US Swimming Queen Katie Ledecky in Contention With Mikaela Shiffrin and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone for a Huge Honor

One of the best women swimmers in the world, and the pride of America Katie Ledecky, has been yet again nominated for Laureus Sportswoman of the Year. Although she has not won the title yet, this is her fifth nomination in her career. Along with her, skiing legend, Mikaela Shiffrin, has also been nominated after having a fabulous 2022. Other than them, the final nomination is swift athlete, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. 

Will any of these three be able to bring back the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year to the USA? Let us have a look at their journeys in 2022 in their respective sports. 

Some mind-boggling performances by Katie Ledecky, Mikaela Shiffrin and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 

The year 2022 has been a golden year for all these three incredible American athletes. On one hand, while Katie Ledecky continued her dominance in the swimming world, Mikaela Shiffrin won her fourth overall World Cup title to pen her name in the nominations. Further, the current 400m Olympic champion, Levrone, played with her own records, as she kept creating and breaking them throughout the year. 

Let us have a look at the detailed comparison of these three athletes nominated for the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award.  

Katie Ledecky 

The legendary American swimmer had a blast this year. From winning medals to creating records, she did it all in 2022. Ledecky became the most successful female swimmer after winning four gold medals in the 2022 World Championships, as she surpassed Natalie Coughlin. With the four golds in 400m, 800m, 1500m and 4 x 200m freestyle relay, she has a total of 22 medals now. Prior to being nominated for Laureus Sportswoman of the Year, she had already won the Associated Press (AP) Female Athlete of the Year honors and the Golden Goggle Award as the top female performer of 2022.

Mikaela Shiffrin

If it is the fifth nomination for Ledecky, Mikaela Shiffrin has her sixth. The skiing legend is standing at the top of the world. Shiffrin is just a win behind to equal the most World Cup wins in alpine skiing. However, the year 2022 didn’t begin well for the legend, as she had to return without any medals from the Beijing Olympics. However, she ended the year on a high. Shiffrin now stands at par with Lindsey Vonn with her fourth overall World Cup title. 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Whereas the two other legends have been nominated multiple times before, this is Levrone’s first nomination in her career. The 23-year-old has had a brilliant year as she won the 400m gold World Championship medal, with a record timing of 50.68 seconds. Interestingly, she broke her own records like she has done four times in the past 13 months. Moreover, she was also honored with Female Athlete of the Year by World Athletics.

The competition between the legends is on a whole different level. Other than these fabulous athletes, the other three athletes in contention are as follows- Alexia Putellas from Spain, Iga Swiatek from Poland, and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce from Jamaica. 

Who do you think is the best possible winner for the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year 2023? Let us know in the comments section.

Watch This Story: Surfing Great Kelly Slater to Retire After Paris Olympics in 2024