NEW YORK - Following a six-medal performance at the 2017 FINA World Championships and a record-setting season at Stanford, Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md./Stanford Swimming) was named Wednesday as the Women's Sports Foundation’s 2017 Individual Sportswoman of the Year.

Ledecky was honored as the award winner at the 38^th Annual Salute to Women in Sports awards gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

This summer at the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Ledecky won her third straight world titles in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle and added gold in the 400m and 800m free relays, as well as a second straight FINA World Championships medal in the 200m free. She owns a women’s record 14 career gold medals in FINA World Championships action, including 10 individual world titles – more than any other woman. Earlier in 2017, Ledecky won five NCAA titles, posted nine American-record performances and 12 NCAA-record swims in her first year at Stanford.

Ledecky is the first swimmer to earn Individual Sportswoman of the Year honors since Missy Franklin in 2013. Other swimmers to win the award include legends Natalie Coughlin, Jenny Thompson and Amy Van Dyken.