She is 27 years old and hasn't lost in 14 years
July 30, 2024 5:15 PM Subscribe
At the world championships last summer, when Ledecky won the event by 17 seconds, television cameras struggled to capture her and her competitors in the same shot over the final laps, except when she met them while swimming the opposite direction.
welp
posted by lalochezia at 5:46 PM on July 30 [14 favorites]
This article by Brian Philips at the late lamented Grantland is ten years old (?!?!?) but it is still one of the best pieces of sportswriting I've ever had the pleasure to read. This Is Katie F---ing Ledecky: A Thesis About Kicking Ass.
She swims freestyle. That is a bad way to describe what she does, but technically it’s accurate. You have to swim freestyle before you can annihilate freestyle. You have to swim freestyle before you can leave the whole concept of freestyle wrecked and gasping and clutching at air in your wake.posted by pollytropos at 5:54 PM on July 30 [21 favorites]
Excellent timing on the FPP. In the midst of my very low-key following of the Olympics, I remembered that there was some swimmer I'd read about like a decade ago who had mad fucking skills but I could not remember her name to look up if she was still competing and crushing everyone else. And now I know.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:01 PM on July 30 [4 favorites]
posted by rmd1023 at 6:01 PM on July 30 [4 favorites]
might be the greatest athletic achievement of all time?
Oh, it's way up there! In percentage terms, Kiptum's (RIP) 2023 Chicago win was even more significant than 17 seconds out of ~15 minutes (even over Kipchoge's next best time in 2014)... but just barely.
But in terms of sustained, pure butt-kicking, I can't think of anybody who has doled out more giant helpings of humility than Ledecky.
What would somebody have to do to be considered better than her? It's too daunting to think about.
She's Gretzky but the ice is all melted.
posted by dsword at 6:02 PM on July 30 [17 favorites]
Oh, it's way up there! In percentage terms, Kiptum's (RIP) 2023 Chicago win was even more significant than 17 seconds out of ~15 minutes (even over Kipchoge's next best time in 2014)... but just barely.
But in terms of sustained, pure butt-kicking, I can't think of anybody who has doled out more giant helpings of humility than Ledecky.
What would somebody have to do to be considered better than her? It's too daunting to think about.
She's Gretzky but the ice is all melted.
posted by dsword at 6:02 PM on July 30 [17 favorites]
pollytropos, that was an excellent article. Thanks for linking to it. I am currently watching the video of Katie Ledecky swimming her first 800m Olympic final in London in 2012, that is discussed in the article. It is so interesting to hear the commentators starting to realize that they are not seeing a 15-year-old who went out too hard, but are actually seeing the first international showing of a superstar!
As the commentator said: "a phenomenal performance!"
posted by Sauter Vaguely at 6:36 PM on July 30 [14 favorites]
As the commentator said: "a phenomenal performance!"
posted by Sauter Vaguely at 6:36 PM on July 30 [14 favorites]
Katie Ledecky is amazing. She's on another level.
I do think her medal count, and that of other top swimmers, is inflated compared to other Olympians. If so many swimmers can win more than one distance or event discipline in the same year, then maybe the events aren't distinct enough. In 2020 there were EIGHT different swimmer who took home more than one gold medal in individual events. If the same person is winning both the 50m and the 100m, or both backstroke distances, or both medleys, or in Ledeckey's case both the 800m and the 1500m, does that show a lack of distinction between the individual events? Or is the other sports who need more events?
posted by thecjm at 6:38 PM on July 30 [5 favorites]
I do think her medal count, and that of other top swimmers, is inflated compared to other Olympians. If so many swimmers can win more than one distance or event discipline in the same year, then maybe the events aren't distinct enough. In 2020 there were EIGHT different swimmer who took home more than one gold medal in individual events. If the same person is winning both the 50m and the 100m, or both backstroke distances, or both medleys, or in Ledeckey's case both the 800m and the 1500m, does that show a lack of distinction between the individual events? Or is the other sports who need more events?
posted by thecjm at 6:38 PM on July 30 [5 favorites]
I remember watching that world championship race last year and it was insane how far ahead of the rest of the field she was.
She's just on another level.
posted by drewbage1847 at 6:53 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
She's just on another level.
posted by drewbage1847 at 6:53 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
I do think her medal count, and that of other top swimmers, is inflated compared to other Olympians.
