The Katie Ledecky Page -- March 29, 2018

Headlines:

• Katie Ledecky turns pro after dominating college swimming (all two years of it), The New York Times, March 26, 2018; link here;
• Katie Ledecky turning pro shows the folly of the NCAA's white-knuckle grip on "amateurism" -- Yahoo Sports, March 26, 2018; link here;
• Katie Ledecky likely face of US Team for '20 Games after going pro, SportsBusiness Daily; link here; 
• Five-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky will turn pro, The Washington Post; March 26, 2018; unable to get good link; Katie Ledecky’s short but spectacular collegiate swimming career is finished. The five-time Olympic champion will forgo her final two seasons of college eligibility at Stanford to embark on a professional swimming career, immediately setting her sights on the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.
• Katie Ledecky decides to turn pro after leading Stanford to second NCAA title; USA Today, March 26, 2018; link here; 

From USA Today:

It’s hard to imagine a company that wouldn’t want to be associated with Ledecky, who has broken 13 world records and 33 American records in her illustrious career.

Her athletic resume is impeccable.

After winning a surprising gold medal in the 800 freestyle as a 15-year-old at the 2012 London Olympics, she came back to win four golds (the 200, 400 and 800 freestyles, and the 4x200 freestyle relay) and one silver (the 4x100 relay) while setting two world records in Rio.

Her dominance was extraordinary; who can forget the social media photos of the 800-meter event in which she was the only person in the picture even though seven other women were in the race?

My favorite YouTube video of Katie Ledecky: https://youtu.be/JHbNKX3VkIM.  At the link, at 1:16, she steps on to the world's stage at age 15. Think about that. At age 15. The British announcers are clearly still thinking that their British favorite Adlington will win even at the 500-meter mark where Ledecky is well ahead of the British (and Olympic) favorite. At the 9:00 minute mark on the video, finally some concern by the British announcers. By now, Ledecky has a two-body lead. At 10:04, Ledecky is the only swimmer in the video shot. Announcers are wasting time talking about the others; the bit story is Ledecky and they are missing it. Ledecky is so far ahead, and yet the announcers, even at the turn into the final lap have not grasped what is going. Midway in the final 100 meters, finally -- the announcers get it. Wow, even at the end, still talking about the Brits.

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La Mer

La Mer, Charles Trenet