Thursday, July 27, 2023
Katie Ledecky Named 2022 World Aquatics Swimmer of the Year
World Aquatics name distance swimming star Katie Ledecky the 2022 World Aquatics Swimmer of the Year on Wednesday, July 26, at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
A three-time Olympian (2012, 2016, 2020), 10-time Olympic medalist and 24-time World Champion (medals from Fukuoka included), she will swim for the podium in the 800m freestyle and potentially as a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay to close out the current competition in Fukuoka.
At the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Ledecky surpassed Natalie Coughlin as the most decorated female athlete ever at the World Championships when she added four gold medals to her accomplishments, bringing her then-career World Championships medal total to 22.
At the FINA (now World Aquatics or AQUA) meet in Hungary, Ledecky touched first in the 800 by more than 10 seconds – becoming the first swimmer to ever five-peat as a World Champion in the event – and won the 1,500 by nearly 15 seconds. She also claimed gold in the 400m freestyle, with a then-championship record time of 3:58.15, and was part of the winning U.S. team in the 4x200m free relay.
She took the title of FINA Female Swimmer of the Meet home from Budapest and won two ESPYs later that summer. She was also a finalist for 2022 Sportswoman of the Year, presented by the Women’s Sports Foundation.
In December 2022, she was named the 2022 Associated Press Athlete of the Year, voted on by a panel of 40 writers and editors from news outlets in the U.S. In early 2023, she was announced as a nominee for the 2022 Laureus World Sports Awards Sportswoman of the Year honor.
A three-time Olympian (2012, 2016, 2020), 10-time Olympic medalist and 24-time World Champion (medals from Fukuoka included), she will swim for the podium in the 800m freestyle and potentially as a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay to close out the current competition in Fukuoka.
At the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Ledecky surpassed Natalie Coughlin as the most decorated female athlete ever at the World Championships when she added four gold medals to her accomplishments, bringing her then-career World Championships medal total to 22.
At the FINA (now World Aquatics or AQUA) meet in Hungary, Ledecky touched first in the 800 by more than 10 seconds – becoming the first swimmer to ever five-peat as a World Champion in the event – and won the 1,500 by nearly 15 seconds. She also claimed gold in the 400m freestyle, with a then-championship record time of 3:58.15, and was part of the winning U.S. team in the 4x200m free relay.
She took the title of FINA Female Swimmer of the Meet home from Budapest and won two ESPYs later that summer. She was also a finalist for 2022 Sportswoman of the Year, presented by the Women’s Sports Foundation.
In December 2022, she was named the 2022 Associated Press Athlete of the Year, voted on by a panel of 40 writers and editors from news outlets in the U.S. In early 2023, she was announced as a nominee for the 2022 Laureus World Sports Awards Sportswoman of the Year honor.