Everything’s for the taking in Paris and the USA’s swimming contingent will be going for it all. Katie Ledecky is among the most senior names who will be lending Team USA their expertise to haul as much hardware possible at the French capital in the coming weeks, and she probably has more at stake than most of her colleagues. And yet, as the seven-time Olympic gold medalist stands on the cusp of history, she continues to be the figure helping others keep their heads in the game.

Ledecky can etch her name as a rare breed of athlete who has won the gold medal in the same event in four consecutive Olympic Games. While her individual ambitions are understandably elaborate, she’s providing some crucial steam to the engine for her teammates in the City of Love as well.

In a post by Team USA’s official Instagram account, four-time Olympic gold medalist and the men’s swimming team captain Ryan Murphy talked about how Katie is an unending supply of morale for the rest of the team. “We have so much respect for Kate. We think the way she carries herself is second to none. She’s so humble but she’s also a very good leader,” said Murphy about his iconic peer noting how the Stanford graduate’s consistency is something that awes fans with ease.

“It would have been way easier for her to be, like, you know what, I’ve won three Olympics in a row in a couple of events, I can get complacent now. But she doesn’t do that, she’s constantly pushing the envelope on how she can improve and it’s incredible for our sport,” Ryan elaborated further.

“She’s one of the best of all time,” the backstroke specialist didn’t hesitate to acknowledge Katie’s legacy. “We’re really lucky to have her on our team,” confessed Ryan as he hailed the women’s swimming team captain for playing her part in carrying the country’s golden hopes at the quadrennial tournament. With swimming and Olympic immortality beckoning Ledecky, it was probably only justifiable that she returned to the grand stage with an iron will.

Katie Ledecky can add more to her medal tally

As of now, Katie is tied with German equestrian celebrity Isabell Werth with seven gold medals at the grandest show. However, considering the stellar form the 33-year-old showed at the US Olympic Team Trials last month, her possibility of becoming the most decorated female Olympian of all time could well be touched upon with the Eiffel Tower as the witness. At the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium, Ledecky won the top spot in the women’s 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m races without batting an eye, even though she later announced the decision to pull out of the shortest distance for the 2024 Paris Games.

Suppose the reigning women’s 800m world champ can bag another gold at this year’s Olympics in the 800m event. In that case, she will also join Michael Phelps in the league of extraordinary athletes who have won gold in the same individual event four times in a row. On top of it, Katie is eyeing to become the first female swimmer to defend the 1500m free gold on the biggest stage. While competitors in all of these races will come with all guns blazing, Ledecky’s legacy and experience on the highest level could be her aid. But will she be able to trounce the likes of Australian heavyweight Ariarne Titmus and China’s Li Bingjie to etch her name in Olympic history? We’ll have to wait a few more days to see.