In a brief segment on 60 Minutes, 14-time Olympic Medalist Katie Ledecky was asked by correspondent Lesley Stahl, “As an Olympian, what has she learned about America?”
Her response touched on several uniting points in just a brief, minute-long response; opening by saying that over her years representing the United States both domestically and internationally, she views America as a “nation of strivers, that embraces competition of all sorts. We are a very prideful nation in how we compete.”
The response maintained a consistently hopeful, optimistic tone throughout, never straying from the overall message that what brings the country together can often be found through competition and sport.
“We are a very prideful nation in how we compete,” Ledecky said, “Where that striving and competitive spirit, when harnessed correctly, brings out the best in us, and shows us the best of the human spirit.”
She brings up her upbringing in the sport, swimming in community pools over the summer in Bethesda, Maryland, to training and competing all over the world, building one of the most decorated careers of any Olympic athlete in history.
“What I have seen in so many different communities is that sport in America is at its best when it’s joy and fun, and yes, its challenges, bring us together.” Ledecky told 60 Minutes.
In May of 2024, just months before her Paris 2024 Olympics campaign, Ledecky was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, and was t the first swimmer to win the award since its inception 61 years earlier.
oh my, how sheltered you are, not to notice the war machine that the US . .IS. .the piracy, blood thirsty for wars, genocide, completely ignorant of wtf is happening to children, families, societies, countries, all for dominance, bcuz ´ẃe can take it´. .it´s fun to slaughter and torture people and give trillions of tax payer (they don´t have, enslaving the American people, their money to IS-RA-EL to slaughter and torture. It´s geat of all your accomplishments in the ´female category´. .congrats on your success and money/endorsements. .but geez, look around at the obvious. .this is why those outside the US, think Americans are self centered, ignorant and indifferent to what´s happening to others, worldwide. .bcuz most are. And IF… Read more »
do the downvoters not think the US us a war machine??????
Why’s she giving a stump speech?
This is also true with pretty much everything in life!
Well, when the US should win every gold medal in 28, taking the state of the nation in to consideration. Can’t wait to see Donald Trump destroy the glory of the Olympics, just as he has already done with the World Cup this year.
will there even BE an OG in LA in 28? Rowdy sorta called it TWICE during Psris OG, saying, there´s always 2032, completely bypassing the 2028 OG. .if it does still happen, how many will boycott it and how many countries won´t be allowed to compete. .as usual, politicians F up everything for the athletes for the glory of destroying countries-societies-families-hospitals-lives, all for ¨Americn Power¨. .US is #1. .at exporting war and destruction while pirating their resources. .and now wanting all seaport and waterways. .but this WW3 is also about BANKING,digital-blockchain worldwide banking controlled by bankster families. .as usual
if the 28 OG were in any other country that has done what US has done recently there would already be calls on here to move the games. US should not be allowed to host and any athlete that has shown support for the war loving and bullying president shouod be banned from competing. If it was Russia or China that attacked Venezuela and Iran or threatened Greenland you woul already be calling for it.
Eh, 1936 games were neither moved from Berlin, nor boycotted by any major participants. If that regime wasn’t considered to be bad enough to do that, then nothing will.
that was a long time ago though would you agree. What about comments on here regarding Russian athletes. Especially those that do not speak openly against Putin. Maybe we should apply that to the US athletes.
It happend long lime ago, but IOC doesn’t appear to consider it a mistake to this day. American comments I saw here mostly seem to be in favor of unbanning Russia altogether. I’m Ukrainian and I couldn’t care less what their athletes speak about or don’t, tbh. They are all a part of Putin’s propaganda machine regardless of their personal opinion.
And speaking of Russia, they were awarded with 2012 Olympics after invading Georgia in 2008. And 2018 football world cup wasn’t moved after annexation of Crimea and continued aggression against Ukraine. They are hardly the victim here.
not saying Russia are the victim at all, they are clearly deplorable. US behaviour recently is hardly any different though.
Unfortunately she is a throwback at a time when social media and other media channels reward polarization and animus. Just look at the USA gold medal in men’s hockey. People lie in wait to destroy the consensus and get paid for it.
Ugh I love her she’s so professional and honest
Let’s be very honest:
Katie…who I adore…was being…diplomatic!
To amplify:
“As an Olympian, what has she learned about America?” is a very loaded question in 2026.
Most of us would not be able to unthink about the Orange Elephant In The Room, and all that this entails in our present time.
But to her credit, Katie does not take the bait.
Last comment: 😂
In her well-rehearsed answer to the question, the part that stood out for me the most was:
“When harnessed correctly”
so, to protect the image, sponsorships. .Katie says nada about the reality of wtf is happenign in the world. .or Katie is ignorant or indifferent of it
Ledecky has said multiple times she wants to stay out of politics. Let the girl focus on her own lane and compete for her country!
Awkward moment when an US athlete is way better at being diplomatic than lots of their actual diplomats.
What more needs to be said? Well put !!
That’s an understatement.
The rest of the world world is not looking at USA that way as Ledecky described.
This is absolutely true.
I do not consider the word ‘prideful’ to be a complimentary term. It is pride that will be the US’s undoing, imo. The prophetic dreams of Dmitru Dudumen and other references speak to that.
The US of the 70s 80s 90s is long gone. We are in a different era now. The world is precarious. Sports are a distraction.
oh honey, it was just as bad then too. it´s ALL bad, soulless and demons in human bags ruling/running our country and world into the ground, ON PURPOSE. .NWO out of chaos
exactly. .and ignoring it, being indifferent to it.. is perpetuating it. .¨protect the endorsement¨ no matter what.. Character?
exactly. It is funny that all the Americans on here all seem to think the Russians should speak against the regime but with Katie we are all proud of her even though she inferred a lot of things rather than say them. Clearly holding Russians to a higher expectation.
Hell yeah, Katie.
We’d have a lot more innovation if we embraced competition on the business side of versus letting a few anticompetitive monopolies run unchecked.
We need more people like her!!
do you think that athletic competition would thrive so much if we were constantly being carpet bombed, kidnapped, raped, tortured, murdered, entire societies demolitioned for free demoition for Jared and friends (Saudis, Izzy) on the American´s dime for centuries. How does a 3X BANKRUPT corps-oration US Inc, have trillions in debt, still have unlimited funds to start wars, pirate other country´s resources and dictate who they should have as their leadership, all while sLAUGHTERing entire societies, a people, bcuz it´s fun and they can. This is not a Republican or Democrat thing. .they´re BOTH doing it like the WWE, following theri assigned scripts, like in TV seris, WestWorld