Stanford career over for Ledecky
Katie Ledecky’s spectacular swimming career at Stanford is over.
The five-time Olympic champion announced Monday she will forgo her final two years of eligibility and pursue professional opportunities while continuing her training and classes at Stanford.
The sophomore was expected to leave college swimming at some point to train for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. She also had given up potentially significant endorsement and sponsorship deals by competing as an amateur the past two years and leading the Cardinal to back-to-back NCAA championships. Last year’s title was the program’s first in 19 years.
Ledecky made it clear she treasured the camaraderie of the Stanford team and her general college experience.
“I am so grateful to have
had the opportunity to train and swim collegiately for two years alongside some of the greatest women swimmers of this generation — swimmers who are not just great athletes, but great people as well,” Ledecky said in a statement released by the school.
Ledecky, who turned 21 this month, had made her decision early in the school year but didn’t make it public until a speaking appearance Monday at the National Press Club in Washington.
“We are really excited for Katie as she moves on to the next stage of her career as a professional athlete,” Stanford head coach Greg Meehan said. “This is the right time for this transition, and we are thrilled she will continue her training at Stanford.
“Over the past two years, Katie has achieved unprecedented levels of success in the pool, but it’s her impact on our program as a whole which we will remember most.”
Ledecky is a Scholar AllAmerican as well as a twotime Olympian and 14-time world champion. As a collegian, the Bethesda, Md., native won eight NCAA titles, including three this month. At Stanford, she broke American records 11 times and NCAA records 15 times.
She now can concentrate on swimming’s biggest competitions, including the world championships next summer in South Korea.
“I feel like having two years in this stage will prepare me in the best way for 2020,” she told the Washington Post.
As the Post noted, she’ll do more work in the longcourse pool and won’t be limited by NCAA restrictions that dictate how much time she spends in the water or working with coaches. She’ll also have an easier travel and competition schedule, focusing on the meets that matter most.
Other elite swimmers have turned pro early after competing in college. Missy Franklin turned pro after her sophomore year at Cal.
Ledecky told the Post that she didn’t regret her decision to not turn pro before the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
“I think these two years have provided me with so much, just personally and for my swimming,” she said. “I think being in that environment, being a part of a team and making these friends and sharing these times has been really special for me.”