Katie Ledecky Is Now the Most Decorated U.S. Woman in Olympic History

Katie Ledecky has just crossed a new record-breaking threshold. The 27-year-old swimmer is now the most highly decorated U.S. woman in Olympic history after winning silver in the women’s 4x200m relay on Thursday, August 1. One day prior, she took home the gold in the women’s 1500-meter freestyle, winning by a landslide against all other swimmers.

The Bethesda native also broke the record for the fastest race in the women’s 1500-meter freestyle event. Her winning moment has spurred overwhelming attention on social media, with countless fans calling her an inspiration in the sport.

Katie made her Olympic debut when she was just 15 at the 2012 London Olympic Games. She went on to win gold in the women’s 800-neter freestyle, shocking viewers around the world over her talent and impressive skills. Throughout her career, she returned to the Olympic stage in Rio, Tokyo and now, in Paris.

Previously, Katie opened up about the secret to her success while appearing on TODAY in June. During her interview, the Stanford University alum explained why she decided to train at the University of Florida.

“One of the big reasons why I came to Florida was to train with some of the best male distance swimmers in the world,” she said. “I’m someone that has known for a while that I train really well and race really well when I do have that opportunity to race the guys. And not just any guy but the best. It’s been a really great environment for me. I try to make them better just as they’re making me better.”

Although she worked hard and trained extensively, Katie still “never thought that [she] would even make one Olympics when [she] first started swimming, let alone have the opportunity to go into a fourth [games].”

“So, that part is mind-blowing to me,” the athlete added. “But at the same time, I don’t really focus on the history stuff or medal counts. I’m very focused on each individual swim, and moreso times than places. … I really know what to expect when I walk into a big national or international meet. There’s just a level of comfortability that I have now that I think translates over to when I race.”

As for what she tells anyone who wants to achieve their dreams, Katie advised them to “set your bar high and don’t be afraid to set goals that seem unrealistic at first or seem impossible.” By doing so, anyone can “see the results and you’ll see yourself getting closer to those goals,” she concluded.