Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky is headed east to train at the University of Florida, she announced on Instagram Wednesday morning.
Ledecky says she will train under Florida head coach Anthony Nesty and the “outstanding mid-distance and distance training group there” in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Ledecky has been training at Stanford University under coach Greg Meehan since beginning her freshman season of college there in 2016.
Ledecky wrote the following on Instagram, adding that being closer to family was a factor in her decision:
“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.
I’ve decided to train at the University of Florida with Coach Anthony Nesty and the outstanding mid-distance and distance training group there. I’m looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the next phase of my swimming career.
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.”
Ledecky will also serve as a volunteer assistant coach with the program. It’s not uncommon for active Olympians to join coaching staffs as volunteer assistants, as this allows them greater latitude to travel and train with teams that would not necessarily be afforded to them as just a post-graduate trainee.
Being able to tout arguably the greatest female swimmer of all-time as a member of your coaching staff also helps substantially with recruiting. It also allows the athletics department to pay for their travel.
The 24-year-old Bethesda, Md., native completed her bachelor of arts degree in psychology at Stanford this year. She was an eight-time NCAA champion, competing for the Cardinal for two seasons before turning professional in March of 2018.
“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,” Ledecky said in a University of Florida press release.
“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.”
Nesty led the revival of American men’s distance swimming over the summer as the primary coach of both Bobby Finke, who won the 800 and 1500 freestyles at the Olympics, and Kieran Smith, who took bronze in the 400 free.
“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.”
Nesty was previously the head coach of just the men’s varsity team at Florida, but starting this season will also take over the women’s program.
Last year, under then-head-coach Jeff Poppell, the middle-to-distance freestyles were a strength of the Florida women. They scored 112 points in the mile, which is more than they scored in any other event. Their second-best scoring event was the 500 free, with 90 points, as they finished 2nd as a team at the SEC Championships. Among the swimmers in that group is rising junior Tylor Mathieu, a former Futures Champion in the 800 free.
The University of Florida will now be the training base of America’s two most prominent active swimmers: Caeleb Dressel trains there as a post-graduate under former Florida head coach Gregg Troy.
Ledecky’s coach since 2016, Meehan, offered some thoughts on her departure from Stanford.
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to coach Katie these past five years,” Meehan told SwimSwam. “Beyond the records, medals and championships, she 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.
“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.”
Prior to joining Meehan at Stanford, Ledecky trained at Nation’s Capital Swim Club under coach Yuri Suguiyama and eventually Bruce Gemmell, who she trained under through the 2016 Olympics.
Ledecky is a three-time U.S. Olympian, winning gold in the women’s 800 freestyle in her debut at the 2012 Games in London. She followed up with a dominant four gold, one silver medal performance at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and added two gold and two silvers this past summer in Tokyo.
In addition to winning three straight Olympic titles in the 800 free, becoming the first American female swimmer to win three consecutive golds in an individual event, Ledecky also became the inaugural women’s 1500 free Olympic champion this past summer.
While she remains the best female 800 and 1500 freestyler in the world, Ledecky was beaten head-to-head in the 400 freestyle in Tokyo by Australian Ariarne Titmus, who also won the World title in the event over an ill Ledecky in 2019. Having also failed to medal in the 200 freestyle at the Olympics (having won in 2016), Ledecky hasn’t hit a personal best time in one of her four primary events since 2018 (1500 free), and her current PBs in the 200, 400 and 800 all remain from 2016, which could be a factor in her decision to change training bases.
Ledecky also owns 15 Long Course World Championship titles, including having won four in a row in the 800 free, along with eight Pan Pacific Championship gold medals.
