Michael Phelps might be a swimming legend, but when he met up with fellow Olympian Katie Ledecky on Monday, he was the one asking for her autograph.
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At one point during the interview, Phelps and Ledecky snapped a photo.
“We all looked up to him when we were six years old”, four-time Rio gold medalist Katie Ledecky said.
The swimmers were photographed a decade ago when Phelps signed a poster for Ledecky. “Younger guys we have coming up in the sport are going to take over”.
“Not only to see his impact in the pool, but just here out of the pool as well”.
“Katie’s doing her thing and she’s breaking records every time she gets in the pool”, Phelps, 31, told “Today”. He was named captain of the United States swimming squad, led Team USA into Rio as the flag-bearer at his first Opening Ceremony, mentored his younger teammates and led them to victory in several relay events, captured his 23rd individual gold medal while simultaneously giving Team USA its 1,001st – and even became a social media sensation for his pre-race focus. And I think that’s the difference because I knew this was the last time.
Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky basked in the glow of an incredible performance in Rio along with Phelps’ fiancee, Nicole Johnson, and their little boy, Boomer. “It’s fun to swim fast”.
“(The 800) was the last race of my meet here and I wanted to remember it really well, ” she said.
There was plenty to smile about as Ledecky walked away from Rio with five total medals, four of them gold, along with two world records. Phelps finished his incredible career with an Olympic-record 23 gold medals and 28 overall, including five gold medals in Rio.
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The Washington D.C. native also captivated her hometown. “I mean, this medal is not just for me”.
