Katie Ledecky has established herself as a titan in the swimming world. Leading up to the 2024 Paris Summer Games, fans looked forward to watching her dominate the Olympic pool again. She first turned heads at the 2012 London Games as a tender 15-year-old. She returned to her fourth stint as the most decorated female swimmer of all time. This time though, she set her sights on pushing her boundaries in the French capital. 

But the first time she locked horns with her Aussie rival, Ariarne Titmus, in the 400m freestyle. But things didn’t go her way. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ledecky had clinched an effortless victory with a world record time of 3:56:46. However, at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, the Australian destroyed the defending champion by less than a second in 3:56:69. And she faced the same fate this time. Not in one, but in two events. After all the excitement died down, Katie Ledecky appeared on an episode of Unfiltered Waters.

Speaking to Katie and Missy, the G.O.A.T. opens up about her experience at the French Capital. “I think race by race, I would say my first three swims, I was a little frustrated with them given that the swim felt faster than the time.” In the 400m finals, the defending champion emerged victorious yet again with a blistering 3:57:49. In comparison, Ledecky’s time of 4:00:86 was only good enough for a third-place finish.

But the American took back the reigns in the women’s 1500m freestyle, which is one of her bread and butter events. She shattered the Olympic record with 15:30:02, claiming her first Olympic gold in the French capital. Onto the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay next! Once again, Australia clinched an easy victory with an Olympic record of 7:38:08. Swimming the anchor leg, Titmus pulled off the fastest split of the night with 1:52:95. 

Team USA had to settle for another second place with 7:40:86, and Katie Ledecky’s split was 1:54.93. But what was the rest of the experience like for her? “Yeah, I mean, overall, I was really happy with how everything went.” The swimmer added that she was happier with some races than others. “But overall, the general experience, the training camps, the time with my teammates, the time in the village preparing for the races, the actual races themselves.” She reiterated how she enjoyed the overall experience.

Katie Ledecky’s full circle moment at the French capital

The swimmer has come a long way from her first stint on the world’s biggest stage. However, this time around, she had a very important role to play—she was Team USA’s captain. What was that experience like? The 27-year-old stated it was easier than she expected it to be. Her younger teammates, Alex Shackle, Kate Douglass, Katie Grimes, and more, seemed to have experience beyond their age.

Katie Ledecky even opened up about how 18-year-old Katie Grimes looked up to her, which is something the 27-year-old once experienced in London. But now that she’s the older one, she expressed how it feels like it has come full circle. Stepping under the spotlight as a 15-year-old can be pretty intimidating.

But the swimmer had teammates like Missy Franklin in her corner. Even though the 14x Olympic medalist has done this three times before, she gave credit where it was due. Her juniors made her role as captain seamless. “I felt like it was so easy.” She then delved into what the entire stint was like with her team. They would often ask for advice, and she was happy to help them out.

However, the environment in the camp was very inclusive. Everyone “felt like they belonged.” Under Katie Ledecky’s captaincy, in the medley relay, Katherine Berkoff and Kate Douglass brought home a gold. The former even clinched a bronze in the 100m backstroke, and the latter won gold in the 200m breaststroke and the 4x100m medley relay along with Emma Webber. Even though the 27-year-old faced several roadblocks in the City of Light, she proved to the world why she will forever be the superwoman of swimming.