Moar medals! But also, this article doesn't mention number of medals aside from the fact that she won gold medals in four separate Olympics. The focus is more on the fact that she has been unbeaten for over half of the time she has existed on this planet. Can I say that again? She has been unbeaten for over half of her life! The last time she lost a 1,500m race she was in junior high! I wanted to grab a pull quote for the fpp but there are so many unbelievable accomplishments that I decided to just use the article title. Other world class swimmers are saying that they had the best race of their lives because Ledecky didn't lap them!
posted by Literaryhero at 7:38 PM on July 30 [12 favorites]
Moar medals! But also, this article doesn't mention number of medals aside from the fact that she won gold medals in four separate Olympics. The focus is more on the fact that she has been unbeaten for over half of the time she has existed on this planet. Can I say that again? She has been unbeaten for over half of her life! The last time she lost a 1,500m race she was in junior high! I wanted to grab a pull quote for the fpp but there are so many unbelievable accomplishments that I decided to just use the article title. Other world class swimmers are saying that they had the best race of their lives because Ledecky didn't lap them!
posted by Literaryhero at 7:38 PM on July 30 [12 favorites]
Just to belabor the point, this is her 4th time back at the Olympics…and she just turned 27 this year.
Twenty god damn seven.
posted by hal_cy_on at 7:57 PM on July 30 [6 favorites]
Twenty god damn seven.
posted by hal_cy_on at 7:57 PM on July 30 [6 favorites]
That call from London is really interesting - as you noted, the commentators start out really doubtful and then gradually get on board with what is happening and by the end they are maybe a bit disappointed she didn't nail the WR.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:57 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 7:57 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
I swim slow old guy laps at the suburban DC pool where she cut her teeth. It’s nice, but nothing special – just an average mid century subdivision pool that has some pretty active swim teams. If that kind of greatness can come from that place it really can come from anywhere.
posted by ryanshepard at 8:04 PM on July 30 [11 favorites]
posted by ryanshepard at 8:04 PM on July 30 [11 favorites]
I do think her medal count, and that of other top swimmers, is inflated compared to other Olympians
That might be true, if Katie Ledecky wasn’t breaking world records just because it’s Tuesday … that she set last Tuesday (metaphorical Tuesday). If there was some kind of parity in medal counts and everyone was staying below the world record times, then you might be able to claim that.
But she is the world record time. You can’t inflate that - it’s axiom.
I guess you could rewrite physics or some such, but that’s really putting the boot in.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 8:21 PM on July 30 [3 favorites]
That might be true, if Katie Ledecky wasn’t breaking world records just because it’s Tuesday … that she set last Tuesday (metaphorical Tuesday). If there was some kind of parity in medal counts and everyone was staying below the world record times, then you might be able to claim that.
But she is the world record time. You can’t inflate that - it’s axiom.
I guess you could rewrite physics or some such, but that’s really putting the boot in.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 8:21 PM on July 30 [3 favorites]
I don’t even like swimming and I’m impressed.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 8:26 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 8:26 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
yeah this seems like it's beyond Gretzky territory and into Don Bradman levels of dominance, or maybe that pole vaulter Sergey Bubka who just kind of kept setting new records a half-inch at a time for years
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:05 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:05 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
She set the Olympic record in the 1500 for the first time at Tokyo. Because that was the first time women got to compete in that event (!?!?).
I wonder how long it will be before anyone else holds that record.
posted by nat at 12:03 AM on July 31 [5 favorites]
I wonder how long it will be before anyone else holds that record.
posted by nat at 12:03 AM on July 31 [5 favorites]
maybe that pole vaulter Sergey Bubka who just kind of kept setting new records a half-inch at a time for years
I gotta google this, but wasn't there a cash prize for each world record set, so he did it as a way to maximize his income?
posted by Literaryhero at 2:54 AM on July 31 [1 favorite]
I gotta google this, but wasn't there a cash prize for each world record set, so he did it as a way to maximize his income?
posted by Literaryhero at 2:54 AM on July 31 [1 favorite]
Every now and then someone who is absolutely ideal for a particular sport ends up a competitor in that sport. Katie Ledecky is a prime example.
posted by tommasz at 3:59 AM on July 31 [1 favorite]
posted by tommasz at 3:59 AM on July 31 [1 favorite]
I watched the 400 a few days ago and was wondering what Summer Macintosh had done to be hyped so much. She beat Ledecky in the 800. Why didn't they just lead with that? That's the equivalent of beating Biles in floor routines. Not her absolutely best event, but still beyond amazing.
