Defeating Michael Phelps’ Record Made Katie Ledecky Feel ‘Horrible’ in 2023: “Sense of Disappointment”

Katie Ledecky has been steadily working towards catching up to Michael Phelps to become the top female Olympic swimmer and second among all Olympic athletes. As the most decorated male and female swimmers, Phelps and Ledecky are frequently compared for their dominance in the pool. Katie, in turn, has admired the ‘Baltimore Bullet’ and drawn inspiration from him to refine her stroke technique.

However, Katie achieved a significant milestone by surpassing Phelps’ record for the most individual gold medals at the World Championships. She accomplished this feat by winning her 16th title in the women’s 800-meter freestyle event at the 2023 World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. However, a year later, she candidly opened up about that moment. Despite it seeming like a dream for many, Katie Ledecky revealed she felt a “sense of disappointment.”

In her memoir, “Just Add Water: My Swimming Life,” Katie Ledecky opened up about the moment she made history with the most individual golds at world championships, surpassing Michael Phelps. After her race, which was the last meet of the season, she felt there was nothing to warm down for since she wouldn’t be racing again for months.

Despite breaking Phelps’s record and swimming incredibly fast, she felt horrible. She shared, “That alone made me feel horrible. I knew I should be thrilled that I’d broken Phelps’s record and swum as fast as I had instead of flogging myself for what I perceived to be mistakes.”

She continued, “Yet all these wheels were turning in my head. How could I do better next time? Why did I fail to break a record? I felt a slight sense of disappointment. I at least wanted to be better than I had been at Nationals. And I wasn’t.” Katie Ledecky revealed how she managed to answer media questions and reflect on her career, mentioning all the different World Championships that had led to that moment.

She spoke of her longevity and accomplishments over the last eleven years, smiling and expressing gratitude. Internally, though, she was far less composed. As we reflect on these words and the deep sense of vulnerability Katie Ledecky felt, let’s look at her blazing numbers, which set the tone for her speed and comparison in the pool to Phelps.

How does her signature move compare to that of the ‘Flying Fish’?

In his prime, Michael Phelps owned the 200-meter butterfly, smashing his world record multiple times from 2001 to 2012. When Phelps swam the 200 fly, it was like he was in a league of his own; everyone else was just trying to keep up. On the other hand, Katie Ledecky has been untouchable in the 800-meter freestyle since bursting onto the scene in 2012. She held a 13-year unbeaten streak until 17-year-old Summer McIntosh defeated her in February 2024.

Despite that, Ledecky’s speed and endurance in the 800 free are unmatched. Phelps set the world record in the 200 fly at 1:51.51, with the next fastest swimmer, László Cseh, trailing by about 1.2 seconds. In contrast, Ledecky’s world record in the 800 free stands at an astonishing 8:04.79, set in Rio, with Rebecca Adlington nearly 10 seconds behind. That’s a significant lead in swimming terms and highlights Ledecky’s absolute dominance in her signature event. Reflecting on her unparalleled reign in the pool, what are your thoughts on this vulnerable moment that Katie Ledecky has opened up about?