Skip to main content

New top story from Time: Katie Ledecky’s Incredible Olympic Legacy

https://ift.tt/377kWya

On her most challenging day of competition in a career filled with them, Katie Ledecky thought about her grandparents.

The 24-year-old American with a record haul of world championship medals had just finished a disappointing fifth in the 200 meter freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics. In about an hour, she was due to dive back into the pool for the final of the 1,500m freestyle—a grueling test of stamina and resolve. Somehow she had to wash off the loss and reset for the mile-long swim to come.

“I went blank a little, and was trying to find some positive things to get me moving forward,” Ledecky said. “The easiest thing for me to think about are my grandparents; my two grandmothers are still alive, but we lost my two grandfathers quite a few years ago. It makes me really happy to think about them; they are the four toughest people I know. I knew if I was thinking about them during the race I wasn’t going to die, and that I wasn’t going to have a bad swim and they would power me through.”
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

They did. Behind a relentless pace, Ledecky earned the first Olympic gold in the women’s 1500m, which was making its debut in Tokyo, and was even able to share the glory with teammate Erica Sullivan, who surged to finish second for silver. And three days later, Ledecky defended her 800m freestyle title in decisive fashion, staking out an early lead and never relinquishing it even as budding rival Ariarne Titmus of Australia closed in.

READ MORE: Why Katie Ledecky Swims So Fast

Ledecky didn’t reach the heights in Tokyo that she did at the 2016 Games in Rio—Titmus thwarted her defense of gold in both the 200m and 400m freestyle—but her performance was spectacular nonetheless. Her final haul of four medals—gold in 1,500m and 800m, silver in the 400m and a silver medal as part of the 4x200m freestyle relay in which Ledecky swam a masterful come-from-behind anchor leg—cement her as one of the greatest and most consistent swimmers in history.

“There will never be another Katie Ledecky,” says Rowdy Gaines, a three-time Olympic gold medalist who covers swimming for NBC. “She is incredibly humble, and incredibly focused and grateful for the gift that she has. She’s a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. Trust me, there will never, ever be another Katie Ledecky. Not in my lifetime.”

Embracing the pain of training for gold

Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in suburban Maryland, Ledecky made her Olympic debut at 15, at the 2012 London Games. She stunned the swim world by winning gold in the 800m, setting a fast pace that has become her trademark in distance races. In the years that followed, Ledecky continued to carve seconds off her previous personal best times, most of which were world records, and for a while, she set new records each time she dove into the pool.

“I approach each race with the belief in myself that I can swim a best time, and that’s pretty darn tough,” she said in Tokyo after her gold medal swim in the 1500m. “It’s a real blessing and a curse that I have that attitude, because it’s not easy when your times are world records in some events, and you can’t just keep dropping time with every single swim. It’s what’s served me well over the years, and why I’ve broken so many world records and swum so many fast times. But it’s also a really hard attitude to maintain for nine years.”

Ledecky admits that her perspective has changed some, even if her ultimate goal — to swim faster each time she races — remains the same. “I’ve learned a lot over the years; my times may not be my best times, but I’m still really, really happy to have a gold medal around my neck.”

Ledecky said she is already looking forward to training for the next Olympics, in Paris in 2024, taking a little solace in the fact that the pandemic delay means the next Games will be in three years instead of four. She could make history there as well if she wins a fourth 800m title.

READ MORE: Katie Ledecky Adds Another Gold to Her Medal Haul

Distance is a particular strength. Ledecky is able to push through longer swims, at a more rigorous pace, better than anyone else in the world. “She embraces pain,” says Gaines. “I think she embraces the monotony of it all. She pushes herself where it’s not sustainable for other swimmers.” Where most swimmers aren’t ready to commit to the time and effort it takes to swim the mile, Ledecky says she took to it almost immediately. “I was probably 12 or 13 when I swam my first mile,” she said in Tokyo. “I realized I was pretty good at it, and enjoyed it more than some of my peers. So I kind of owned it, and continued to race it and continued to enjoy it. I like the work you have to put in.”

Like all swimmers, Ledecky struggled to find pool time when the world shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. When the Olympics were postponed by a year, she was in her last year at Stanford University, so she made a pact with teammate and Stanford alum Simone Manuel to stay in California and find ways to continue training together, including getting some laps in at a backyard pool. “It bonded us,” Ledecky said of the experience.

The extra year also gave Ledecky the opportunity to finish the credits she needed to earn her degree, and she took classes in public health during which she learned more about the challenges of preparing for threats like COVID-19. Her swimming schedule prevented her from attending her own graduation in June, however, since she was in Omaha, Neb. earning a spot on the Olympic Team. She did bring her cap and gown to Trials, and donned them for pictures to celebrate at the most appropriate place for her — on the pool deck.

