A World Record Performance
On Tuesday, July 25th, swimming legend Katie Ledecky became the first person to win five world titles in two different events. Furthermore, she tied Michael Phelps for the most individual world gold medals in swimming with fifteen. Ledecky has twenty world titles overall.
The picture below is stunning. It shows Ledecky winning her fifth consecutive 1500M freestyle event. Ledecky won by a remarkable seventeen seconds!!! Her margin of victory was so large she was the only one pictured at the race’s conclusion. Furthermore, Ledecky holds the top sixteen fastest times ever recorded in the event.
Today in Japan Katie Ledecky won her fifth straight gold medal in the 1500m free (the mile swim), the race where she holds the top 16 fastest times ever. She was the only swimmer in the frame when she touched the wall and then she had to wait 17 seconds for someone else to finish pic.twitter.com/qN07Bc5Alh
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) July 25, 2023
Ledecky won her first gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics at only 15-years of age. Now 26, one wonders how she continues to swim at such high levels of speed. In this The Athletic article, she gives us a glimpse into the secrets of her continued success.
Ledecky said, “There have been a lot of years where I haven’t gotten a world record in certain events. It took a little time to realize like, ‘Hey, my records I’ve set are at a really high standard.’ Even through all that, I think what I’ve been able to do is recognize the progress that I make in training. I don’t think that a year has gone by where I haven’t felt like I’ve progressed in some way in training. When you see those little improvements in meets, it’s just really rewarding when you can see those on the scoreboard.”
3 Things The Very Best Leaders Do To Continue Getting Better
From her comments, we learn three things the very best leaders do to get even better. In short, to continually improve you need to continually improve how you continually improve to have continual improvement. Confused? Then let’s unpack that statement.
1. Love Your Training
World-class performers love the grind.
After all these years and all she has accomplished, Ledecky still trains relentlessly. This cannot be taken for granted. Many elite swimmers probably love swimming but how many love the training necessary to become a world-class athlete?
2. Improve Your Training
Ledecky said, “I think what I’ve been able to do is recognize the progress that I make in training. I don’t think that a year has gone by where I haven’t felt like I’ve progressed in some way in training.”
Regardless of your profession, training is not static. Technology and techniques are always being improved. As a result, incorporating these improvements is critical to having long-term success in your career.
3. Make Small Improvements In Your Training To Have Big Results
In a sport where most meets are won by fractions of seconds, incremental improvements have a significant impact on final results. One-tenth of a second is a big deal and often the difference between a world championship and not receiving a medal at all.
The continual improvements in Ledecky’s training have compounded over the years and resulted in her becoming the finest female swimmer in history.
Conclusion
If you love training, improve how you train, and continue making small improvements in your overall performance, you have created an opportunity for yourself to have a sustainable and successful career. Just ask Katie Ledecky.
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