But to everyone’s surprise, she asked fellow multiple Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel, who trains in Florida, for permission to relocate there.
In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Dressel spoke about the text Ledecky had sent him and appreciated her humility. He said:
With her eyes set on the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, Katie Ledecky started training under Anthony Nesty in Florida last year. She was also set to be a volunteer assistant swimming coach at the university.
The University of Florida boasts the likes of some brilliant distance swimmers like Bobby Finke and Kieran Smith, who bagged medals in Tokyo, and of course Caeleb Dressel, who trains in the post-graduate lot and also trains with Nesty.
Ledecky believed that training with this envious group of world-class swimmers will provide her with the right kind of push she needs in her Olympic preparation. Speaking to USA Today in a telephonic interview, she said:
Katie Ledecky previously had the chance to train with swimmers practicing in Florida and found the experience very helpful.
With a laugh, she talked about what she could bring in at the practice sessions.
Why did Katie Ledecky move to Florida?
Katie Ledecky competed in all three Olympic Games with a different coach each time as she believes that each Olympic cycle should be different. So, her decision to shift bases to Florida wasn’t an unexpected shock.
Speaking to Sports Rational about the same, she said:
Before the move, Katie Ledecky trained at Stanford University under coach Greg Meehan. She had enrolled there as a student days after the 2016 Rio Olympics. Katie represented the university at NCAA tournaments, becoming an eight-time NCAA champion. She completed her Bachelors of Arts degree in Pyschology last year.
In September last year, Ledecky took to social media to announce the shift and thank her coach and friends in California.
Her new coach Anthony Nesty was nothing but praises for this phenomenal swimmer, and added that she could be impactful to the student-athletes at the university. Nesty said:
Katie Ledecky’s decision to move from the West Coast was influenced by a desire to be closer to her family in the Washington, DC area. Speaking about it with USA Today, she said:
Katie Ledecky is hands-down one of the greatest swimmers in history. With three gold medals already under her belt, her fourth in Paris will be eagerly anticipated.
0 votes
