US swimming sensation Katie Ledecky was named AP Athlete of the Year for 2022 – after an incredible year in which she broke TWO more world records and at the age of 25 brought her world championship gold medal tally to NINETEEN
US swimming sensation Katie Ledecky was named 2022 Female Athlete by the Associated Press, beating track and field athlete Sydney McLaughlin for the second time in her career.
The American swimmer, who switched coasts and coaches after last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, had another outstanding performance at the World Championships, setting two world records along the way.
She has now crowned 2022 with the highest award, chosen by a panel of 40 sportswriters and news outlet editors across the country.
Katie Ledecky celebrates after breaking the world record in the 1500m freestyle in October
Ledecky, who had previously won the award in 2017, tied with US track star McLaughlin in total points, but Ledecky received the nod based on 10 first-place votes to McLaughlin’s nine. Basketball star A’ja Wilson was third.
“I know so many great athletes have won this honor,” said Ledecky. “I’m really happy – happy with how my year has gone and excited about the future too.”
Ledecky, who won her first Olympic gold medal in 2012 at the age of 15, has managed to stay at the top of the longest pool events in women’s freestyle swimming for almost a decade.
Since 2013, she has held the endurance world record in both the 800 and 1,500 meters and has rarely faced a serious challenge in these grueling races.
Ledecky poses with her medal after the women’s 800m freestyle final at the World Championships
At this year’s World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Ledecky touched first the 800 by more than 10 seconds and won the 1,500 by almost 15 seconds. She also took gold in the 400m free and was part of the winning US team in the 4 x 200m free relay.
Before 2022 was over, Ledecky added two more world records to her ledger. She has posted marks at both 800 and 1,500 short track intervals per week—although she rarely competes in the 25-meter pool.
But Ledecky’s true pleasure comes when no one is cheering her on, when just she and her coaches and teammates spend the long, lonely hours of practice.
“I may be one of the few swimmers who loves training more than racing,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong: I also love racing. But I really enjoy going to the practice every day. I’m excited when I go to bed in the morning for training.”
At the tender age of 25, Ledecky has already won 19 gold medals at world championships
Last year, after an Olympic performance slightly disappointed by her high placing, Ledecky left coach Greg Meehan and the team at Stanford University, where she had competed and trained while pursuing a psychology degree.
Her top priority was to be closer to her family in the Washington, DC area. She was fascinated by the program that Anthony Nesty, a rising star in the ranks of coaching, was building at the University of Florida.
One of Nesty’s freestylers, Bobby Finke, surprisingly took gold in the men’s 800 and 1,500 freestyle events in Tokyo. Another, Kieran Smith, won an unexpected bronze medal.
So Ledecky moved almost 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) from Palo Alto, California to Gainesville, Florida.
“It was a lot of fun every day,” she said. “At this point in my career, this is the right place for me. I train really well and learn a lot in the process.”