Ledecky Gives Swim Lessons In Tokyo As Part Of U.S. Embassy Program

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky, who is fresh off of winning five medals (including three golds) at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships, stuck around after that meet in Tokyo to give swim lessons to Japanese students, per a report in the Charlotte Observer.

Ledecky was on hand to work with more than 100 elementary school and junior high school aged swimmers, answering questions about her career before getting into the pool and swimming with the students. Her lessons were part of the United States Embassy’s “Go For Gold” initiative, which brings American athletes and diplomats to participating schools in Japan.

“It’s fun for me to give back to the sport I love so much,” Ledecky told reporters, adding with a smile that “Hopefully I’ll see a lot of their faces again in two years.”

Preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games are well underway in Tokyo, including adding a roof to the swimming venue that is currently under construction. Ledecky figures to be a major player at those Games, with the swimmer forgoing her final two years of eligibility at Stanford to turn professional heading into the next Olympics.

The Charlotte Observer contributed to this report.

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