Katie Ledecky honored as USA Swimming athlete of the year

By foxsports
Published

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Olympic and world champion Katie Ledecky was named USA Swimming's athlete of the year for the third consecutive year.

She received the award at the U.S. Aquatic Sports Convention on Saturday night.

Ledecky joins Ryan Lochte (2009-11) and Mike Barrowman (1989-91) as three-time winners. Michael Phelps has won the award five times.

The teenager from Bethesda, Maryland, also won the performance award for the fourth straight year, tying Phelps' record, after her world-record swim in the 800-meter freestyle at this summer's world championships in Russia.

Ledecky won five gold medals in Kazan, including the 200, 400 and 1,500 freestyle events.

Haley Anderson of Granite Bay, California, won the female open water swimmer of the year. Jordan Wilimovsky of Malibu, California, was chosen male open water swimmer of the year.