{"id":262379,"date":"2017-06-26T09:22:02","date_gmt":"2017-06-26T16:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=262379"},"modified":"2017-06-26T14:11:18","modified_gmt":"2017-06-26T21:11:18","slug":"katie-ledecky-still-aiming-to-be-exceptional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/katie-ledecky-still-aiming-to-be-exceptional\/","title":{"rendered":"(Video) Katie Ledecky Still Aiming to Be Exceptional"},"content":{"rendered":"

By David Rieder.<\/em><\/p>\n

Stop me if you\u2019ve heard this one before: Katie Ledecky<\/strong> is expected to qualify for a major international meet in a bunch of different freestyle events. Coming into this week\u2019s U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ledecky is the top seed in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 free, and she enters ranked sixth in the 100 free.<\/p>\n

Sounds familiar, but much has changed. Nationals marks Ledecky\u2019s first long course championship meet since her record-shattering Olympic performance in Rio, when she became just the second woman in history to ever sweep gold medals in the 200, 400 and 800 free.<\/p>\n

Since the most prolific and emotional meet of her life, Ledecky has since moved across the country to start college at Stanford and left her teenage years behind. It would be perfectly understandable if she had taken a step back this year and was not in record-breaking form. Plenty of time before 2020, right?<\/p>\n

\"stanford-champions-\"

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

But she didn\u2019t. The last time she was in Indianapolis, she led Stanford to an NCAA championship, crushing her own American record in the 500 free in one of her three championship performances.<\/p>\n

And after her abbreviated long course season of just three meets, Ledecky already owns the top times in the world in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 free, most of them by comfortable margins.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s often tough to maintain that level of excellence coming off an Olympic Games, and Ledecky credits her coaches, Bruce<\/strong> Gemmell<\/strong> of Nation\u2019s Capital and Greg Meehan<\/strong> of Stanford, and her teammates\u2019 combined goal of winning a team championship for giving her the push she needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s a testament to the coaches I\u2019ve had, both Bruce and Greg, just having that smooth transition and communication between them,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve enjoyed that team culture of working towards an NCAA championship. Having that to focus on right as I got back in September coming off an Olympic year goal got me fired up and got me going.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The NCAA championship, Stanford\u2019s first in women\u2019s swimming in 19 years, surely helps the adjustment, but Ledecky has bought fully into the school\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n

She had to adapt to biking everywhere around campus\u2014though she now calls herself a \u201cgreat biker\u201d\u2014but she fit in right away on a campus where excellence\u2014exceptionalism, even\u2014is the standard.<\/p>\n

In Rio, Andrea<\/strong> Lee<\/strong>, one of the top-ranked amateurs in the world, introduced herself to Ledecky and informed her they would be in the same dorm, and Ledecky also met Swiss golfer Albane Valenzuela,<\/strong> another Stanford freshman-to-be.<\/p>\n

No wonder Ledecky found motivation to continue to surpass herself in that environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everybody at Stanford is really special in what they\u2019re passionate about,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I think that\u2019s what attracted me to Stanford, people striving to do their best at what it is they\u2019re interested. For me, that\u2019s swimming and school, and I could really devote my time to that this past year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh yes, there was plenty of school as well. Ledecky just finished up spring quarter in the three weeks before coming to Indianapolis. She didn\u2019t offer any specifics on grades, only insisting that she \u201cdid really well\u201d and \u201cwas happy with how my first year went.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the rest of the summer, it\u2019s all swimming, all the time. And as difficult as was her program of events at the Rio Olympics, she figures to add in one more with the 1500 free. Ledecky is already the reigning World champion and world record-holder in the mile, but the event figures to be an increased priority now that is an Olympic event.<\/p>\n

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

Ledecky wasn\u2019t sure if she will swim the 1500 this week at Nationals\u2014she might not need to, since the winner of the 800 free has first choice to swim the event at Worlds. Interestingly, she even seemed hesitant to commit to swimming the 1500 in its inaugural Olympic appearance in 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was happy to see it. I think adding the 1500 was a long time coming, and it\u2019s good that there\u2019s parity in the women\u2019s and men\u2019s distance events right now. I don\u2019t know how it factors into my swimming yet. It\u2019s a discussion I have to have with Greg,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 1500 has to be in the conversation now. It makes things more challenging, having that in the schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n

But first things first, take care of business at Nationals and get back on the World Championships team. Get back on Team USA, so she can challenge the male distance swimmers during practice at training camp\u2014which Ledecky admitted was happening on occasion during last year\u2019s Olympic training camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cUhh, yeah, a little bit,\u201d Ledecky said sheepishly. \u201cI do enjoy having those opportunities. Hopefully, this summer, if I make the World Championships team and I get to training camp, I can push some of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

If<\/em> she makes the World Championship team? Uhh, yeah, we like her chances. A little bit.<\/p>\n

Watch a full replay of Ledecky’s pre-meet press conference at U.S. Nationals:<\/strong><\/p>\n