Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky (born March 17, 1997) is an American competitive swimmer. Having won 6 Olympic individual gold medals and 14 world championship individual gold medals, the most in history for a female swimmer, she is considered one of the greatest Olympians and the greatest female swimmer of all time. Ledecky is the world record holder in the women's 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle (long course) as well as the former world record holder in the women's 400-meter freestyle (long course). She also holds the fastest-ever times in the women's 500-, 1000-, and 1650-yard freestyle events.
In her international debut at the 2012 London Olympic Games as a 15-year-old, Ledecky unexpectedly won the gold medal in the women's 800-metre freestyle. Four years later, she left Rio de Janeiro as the most decorated female athlete of the 2016 Olympic Games, with four gold medals, one silver medal, and two world records. In total, she has won 42 medals (34 golds, 7 silvers, and 1 bronze) in major international competitions, spanning the Summer Olympics, World Championships, and Pan Pacific Championships. During her career, she has broken fourteen world records.
Ledecky's success has earned her Swimming World's Female World Swimmer of the Year a record-breaking five times. Ledecky was also named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 2017, international female Champion of Champions by L'Équipe in 2014 and 2017, United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year in 2013, 2016 and 2017, and Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation in 2017. Ledecky's 6 individual gold medals at the Olympics, 14 individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships, and 22 overall medals at the World Aquatics Championships are records in women's swimming.
Swimming Olympics Bronze Women - 400m Freestyle
2024
United States Swimming | 
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Silver Women - 4x200m Freestyle
2023
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 1500m Freestyle
2023
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 800m Freestyle
2023
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Silver Women - 400m Freestyle
2023
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 400m Freestyle
2022
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 800m Freestyle
2022
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 1500m Freestyle
2022
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 4x200m Freestyle
2022
United States Swimming Women | 
Associated Press Athlete of the Year
2022
United States Swimming | 
Swimming Olympics Gold Women - 800m Freestyle
2020
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming Olympics Gold Women - 1500m Freestyle
2020
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming Olympics Silver Women - 400m Freestyle
2020
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming Olympics Silver Women - 4x200m Freestyle
2020
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 800m Freestyle
2019
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Silver Women - 400m Freestyle
2019
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Silver Women - 4x200m Freestyle
2019
United States Swimming Women |
Associated Press Athlete of the Year
2017
United States Swimming |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 1500m Freestyle
2017
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 4x100m Freestyle
2017
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 4x200m Freestyle
2017
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 400m Freestyle
2017
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 800m Freestyle
2017
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Silver Women - 200m Freestyle
2017
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming Olympics Gold Women - 200m Freestyle
2016
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming Olympics Gold Women - 400m Freestyle
2016
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming Olympics Gold Women - 800m Freestyle
2016
United States Swimming Women | 
Swimming Olympics Gold Women - 4x200m Freestyle
2016
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming Olympics Silver Women - 4x100m Freestyle
2016
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 1500m Freestyle
2015
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 4x200m Freestyle
2015
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 400m Freestyle
2015
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 200m Freestyle
2015
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 800m Freestyle
2015
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 400m Freestyle
2013
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 800m Freestyle
2013
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 1500m Freestyle
2013
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming World Aquatics Championships LC Gold Women - 4x200m Freestyle
2013
United States Swimming Women |
Swimming Olympics Gold Women - 800m Freestyle
2012
United States Swimming Women |
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