As far as I know Ledecky isn't built differently than the average woman. She's not like Phelps, with his reach and increased oxygen intake. Which makes her absolute dominance on distance swimming all the more incredible.
posted by Hactar at 6:08 AM on July 31 [4 favorites]
As far as I know Ledecky isn't built differently than the average woman. She's not like Phelps, with his reach and increased oxygen intake. Which makes her absolute dominance on distance swimming all the more incredible.
posted by Hactar at 6:08 AM on July 31 [4 favorites]
She is 6 feet tall, which puts her in about the 99th percentil of women by height. Not quite Phelps territory in terms of being built for the sport, but not exactly average, either.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:35 AM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 6:35 AM on July 31 [2 favorites]
Sauter Vaguely, that 2012 video is WILD
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 6:48 AM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 6:48 AM on July 31 [2 favorites]
For those of you better versed in modern swim theory: Katies seems to barely kick thru most of her swim. What's up with that? When I was on swim teams in The Before Times, we were always told to "keep kicking" - the implication being that most of your momentum came from the kick. Has the understanding of human-bodies-in-water efficiency changed significantly over the last few decades?
I do think her medal count, and that of other top swimmers, is inflated compared to other Olympians
The race lengths are very traditional. I use to swim competitively in The Before Times and as far as I know, these have stayed consistent for at least a half century. Track (foot racing) events very similar in their structure.
posted by Silvery Fish at 7:28 AM on July 31 [2 favorites]
I do think her medal count, and that of other top swimmers, is inflated compared to other Olympians
The race lengths are very traditional. I use to swim competitively in The Before Times and as far as I know, these have stayed consistent for at least a half century. Track (foot racing) events very similar in their structure.
posted by Silvery Fish at 7:28 AM on July 31 [2 favorites]
Allow me to share more of my archive of journalists losing their minds over Katie Ledecky!
Before the Tokyo Olympics, the Washington Post analyzed all the tiny pieces that go into her dominance (and pointed out that she would be "likely swimming 6,200 meters or more in eight days, including qualifying races and finals, far more than any other Olympic swimmer" as well as explaining that she "isn’t a biological wonder with a superhuman wing span or giant hands. At 6 feet, she’s rarely the tallest on the starting blocks. She has no genetic head start" — unlike Michael Phelps, who might have been designed in a lab to be an incredible swimmer). A different reporter at the Post talked to her about her experience swimming and studying at Stanford around the same time. (I don't have a gift link for this, I'm sorry, if someone else can supply one I would be grateful!)
Sports Illustrated did a deep dive into her family background and early training, with a genuinely touching scene when she dedicates a local rec center named after her grandfather.
The Athletic on Ledecky's pandemic training in a backyard pool with Simone Manual.
I swear there is an article somewhere that focuses on what it's like for men to train alongside her and how mentally challenging it is for them, poor babies — there's often a remark in the articles I've linked to in which someone says something gross about how she "swims like a man" or something similar, and she usually responds with, essentially, a shrug and a polite "I'm just focused on my own training" and I die laughing every time. In short: KATIE LEDECKY.
posted by pollytropos at 7:40 AM on July 31 [12 favorites]
Before the Tokyo Olympics, the Washington Post analyzed all the tiny pieces that go into her dominance (and pointed out that she would be "likely swimming 6,200 meters or more in eight days, including qualifying races and finals, far more than any other Olympic swimmer" as well as explaining that she "isn’t a biological wonder with a superhuman wing span or giant hands. At 6 feet, she’s rarely the tallest on the starting blocks. She has no genetic head start" — unlike Michael Phelps, who might have been designed in a lab to be an incredible swimmer). A different reporter at the Post talked to her about her experience swimming and studying at Stanford around the same time. (I don't have a gift link for this, I'm sorry, if someone else can supply one I would be grateful!)
Sports Illustrated did a deep dive into her family background and early training, with a genuinely touching scene when she dedicates a local rec center named after her grandfather.
The Athletic on Ledecky's pandemic training in a backyard pool with Simone Manual.
