Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky (Washington D.C., March 17, 1997) is an American swimmer gold-medalist during last Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She won 4 Gold medals in 200, 400, 800, and 4X200 freestyle during the competitions in the South American city. Her current net worth is $5 million.
Who is she? What is her secret?
she does not surprise for her physique (1.83m and 69 kg) nor by the size of her hands and feet, determining factors in the art of establishing advantages in swimming when we speak about elite competitors. It emphasizes her ability to float: the most accurate figure is that she slides through the water as if she were on a surfboard.
And the other factor is the naturalness and forcefulness of her arms levers to pull the water. Experts point out that, unlike other swimmers, she does not use her feet fully during the first half of the competition. They have been always surprised at how her power increases as the tests pass, an aspect in which she influences, precisely, when she begins to put more emphasis on the use of the feet. Take speed and she does not slow down.
Her beginnings.
Ledecky started swimming at the age of six, due to the influence of her older brother, Michael. During the summer 2012, she trained at the Nation’s Capital Swim Club (NCAP) with the coach Yuri Suguiyama, and she later stayed with coach Bruce Gemmell. In 2015, she joined the Stanford University team.
Her first great competition was during the Tryouts for the United States Olympic Team in 2012, celebrated in Omaha, Nebraska. Ledecky won 800m freestyle, with a record of 8:19,78. Two second less than the second place, Kate Ziegler. For the 400 freestyle meters, she got the third place. Behind Allison Schmitt and Chloe Sutton. She also participated on 200 freestyle meter, getting the ninth place.
2012 Olympic Games.
At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, she qualified for the final of the 800m freestyle. She had the third best record in the qualifiers, 8: 23.84.6 In the final, Ledecky gave a great show in the pool by winning the gold medal with a time of 8: 14.63.7. this was the second fastest time of all time, behind Rebecca Adlington’s world record (8: 14,10) achieved in 2008. She also broke the United States record that owned Janet Evans with 8: 16.22 since 1989.
With 15 years, 4 months and 10 days, she became the youngest participant for the United States at the 2012 London Olympics. During the ceremony of 2012 Golden Goggle Awards, she won the best female performance for the 800m freestyle she made at the London 2012 Olympic Games and the revelation prize of the year.
Rio 2016.
Ledecky won the Gold medal in 200m and 400m individually, and with her teammates, she won the Gold medal in 4×200 freestyle, and the Silver medal in 4×100 freestyle. On August 11th, she qualified for the finals of 800m freestyle, and a heat series breaking the Olympic record with a time of 8,12.86.
On August 12th she won the Olympic gold in the 800 freestyle, and broke her own world record with a time of 8.04.79. Her test was so fast that she took more than 12 meters of distance to her other rivals.