“It’s Not an Experiment”- Katie Ledecky Reflects on How Training With Male Swimmers Helped Her Increase Speed at 25

About 600 athletes gathered at the South Lawn of the White House to attend a Team USA ceremony hosted by President Joe Biden. The ceremony celebrated the team’s performance in the Tokyo Olympics, 2022 Winter Olympics, and the past two Paralympic Games. Among the athletes stood Katie Ledecky attending her third event in the White House.

How did training with top distance swimmers help Ledecky?

With 7 Olympic gold medals, she is among the most decorated names in competitive swimming. After the ceremony, Ledecky came forward to share some insights on her life, her move to Florida Gators, and her training routine.

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Standing on the South Lawn after the ceremony, Ledecky said, “It’s not an experiment because it’s the real thing. It’s something that I knew would help me in my career at this point, training with some of the top male distance swimmers in the world and being in that environment.”

At 25, Ledecky is going strong with her brilliant performance at the Team Trials. At the meet, she qualified for four World events, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events. However, Katie has withdrawn from the 200 as per the updated official team roster.

She is undergoing training to compete at the upcoming FINA World Championships along with other world-class distance swimmers like Bobby Finke and Kieran Smith. Caeleb Dressel is another prominent athlete who trains with the team.

Sharing her training experience with Bobby Finke, Ledecky said, “It’s been fantastic. We motivate each other and push each other and it’s definitely given me a really good push in my events.”

READ MORE- Bobby Finke Sets US Open Record in 800m Freestyle; Will Compete in Two Events at Upcoming World Championships

Move to Florida Gators rewarding for Katie Ledecky

After her move to Florida Gators last September, Ledecky has been training under coach Anthony Nesty. A volunteer swim coach herself, she is consistently improving her performance under the guidance of Nesty.

Furthermore, the three-time Olympian has had a brilliant season securing gold in four events at the Team Trials. At the meet, she clocked the 800m at 8:09.27, making it her sixth-fastest all-time performance and the fastest in four years. Additionally, she chipped off more than three seconds from her performance at the Tokyo Olympics.

She performed similarly in the other three events during the meet, securing the first position with impressive timings. This year, she has been clocking some of her fastest timing in years.

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Currently, Ledecky is training for next month’s World Championships. Given her performance at the trials this year, she is expected to deliver a marvelous performance at the meet.