I swear there is an article somewhere that focuses on what it's like for men to train alongside her and how mentally challenging it is for them, poor babies — there's often a remark in the articles I've linked to in which someone says something gross about how she "swims like a man" or something similar, and she usually responds with, essentially, a shrug and a polite "I'm just focused on my own training" and I die laughing every time. In short: KATIE LEDECKY.
posted by pollytropos at 7:40 AM on July 31 [12 favorites]
This should be an ungated link to the WaPo story on Katie Ledecky swimming and studying at Stanford from pollytropos's comment above.
posted by epj at 8:27 AM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by epj at 8:27 AM on July 31 [2 favorites]
I am currently watching the video of Katie Ledecky swimming her first 800m Olympic final in London in 2012, that is discussed in the article. It is so interesting to hear the commentators starting to realize that they are not seeing a 15-year-old who went out too hard, but are actually seeing the first international showing of a superstar!
I was watching live that day. It really was unreal. I love it when the commentators are wrong about what's going to happen, and that day they were the most wrong.
For those of you better versed in modern swim theory: Katies seems to barely kick thru most of her swim. What's up with that? When I was on swim teams in The Before Times, we were always told to "keep kicking" - the implication being that most of your momentum came from the kick. Has the understanding of human-bodies-in-water efficiency changed significantly over the last few decades?
That is a long distance swimmer thing. For shorter distances (50 m even 100 m) you will see them kicking a lot even at the Olympics level. Leg muscles are big and need a lot of oxygen compared to arm muscles. For most freestyle swimmers most of the speed comes from the arms anyway. Over 800 m or 1500 m, kicking would be very inefficient. You can see it even more in the open water 5k and 10k.
posted by hydropsyche at 9:26 AM on July 31 [9 favorites]
I was watching live that day. It really was unreal. I love it when the commentators are wrong about what's going to happen, and that day they were the most wrong.
For those of you better versed in modern swim theory: Katies seems to barely kick thru most of her swim. What's up with that? When I was on swim teams in The Before Times, we were always told to "keep kicking" - the implication being that most of your momentum came from the kick. Has the understanding of human-bodies-in-water efficiency changed significantly over the last few decades?
That is a long distance swimmer thing. For shorter distances (50 m even 100 m) you will see them kicking a lot even at the Olympics level. Leg muscles are big and need a lot of oxygen compared to arm muscles. For most freestyle swimmers most of the speed comes from the arms anyway. Over 800 m or 1500 m, kicking would be very inefficient. You can see it even more in the open water 5k and 10k.
posted by hydropsyche at 9:26 AM on July 31 [9 favorites]
For those of you better versed in modern swim theory: Katies seems to barely kick thru most of her swim. What's up with that? When I was on swim teams in The Before Times, we were always told to "keep kicking" - the implication being that most of your momentum came from the kick. Has the understanding of human-bodies-in-water efficiency changed significantly over the last few decades?
posted by jedicus at 9:36 AM on July 31 [8 favorites]
Swimming velocity in the arm stroke trials achieved 89.4% (p=0.002) and 88.8% (p=0.012) of the velocity achieved in the whole stroke trials at [a pace equivalent to] 70% and 85% [of the participants' best 200m times], respectively. These contributions were significantly different to the contributions observed in the leg kicking trials (p<0.01), in which velocity corresponded to 63.7% (p<0.001) and 64.8% (p<0.001) of the velocity achieved in the whole stroke trials at 70% and 85%, respectively.Morris, et al., The contribution of the arm stroke and leg kick to freestyle swimming velocity, controlling for stroke and kick rate: A pilot study (2014). Evidently, for long distances such as the 1500m, kicking is mainly beneficial for stabilization.
...[a bunch more analysis of things like metabolic cost]
Indeed, the swimmer achieves forward movement through the water while using the leg kick only; proving that the leg kick somewhat contributes to propulsion, however using the leg kick as a primary source of propulsion will indeed be uneconomical. These findings support the conclusions of previous authors who have suggested that high kick frequencies may in fact be counterproductive in performance terms, particularly in long distance events
posted by jedicus at 9:36 AM on July 31 [8 favorites]
An outstanding human being. A pure winner, and seems kind about it to boot.
I would perhaps say that "It's her gift." except that it is not a gift. Her gift is showing up -- every race, every day -- and rocking the world.
GO KATIE !!!!
posted by dancestoblue at 12:10 PM on July 31 [4 favorites]
I would perhaps say that "It's her gift." except that it is not a gift. Her gift is showing up -- every race, every day -- and rocking the world.
GO KATIE !!!!
posted by dancestoblue at 12:10 PM on July 31 [4 favorites]
She’s doing it again!!
