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Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps are both legends in the world of swimming but it is Phelps who has the higher medal count at the Olympics between the two. The retired American swimmer boasts a whopping 28 medals from the Games, the most by any athlete in the history of the Olympics.
On the other hand, Ledecky has so far claimed 10 medals from three appearances at the Games, placing her 29th on the all-time list. However, the 27-year-old has outdone Phelps at the World Championships, holding the record for most individual gold medals with her 16 titles.
Michael Phelps made his Olympic debut back in 2000, where he became the youngest American male since Ralph Flanagan in 1932 to qualify for an Olympic swim team. While he returned from Sydney empty-handed, his subsequent outings at the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Games yielded great success.
In Athens, the Flying Fish won eight medals, six of which were gold, and followed it up with eight first-place finishes in Beijing. In London, the 38-year-old made six trips to the podium before wrapping up his career with another six medals from Rio.
Meanwhile, Katie Ledecky made her Olympic debut in 2012, winning gold in the 800m freestyle on her very first try. 2016 saw a much more dominant performance from the American, as she won the 200m, 400m, 800m freestyle, as well as the 4x200m freestyle relay. She topped this off with a silver in the 4x100m relay.
In 2020 while in Tokyo, Ledecky defended her 800m title and won the 1500m freestyle gold. She also claimed silver in the 400m and 4x200m freestyle relay. The 27-year-old will now attempt to make it to her third consecutive Games, where she remains the favorite for the win in the 800m and 1500m freestyle categories.
Katie Ledecky announces her new book ‘Just Add Water’
Fans will now have a chance to get a close insight into Katie Ledecky's life and swimming journey with the American’s new book, Just Add Water.
The memoir details how she found her love for swimming as a young kid in Bethesda, Maryland, and how she made it to a record-breaking 21 World Championships medals among other feats.
Announcing the book on her Instagram, Ledecky wrote:
“I wrote a book! Glad I saved all my journals over the years. I never imagined I would make it to the Olympics, or be at this level, or write a book about this unlikely career that I've had. Just Add Water shares my story of swimming, and shows how the love, support, and encouragement of the people who have influenced me helped make it possible.”
Katie Ledecky's memoir will be available on June 11 right before the 2024 US Olympic Trials and will be published by Simon & Schuster.
