"It feels different every time" - Katie Ledecky looks forward to 2024 Paris Games, hopes to use her experience to further increase her Olympic legacy
Katie Ledecky is looking to make the most of her experience heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ledecky has been re-writing the record books since bursting onto the scene. She has seven Olympic gold medals and 21 World Championship gold medals, the most in history for a female swimmer.
The American has also won a record 16 individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships. She holds the world record in the women's 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events and is a former world record holder in the women's 400-meter freestyle.
With a little more than six months to go before the Paris Olympics, Ledecky has stated that she will make the best use of her experience when she competes at the quadrennial event this year.
"It [competing at the Olympics] feels different every time. Different years, different experiences under my belt, like I am older now, just the little things are different. But I am enjoying it all the same and I try to use my experience to my benefit as I move forward," she told NBC.
Katie Ledecky kicks off 2024 season at Pro Swim Series in Knoxville, wins 400m and 1500m events
Katie Ledecky began her 2024 season dominantly, lapping all but two swimmers to win the 1500m freestyle event Tyr Pro Series meet in Knoxville, Tennessee, by a whopping 52.42 seconds.
She clocked 15 minutes and 38.81 seconds en route to emerging victorious, the 17th-fastest time in history. Incidentally, Ledecky owns all 17 of them. Tennessee’s Aly Breslin (16:43.09) came second, with teammate Kate McCarville (16:44.37) finishing third.
On Wednesday, January 10, Ledecky followed up her 1,500m triumph by emerging victorious in the 400m with a four-minute 03.46 seconds effort. Olympic silver-medalist Paige Madden came second, finishing 2.20 seconds behind Ledecky. Leah Smith had to settle for bronze.
Meanwhile, Canadian Summer McIntosh, who beat Ledecky in the 400m freestyle at the US Open in North Carolina in November last year, took part in the 200m butterfly instead and registered a dominant win (2:05.73).
Emma Sticklen (2:08.57) came second, with Kelly Pash (2:09.02) completing the podium.
Click here to see the full Day 2 results of the 2024 Pro Swim Series.