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 12:18 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 12:18 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
Other than Bubka, the only athlete with a sustained record of excellence where they didn't lose a significant race for a while I can think of is Edwin Moses in the 400 M Hurdles.
posted by indianbadger1 at 12:33 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by indianbadger1 at 12:33 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
New Olympic record!!!
posted by Silvery Fish at 1:13 PM on July 31 [4 favorites]
posted by Silvery Fish at 1:13 PM on July 31 [4 favorites]
Has the 800m even wrapped yet? If she gets another gold she'll at least tie Spitz, Lewis, Latynina and Nurmi at 9 golds! Although honestly, the more impressive thing to me is that the next best swimmer to get a WR in the 1500 was 2% slower. That is a huge gap, and it took 19 years to close half that gap between 1988 and 2007 in the same event.
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:54 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:54 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
Women's 800 is August 2nd. Fingers crossed!
posted by Silvery Fish at 4:54 PM on July 31 [1 favorite]
posted by Silvery Fish at 4:54 PM on July 31 [1 favorite]
THIS is why I MetaFilter. Someone I didn't know about before today, and I'm amazed at what I'm learning.
"Since Ledecky was last beaten in the 1,500 freestyle, she has set a world record in the event six times; won it at five world championships and in the inaugural Olympic race, in 2021; and has recorded the 19 fastest times in history." (emphasis mine)
Look at the top 20 results OF ALL TIME and the first 19 are just her over and over and over again. Dazzling.
posted by ZakDaddy at 5:11 PM on July 31 [1 favorite]
"Since Ledecky was last beaten in the 1,500 freestyle, she has set a world record in the event six times; won it at five world championships and in the inaugural Olympic race, in 2021; and has recorded the 19 fastest times in history." (emphasis mine)
Look at the top 20 results OF ALL TIME and the first 19 are just her over and over and over again. Dazzling.
posted by ZakDaddy at 5:11 PM on July 31 [1 favorite]
Janet Evans has still held the world record in the 1500 for the longest, though. From 1987 until 2007.
Ledecky has “only” had it since July 2013.
posted by nat at 10:02 PM on July 31
Ledecky has “only” had it since July 2013.
posted by nat at 10:02 PM on July 31
The 800m world record is really similar; Evans first got that in 88 and it held until 2008.
Ledecky got the 800m in 2013, so still a while to see how long it will hold.
posted by nat at 10:06 PM on July 31
Ledecky got the 800m in 2013, so still a while to see how long it will hold.
posted by nat at 10:06 PM on July 31
NYT article about Ledecky's 12th medal and how her performances compare to other US female swimmers who have also won 12 Olympic medals. (ungated here)
The infographic "Total meters swum in Olympic medal events" just blew my mind. I knew that she was more dominant at longer distances, but it wasn't until I saw the infographic that I thought about how much more wear and tear on her body it must be to train and build up endurance and race those longer distances. And she's still doing it at age 27, which is considered ancient for swimmers--her win today made her the oldest US female swimmer to win an individual gold. I'm rooting for her to break that record again in the 2028 Olympics.
posted by creepygirl at 11:31 PM on July 31 [1 favorite]
The infographic "Total meters swum in Olympic medal events" just blew my mind. I knew that she was more dominant at longer distances, but it wasn't until I saw the infographic that I thought about how much more wear and tear on her body it must be to train and build up endurance and race those longer distances. And she's still doing it at age 27, which is considered ancient for swimmers--her win today made her the oldest US female swimmer to win an individual gold. I'm rooting for her to break that record again in the 2028 Olympics.
posted by creepygirl at 11:31 PM on July 31 [1 favorite]
For a distance swimmer, maybe 27 is getting up there. But Dara Torres was 41 in 2008 when she got the silver in the 50m. (She was another very-long career swimmer, with her first Olympics in 1984).
posted by nat at 12:25 AM on August 1 [1 favorite]
posted by nat at 12:25 AM on August 1 [1 favorite]
Jordana Cepelewicz published a recent Q&A for Quanta with Ken Ono about physics and swimming:
It began innocently enough — with Saran Wrap and accelerometers designed for shark tracking that I bought from marine technology outfits. We didn’t know what we were doing.
