[ad_1]
Katie Ledecky will learn a new move.
The Gator Chomp.
Ledecky announced on Wednesday that she is moving to the University of Florida to be closer to home and train under the guidance of Anthony Nesty, a rising star coach who will oversee her preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Ledecky, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, has spent the past five years at Stanford University, where she worked with US national team coach Greg Meehan while earning a psychology degree.
“Stanford was my second home,” Ledecky wrote on his Twitter account. “He will always have a special place in my heart. Having graduated from college this year, I am moving east to be closer to home and family.
The Washington, DC native will now train with Nesty, a 1988 Olympic gold medalist who is the main coach of Bobby Finke, who swept the 800 and 1,500-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Games, and Kieran Smith, who won bronze in the 400 freestyle.
Ledecky will also serve as a volunteer assistant coach on the Gators’ staff, a blow to Nesty when he embarks on recruiting.
Ledecky, 24, said she looks forward to working with Nesty’s “great distance and mid-range training group”.
Ledecky won two gold and two silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games last summer. In the last three Olympics, she became the first swimmer to win six individual gold medals and the first American woman to win that many in any sport.
While not as dominant as she was at the Rio 2016 Games – Ledecky actually finished fifth in an event in Tokyo, the first time she failed to win a medal in an Olympic race – she remains one of the greatest swimmers in the world and hopes to add to her transport medal in Paris.
Ledecky gives Nesty another top swimmer – arguably the best woman ever – with the next Olympics in less than three years.
“The knowledge and experience that Katie brings to the pool is unparalleled,” said Nesty. “In addition to her obvious excellence as a swimmer, Katie is an exceptional person who will have a big impact on the student-athletes here. Katie’s values align well with the Florida program.
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 and his work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry
___
More AP: https://apnews.com/hub/2020-tokyo-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located in the European Economic Area.
[ad_2]
Source link