“She is somebody I’m very excited to watch” – Throwback to when Michael Phelps lauded Katie Ledecky ahead of the Olympics

Michael Phelps is the GOAT when it comes to swimming. Phelps retired in 2016 as the most decorated Olympian of all time. The Baltimore native swimmer’s 28 Olympic medals, 23 of which are gold, remain unrivaled.

Despite his retirement, Michael Phelps continues to be involved with the sport. Having become the face of competitive swimming, the athlete has a thing or two to say about swimmers from around the world. While fans of Phelps continue to laud him, it is interesting to note that even he has a personal favorite.

Speaking in an interview with the Hindustan Times ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the legendary swimmer shared that he was “excited” to watch Katie Ledecky. Phelps lauded Ledecky, who is considered the greatest female swimmer ever. He said that the seven-time Olympic gold medalist had a “powerful” stroke.

Replying to a query on whether he has a favorite athlete, Michael Phelps told the Hindustan Times that:

“I’m looking forward to Katie Ledecky as somebody who is already probably the greatest female swimmer ever in history, and the potential that she has. Her stroke is very good, so powerful. She is somebody I’m very excited to watch.”

Further, Michael Phelps went on to mention Allison Schmitt as another exciting swimmer. The swimmer said:

“I have some friends who I hope make the team. Like Allison Schmitt who swims with me, she lives with me in Arizona. She is somebody that I’ve trained with for a long time. She is on a journey to try to make it to another Olympic team. That’s something I’m working with her on.”

It is pertinent to note that Ledecky reciprocates the respect for Phelps. The female swimmer, in the past, has called the the 23-time Olympic gold medalist a “good friend”.

Ledecky called Phelps a great supporter and mentioned how he was always willing to give advice to other swimmers. She also mentioned that Phelps was one of her motivators who encouraged her to train harder.

Watch Katie Ledecky talk about Michael Phelps here:

Michael Phelps’ advice to Katie Ledecky

Michael Phelps has been a strong supporter of Katie Ledecky. Speaking ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Phelps once advised Ledecky to enjoy the experience. The former swimming champion showed confidence in Ledecky and said that she would rise to the occasion. Speaking during an interview on Instagram, he said:

“Katie and I have known each other for a long time. She is hands down the best female swimmer that we’ve ever seen. I always say one thing for her is just be her. As long as she’s being herself and preparing for what she has to do, everything else will happen how it’s supposed to."

He further continued:

"She’s somebody that understands what to do in this setting and she’s going to go out there and have some fun and we’re going to see a lot of fast times.”

Ledecky seems to have followed Phelps’ advice as she went on to add two golds and two silvers to her Olympic medal tally in Tokyo. The female swimmer grabbed the gold medal in one of her signature races, the women's 800-meter freestyle. With this, she became the first swimmer to win the event in three consecutive Olympic games.

Ledecky, who made her debut at the 2012 London Olympics, is now looking forward to increasing her Olympic tally of 10 medals in Paris in 2024.