And another fun bit:
Nine UVA athletes, including Kate, just became U.S. Olympians — one-fifth of the U.S. team! Gretchen Walsh won the 100-meter butterfly, setting the world record. Paige Madden got second in the 400-meter freestyle, right after Katie Ledecky [my emphasis]; Paige is now a two-time Olympian.
posted by cgc373 at 3:25 AM on August 1
It began innocently enough — with Saran Wrap and accelerometers designed for shark tracking that I bought from marine technology outfits. We didn’t know what we were doing.
And another fun bit:
Nine UVA athletes, including Kate, just became U.S. Olympians — one-fifth of the U.S. team! Gretchen Walsh won the 100-meter butterfly, setting the world record. Paige Madden got second in the 400-meter freestyle, right after Katie Ledecky [my emphasis]; Paige is now a two-time Olympian.
posted by cgc373 at 3:25 AM on August 1
Look at the top 20 results OF ALL TIME and the first 19 are just her over and over and over again. Dazzling.
She is now all 20. I'm answering my question in the first comment and saying Ledecky is the goatiest goat that ever goated. like if Lebron and Gretzky had a baby and then Ali and Serena Williams had a baby, and then those two babies grew up and had a baby, that baby's hero would be Katie Ledecky.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:16 AM on August 1 [3 favorites]
She is now all 20. I'm answering my question in the first comment and saying Ledecky is the goatiest goat that ever goated. like if Lebron and Gretzky had a baby and then Ali and Serena Williams had a baby, and then those two babies grew up and had a baby, that baby's hero would be Katie Ledecky.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:16 AM on August 1 [3 favorites]
She's Gretzky but the ice is all melted.
Even Gretzky has only 8 of the top 10 highest points per season seasons.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 11:00 AM on August 1
Even Gretzky has only 8 of the top 10 highest points per season seasons.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 11:00 AM on August 1
And now a silver in the 4x200 relay and the most decorated American woman with 13 medals overall
posted by drewbage1847 at 3:53 PM on August 1 [3 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 3:53 PM on August 1 [3 favorites]
Ledecky in the relay today definitely felt at the beginning like "Who doesn't have an event today and can swim freestyle real good?" The 200 hasn't really been her event in a while. But damn if she didn't make up some time in the third leg and put them squarely at silver.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:46 PM on August 1
posted by hydropsyche at 4:46 PM on August 1
Also noticed today that Ledecky is wearing a mask between events, which hardly any of the athletes are doing. It turns out she has already had a struggle with POTS and would like to not get Long COVID.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:50 PM on August 1 [2 favorites]
posted by hydropsyche at 4:50 PM on August 1 [2 favorites]
Mod note: This post is part of the Olympics roundup in the sidebar and Best Of blog!
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 7:45 AM on August 2 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 7:45 AM on August 2 [1 favorite]
She just did it again, y'all. She has now tied the record for the most gold medals for a woman in Olympic history, and won gold in the same event (800 m) 4 times. (She couldn't do that in the 1500 this year because they didn't used to let women swim the 1500 because it might hurt our uterus or something.)
posted by hydropsyche at 12:44 PM on August 3 [2 favorites]
posted by hydropsyche at 12:44 PM on August 3 [2 favorites]
Twenty god damn seven years old Katie god damn Ledecky killing it at her 4th olympics with her 4th medal THIS WEEK.
posted by hal_cy_on at 2:42 AM on August 4
posted by hal_cy_on at 2:42 AM on August 4
Katie swims 1500 meters in the same time (or less) than it takes mr dog and I to walk that same distance. What a remarkable athlete.
posted by maxwelton at 7:13 PM on August 4 [1 favorite]
posted by maxwelton at 7:13 PM on August 4 [1 favorite]
I do think her medal count, and that of other top swimmers, is inflated compared to other Olympians
Well, with Phelps he could compete in something like eight events between 100-200 meters per Olympics. Ledecky pretty much dominates two events 800m+1500m completely but consistently across multiple Olympics. So I can halfway see your point. Swimming, gymnastics, track & field, seem to all provide a few more medal opportunities, particularly at shorter distances.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:20 PM on August 6
Well, with Phelps he could compete in something like eight events between 100-200 meters per Olympics. Ledecky pretty much dominates two events 800m+1500m completely but consistently across multiple Olympics. So I can halfway see your point. Swimming, gymnastics, track & field, seem to all provide a few more medal opportunities, particularly at shorter distances.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:20 PM on August 6
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posted by Literaryhero at 5:17 PM on July 30 [6 favorites]