6-time gold medalist Amy Van Dyken talks pressure of being an Olympic athlete

Few people know what it's like to deal with the pressure of an Olympic Games like Amy Van Dyken.

She stormed onto the scene in 1996, winning four swimming gold medals in Atlanta. That feat was eventually matched by Katie Ledecky in 2016.

Ledecky scored another two medals in Paris, along with a silver and bronze, making her the most decorated female U.S. Olympian in history.

"What she is doing for swimming ... is absolutely unbelievable," Van Dyken told Scripps News.

Because of her resume, Ledecky is one of those athletes who many Americans always expect to win — even if the proposition is unrealistic. Gymnast Simone Biles is another athlete under a lot of pressure to always meet her potential.

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"Going into an Olympics, your first Olympics is pretty easy, no one really knows who you are," Van Dyken said. "These women are well known throughout the world"

The pressure doesn't just come from the public, Van Dyken notes. She said these top-tier athletes also put a lot of pressure on themselves.

"They are human just like we are," Van Dyken said.

USA Swimming Results

Reflecting on the overall performance of the Americans in the pool, Van Dyken said Team USA really showed up on the final day of the swimming events.

"What way to walk out of the Paris 2024 Olympics — two gold medals, two world records," Van Dyken said. "All you have to do is look at that if you have any doubts about Team USA.

The U.S. won 28 medals in the pool, including eight golds, more than any other country in both categories.