Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky announced she has joined the Florida swimming and diving program as a volunteer swimming coach and will train for the 2024 Olympics in Gainesville with Florida head coach Anthony Nesty, who was an assistant coach for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics.
Florida confirmed the move.
Ledecky, who won two gold and two silver in Tokyo earlier this year, completed her degree at Stanford, where she trained under Greg Meehan.
“I’m excited to be a part of the University of Florida’s world-class swimming and diving program and train for the 2024 Olympics with Coach Anthony Nesty, and the top-tier mid-distance and distance training group,” Katie Ledecky said. “My years at Stanford, both academically and athletically, were nothing short of incredible and I’m looking forward to the opportunity and challenges that lie ahead in Gainesville.”
It was a tough move to leave Stanford and Meehan, Katie Ledecky wrote: “Stanford has been my second home for the last five years. It will always have a special place in my heart. Having completed my college degree this year, I am moving east to be closer to home and family. My years at Stanford have been nothing short of incredible. I’m so grateful for my coach Greg Meehan, as well as my teammates, professors, friends and everyone in the larger Palo Alto/Menlo Park area who have supported me through these years.”
Nesty was thrilled with Ledecky’s decision.
“The knowledge and experience that Katie brings to the pool are unparalleled,” Nesty said. “In addition to her obvious excellence as a swimmer, Katie is an exceptional person who will make a great impact on the student-athletes here. Katie’s values are in total alignment with the Florida program, and we’re so excited to have her join the Gators as she continues to train for the 2024 Olympics.”
Meehan said he was thankful to be able to coach Katie Ledecky at Stanford.
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to coach Katie these past 5 years. Beyond the records, medals and championships is an amazing woman. Stanford is simply a better place and I’m a better coach because of Katie’s time here. She’s become family,” Meehan said. “While we are sad to say goodbye, we are thrilled for Katie’s next journey. Coach Nesty and I have talked quite a bit these past few weeks and I believe Gainesville is going to be a great fit for this next phase of Katie’s career.”
Katie Ledecky is an eight-time NCAA Champion and in her two years of collegiate swimming helped lead Stanford to back-to-back Pac-12 and NCAA team titles in 2017 and 2018, while breaking NCAA records 15 times and NCAA Championship meet records six times. She became just the second Freshman ever to be awarded the Honda Cup (2017) and was the first sophomore ever to be named CoSida Academic All-America Team Member of the Year across all Division I sports (2018).
As a 10-time Olympic Medalist and 15-time World Championship Gold Medalist, Katie Ledecky has broken World Records 14 times and American Records 37 times in her career. She has won more gold medals in individual events than any Team USA female athlete in any sport. At the Tokyo Olympics, she also made history by becoming the first Team USA female swimmer to win an individual event (800m Freestyle) in three straight Olympics, and by winning the first-ever women’s 1500m Freestyle event. Ledecky, a three-time USOPC SportsWoman of the Year, was also the most decorated Team USA female athlete in any sport for the second straight Olympic Games.