Training for the Olympics and managing her academic commitments hasn’t been easy, particularly over the last 18 months. Deciding to remain in California meant that Ledecky wasn’t able to see her parents since she left for school in 2019, before pandemic lockdowns began. She admits that the year has taught her to be more adaptable. “I think I’ve grown a lot, both in and out of the pool. I’m experienced now and just know how to manage both the physical and mental aspects of the sport. If I have a bad practice, I don’t let it get to me.”

That expanded perspective was on display after Ledecky failed to reach the podium in the 200m. “I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me, or feel silver or any other medal besides gold is a disappointment or anything. I would much rather that people be concerned about people who are really truly struggling in life,” she said. “It’s a true privilege to be at the Olympics, let alone an Olympics in the middle of a pandemic. So many people in the world are going through a lot of hard things; I’m just lucky to be here.”

Read more about the Tokyo Olympics:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Destination San Francisco: Muni Gets You to All the Sights

Destination San Francisco: Muni Gets You to All the Sights By 39 Coit servicing Coit Tower at Telegraph Hill – one of the routes that will be returning in August 2021 as part of Muni’s next service changes. San Francisco is reopening and the  SFMTA is supporting economic recovery by providing Muni access to 98% of the city.  By August 2021, a majority of our pre-COVID routes will be back in service connecting residents and visitors with world-class shopping and dining experiences, off-the-beaten-path local flare, diverse neighborhoods and almost boundless outdoor activities.  Shops, Markets & Dining in Diverse Neighborhoods  Virtually every neighborhood in San Francisco has its own boutique shopping and dining experiences, as well as unique farmers markets showcasing local shops and amenities....

How Improving Muni Also Makes Life Better for Drivers

How Improving Muni Also Makes Life Better for Drivers By Andrea Buffa Photo credit: We Ride Australia If you mostly drive to get around San Francisco, you may be wondering, “what has the SFMTA done for me lately?” San Francisco is a “ transit first ” city, so at the SFMTA we focus our resources on making it easier for San Franciscans to get around by public transit as well as by biking, walking and personal mobility device. While it may seem like adding transit lanes and protected bike lanes doesn’t have anything to do with driving, in fact, it does.  Since San Francisco doesn’t have room to give more space to roads, we have to change the way we use the limited space on our existing streets. (Not that adding more roads reduces traffic anyway – check out this article .) City Traffic Engineer Ricardo Oleo puts it this way: “When you have a city like San Francisco that was built with density in mind, having everyone drive is not a viable option. There’s not enough room to have th...

Safer and Easier Parking in Every City-Owned Facility

Safer and Easier Parking in Every City-Owned Facility By Pamela Johnson Parking at any of our 22 city-owned facilities is now easier and safer than ever. Late last month we completed the Parking Access Revenue and Control Systems (PARCS) project. This four-year effort replaced aging parking equipment with modern technology and significant operational upgrades. Customer using new PARCS kiosk at North Beach parking garage Patrons will notice enhanced lighting, new wayfinding signs, audible alarms, cameras, gate arms, and payment machines with two-way digital intercoms . Behind the scenes is an all-new parking management system and 24/7 command center, connected to every machine. Can’t find your ticket to pay for parking?  No worries! Thanks to license plate recognition technology, cameras located at every facility’s entrance capture patrons’ plate numbers as they arrive . If a customer loses her ticket, the manager is able to re-issue a ticket based on her license plate...

Residents Overwhelmingly Support Slow Streets

Residents Overwhelmingly Support Slow Streets By Eillie Anzilotti After over a year of Slow Streets providing safe, low-volume corridors for people to walk, bike, play and travel during the pandemic, we’re excited to share our first comprehensive evaluation of the program . The key takeaway? San Franciscans are overwhelmingly in support of Slow Streets. Slow Streets are designed to limit through traffic on certain residential streets and allow them to be used as a shared roadway for people traveling by foot and by bicycle. Since introducing Slow Streets in April 2020 in response to the Mayor’s Emergency Health Order, SFMTA has designated around 30 corridors covering 47 miles of roadway as Slow Streets. The program has evolved from a critical component of San Francisco’s pandemic response and recovery to a potential new avenue to further the city and SFMTA’s goals around climate action and sustainable transportation. As the Slow Streets program has grown, we wanted to make sure we...

