covers education tho
How mature Katie looks just after two college years. In Rio even being 19 years old already she was still a school girl mentally.
school girl mentally in Rio ? we did not watch the same Rio games Buddy apparently …..jeeez , how condescendant is this post of yours towards Ledecky !!!
Why have you gotten so offended? You should be happy that your young eyes are seeing better, father, deeper … That you are at the age when some minor observations like “time flies” are not of your concern at all.
I am not offended at all personally – she is ….and u appear not to see it as yet . Good , go on like that .
Good if there is nothing personal, so you can be more tolerable to what other people see or don’t see. Happy Thanksgiving.
P.S. By the way, being more mature doesn’t necessarily mean being slower in the pool. That actually proves your point: you are seeing something in my post that doesn’t exist there. When my sons visited us on Thanksgiving at their freshman year in college I was shocked how they had changed just in couple months of their first experience of independent life. So I may know what I’m talking about.
In Rio I believe Katie was still the youngest swimmer on the team. I am sure that is no longer true, and with younger swimmers coming up, Katie naturally has assumed a different role.
Huh?