Last Chance - 2022 Muni Service Network Survey Closes October 1, 2021

Last Chance - 2022 Muni Service Network Survey Closes October 1, 2021 By Mariana Maguire SFMTA staff talks with customer about 2022 Muni service options at farmer’s market pop-up event. The SFMTA recently introduced three options for increasing Muni service in early 2022. We launched efforts to get community input on them, including a brief survey that closes Friday, October 1. If you haven’t taken the survey yet, there are still a few days left! You can find the survey link at SFMTA.com/2022Network. We’ve received more than 4,000 survey responses so far and a few hundred calls to our hotline and feedback to our TellMuni@SFMTA.com email. You can also provide feedback on the shortened J Church route and changes to the 23 Monterey, 57 Parkmerced, 35 Eureka and 48 Quintara/24th Street by contacting TellMuni@SFMTA.com or 415.646.2005. All three alternatives to increase Muni bus service in early 2022 have the same amount of total bus service – they’re just arranged differently. Th...

New top story from Time: ‘We’re Nowhere Close to the Deal’. Coronavirus Aid Package Talks Break Down as Trump Rejects Help for Cities

https://ift.tt/3098lHW WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed Democratic demands for aid to cash-strapped cities in a new coronavirus relief package and lashed out at Republican allies as talks stalemated over assistance for millions of Americans. Another lawmaker tested positive for the virus. Republicans, beset by delays and infighting, signaled a willingness to swiftly approve a modest package to revamp a $600 weekly unemployment benefit that’s running out. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., roundly rejected that approach as meager, all but forcing Republicans back to the negotiating table. Without action, the aid expires Friday. “We’re nowhere close to the deal,” said White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. He said they’re “miles apart.” Stark differences remain between the $3 trillion proposal from Democrats and $1 trillion counter from Republicans, a standoff that is testing Trump and Congress ahead of the November election and putting...

Gene Henderson: Honoring Muni’s First Black Division Manager

Gene Henderson: Honoring Muni’s First Black Division Manager By Jeremy Menzies In recognition of Black History Month, we bring you the story of Gene Henderson, the first Black man to become the head of a Muni bus division, Muni’s Kirkland Division. Henderson’s Background Gene Henderson was born in Houston, Texas, in 1916. He married his wife Naomi in 1939 and then served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Following the war, Gene and his family moved to San Francisco where he began his career at the San Francisco Municipal Railway. Early Career On February 1, 1946, Henderson was hired as a streetcar motorman out of Sutro Division, which was located on the corner of 32nd Ave. and Clement St. He was hired just five years after Muni’s first Black transit operator, Audley Cole, had successfully fought to integrate the carmen’s union in 1941. In his early days at Muni, Gene worked one of the three lines running out of Sutro Division from the Ferry Building to the Richmond District o...

FOX NEWS: 6-year-old girl died after theme park ride operators failed to buckle her in: report A new report revealed the apparent cause of a tragic accident at a Colorado theme park earlier this month.

6-year-old girl died after theme park ride operators failed to buckle her in: report A new report revealed the apparent cause of a tragic accident at a Colorado theme park earlier this month. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/39Ix5eg

Sunday Streets Returns October 17, with Phoenix Day

Sunday Streets Returns October 17, with Phoenix Day By Pamela Johnson For 13 years, the SFMTA and Livable City have brought "Sunday Streets" to San Francisco neighborhoods. Sunday Streets encourages communities to transform miles of car-congested streets into car-free spaces for neighbors to gather, kids to play, and for organizations and businesses to connect. On October 17, 2021, after more than 18 months of Covid-related shutdowns, Sunday Streets Phoenix Day will again bring free recreational activities, resources, and fun to the streets for tens of thousands of San Franciscans to enjoy. While Sunday Streets was celebrated in one neighborhood at a time in the past, this year's Phoenix Day spans various districts in the City for a simultaneous celebration of community, health, and resilience. This year's theme is "One City. One day. Rising together.”  Highlights this year include historic Sunday Streets SF routes, a 20+ mile community bike ride, three neighb...

Muni Service Changes Starting June 13

Muni Service Changes Starting June 13 By Mariana Maguire Beginning Saturday, June 13, the SFMTA will increase Muni service and frequency, add select routes into service and extend some current routes to continue to support essential trips. A key goal of these service increases is to support the community’s economic recovery by providing more connections to neighborhood commercial districts as businesses begin to reopen. We are also adding more frequent service on targeted routes to help address crowding and improve onboard physical distancing. These service changes will improve transit access through Chinatown, SoMa and the Excelsior neighborhoods, identified by the Muni’s Service Equity Strategy as neighborhoods that rely on transit service the most based on the percentage of households with low incomes, private vehicle ownership and race and ethnicity demographics. Although Muni continues to be for essential trips only, many people have no choice but to use transit to r...